A Mate For The Bear: BBW Paranormal Alpha Shifter Romance (Bear Brides Book 4) (8 page)

“Oh, thank you. This
way, please.”

Joyce held the front door
open. The man placed the box beside the door and straightened up.

Joyce gasped when she saw his
face.

“Hello, Joyce, it's
been a while,” he smiled.

“Felix! You...”

Her ex-husband grabbed her by
the arm and hauled her into the house, slamming the door shut behind
them.

“Nice place you have
here,” Felix smirked, locking the door. “Real nice.”

“Felix, what are you
doing here? What do you want?” she choked.

“I was just in the
neighborhood. Thought I'd look in to see how my ex-wife is doing.”
Joyce saw his shifty eyes dart all around the house, taking in the
expensive furnishings and ornaments. “I heard you've gotten
yourself a sugar daddy.”

“H-heard?”

“I thought the Crimson
Wolves were toying with me. But it seems it's true. You have done
rather well for yourself, hooking a rich sucker and making him fall
for you hook, line and sinker. You're the mistress of a fecking
bungalow!” Felix threw his arms wide and cackled.

The Crimson Wolves. They'd
informed Felix that Dalton Jameson had assumed full responsibility
for his debt and that his ex-wife was no longer busting her ass to
pay off his debt at their strip club.

Joyce felt herself begin to
shake as her shock turned to rage. Felix had disappeared and left
her to shoulder his debt. Yet all this time, the Crimson Wolves knew
exactly where to find him. But it wasn't worth their while to
unearth him. He was penniless, worthless, useless to them. They
couldn't squeeze a single cent out of him. So the wolves had taken
her instead. Made her carry the debt for her ex-husband even though
they could have easily gone after Felix and made him take
responsibility for his own debt. They made her work for them at
Candybar, taking her earnings, milking her dry for the club.

“How could you?”
she hissed. “How, Felix?” She closed her eyes in pain
and fury. “We were married, Felix. We were once husband and
wife. You just...threw me to the wolves! I never imagined...”
She swallowed hard, choking down the bitter feeling of betrayal.
“You have no heart, no guts, no balls, Felix!” she spat.

Felix took off his cap and
rubbed a hand over his blond, shaggy hair. He was only half
listening to her. His greedy, glittering eyes appraised her
surroundings and made out where the study and bedrooms were. He
wasn't here for her. He was here to steal.

“All this while, you
were just making use of me, making use of my money to feed your
gambling addiction.” Joyce laughed abruptly. “A
one-hand clap. Yes, it really is a slap. I was being slapped
around, yet I kept hoping that one day you'd change for the better.”

Felix shrugged. “Look,
love, it's been nice catching up, talking about old times and I'd
really love to stay and chat. But I have to dash. I'm here to pick
up a few things, and then I'll be getting out of town.”

Joyce stared at him with an
odd mixture of disinterest and disgust. “You are in debt.
Again.”

He smirked. “I didn't
drag you down this time. You won't have to pay this debt for me.
Now, where does your sugar daddy keep his cash? And I'm sure he has
a few prized valuables in a safe somewhere in his study or bedroom.
I'll just take a few minutes, then I'll be out of your hair.”

Joyce froze for an instant
before she caught him roughly by the arm. “You are not
touching any of Dalton's things!” she snarled. “Get out
of his house. Now!”

He brushed her hand off his
arm impatiently and tsked. “Just tell your man that some thug
broke in and made off with some cash and valuables. He won't miss a
few dollar bills and a few of his pretty knick-knacks. No one needs
to get hurt, Joyce.”

The last sentence was a
threat, and it made Joyce's hackles rise. Hurt? Since when did he
care about hurting her? He couldn't hurt her now. Kill her, maybe.
But hurt her? No, not any more. Not ever again.

Joyce smiled, and walked
towards him slowly. Felix must have seen something in her smile.
Something he didn't understand and didn't much like.

He began to back away.
“Joyce...” He tried to twist his face into a scowl, but
didn't quite manage it.

“Are you here to hurt
me, Felix?” she asked calmly.

“No.” He licked
his lips and looked around quickly. “I…I just need some
money, Joyce. If I don't cough up something, those leopards will
tear me apart. Bit by bit. They're...savages! Just...help me this
one time, Joyce. You're all I have. Just let me have the cash, some
expensive items I can pawn, and I'll leave. This will be the last
you see of me. I swear! I won't bother you again...”

“You threw me to the
wolves. It's only fair that I stand back and let the leopards have
you,” she answered dispassionately.

His eyes flashed with anger
at her words. He thought he'd played the pity card expertly and he
expected to be able to twist her around his finger again. He had
fooled her and used her, and he expected to do it again. But it was
clear she wasn't falling for his act this time.

Felix mopped the sweat from
his forehead. There was a strange, wild look in his eyes. He needed
the money. He had predators breathing down his neck. He was
desperate, and a desperate man would do anything.

Grovelling hadn't done the
trick.

He hadn't fooled her one bit.
She wasn't buying his sob story and she wasn't in the least
sympathetic to his plight.

Joyce saw the rage and
contempt in his eyes. Felix was a destructive, mean, petty man, and
she had a feeling he would wreck the place out of spite now that he
had been thwarted. She had to protect Dalton's things. This was his
home, a lovely property he had bought with his honest, hard-earned
money. She wasn't going to let this weasel destroy Dalton's valuable
property. Felix didn't own a single item of value and he coveted
things that didn't belong to him. He was a liar and a cheat, a man
with no honor or scruples.

She had to get him out of the
house, and out of her life.

Joyce edged towards the door,
and was about to turn the knob when a blade pressed against her
throat.

“I'm not leaving
without the money, Joyce,” Felix snarled. “Get me the
money. Now.”

“I don't know where...”

“Don't lie to me,
bitch!”

He grabbed her hair and
forced her into the study. “This looks like his office. There
must be some petty cash here. Open the drawers, Joyce. Do it!”

She slowly stretched her hand
towards Dalton's desk. She tensed for a second before snatching up
the letter opener. Spinning round, she slashed down with the sharp
end. Felix raised his arm to block her, and the blade sliced across
his forearm.

“You fucking bitch!”
he screeched. He raised his hand and backhanded her. The blow sent
her reeling to the carpet, and she tasted blood in her mouth.

Joyce staggered up
immediately, her vision swimming. She was still clutching the letter
opener in her fist, and she raised her weapon to defend herself.

“Get out, Felix,”
she spat. “You won't be taking anything from this house. All
this belongs to Dalton. I won't let you take anything from him.”

Felix's eyes widened, then he
gave a mocking, derisive laugh. “Oh. Oh! You...you really
are his bitch. Well done, Joyce.” He clapped loudly and
slowly. “This rich man of yours likes second-hand, discarded
goods, eh? He picked up what I threw out. I never knew you had it
in you, Joyce. You finally let your inner slut and gold-digger out.
It's so much better and easier to let somebody else do all the work,
isn't it? Instead of working yourself to the bone and supporting
yourself, you just sit back and enjoy this rich fool's wealth.
You've surpassed me, Joyce. I only managed to get you, before you
finally caught on to what I was doing. But you...got your claws in a
really loaded guy!”

“Get. Out!” she
said, gripping the letter opener with both hands.

Felix put up his hands.
“Since you don't want me to touch your guy's precious things,
then just give me...your money. I'm sure your man gives you lots of
money to spend. Just spare me some change, and I'll be on my way.”

“I don't have any
money! Just go, Felix!”

His face twisted and he
looked almost demonic. “I've tried to be nice, Joyce,”
Felix said, his voice rising. “Don't blame me now. You've
always been a stupid woman, Joyce. Which was good for me. Giving me
access to your money was stupid of you, but good for me. But now
your stupidity annoys me. I'm going to speak slowly so you can
understand me. Give…me...your…money...or...you...die.”

Joyce made a noise at the
back of her throat. It sounded like a laugh, a growl and a snort all
rolled into one.

“A bully to the end.”
She shook her head. “Even playground bullies grow up. But
you...you'll never change, Felix.”

Felix glanced down at the
desk and saw a gold fountain pen on top of a stack of papers. Quick
as lightning, he snatched up the beautiful pen and stuffed it in his
pocket.

“Put the pen back,
Felix,” Joyce said, her voice low and quiet.

“I'm going to need
more,” he said, ignoring her and looking around. “That
pen will fetch a tidy sum. Where's the master bedroom? I'm sure I
can find some gold cufflinks, chains or bracelets. Come on, Joyce.
Lead the way.”

“I said, put the pen
back.”

Felix fished the pen out of
his pocket and twirled it around, looking thoughtful. “I
didn't know you're such a good guard dog, Joyce. A right little
bitch.”

His eyes were cold and
calculating as he turned to her. “A good dog usually fetches
a very good price,” Felix said, nodding slowly. “He'll
pay. Randell said he agreed to pay the full amount of your debt,
plus the hefty interest and the cost of repairs to the door he
smashed in, without even batting an eye. It's you he wants. He'll
pay anything for you.”

Joyce snatched up a
paperweight as Felix advanced towards her.

“Get away from me,”
she warned. “And get out of the house.

He laughed. “Such a
good, faithful little bitch.” Felix bared his teeth in an
ugly, evil smile. “Just how much are you worth to your master,
I wonder?”

Dalton left the engine of his
pickup truck running as he sprinted up his driveway to the house.
“Joyce!” he bellowed. “Joyce!”

Something was wrong. He had
felt a sudden sharp stab of pain in his heart as he was driving. He
had been on his way to meet a new client when his bear rose and
clawed at him. Dalton had immediately called the client to cancel
the meeting as he turned his truck around. His bear was pushing to
the surface, wanting out. He had to get home to Joyce. His mate was
in danger, in fear. He could feel it.

The front door was left
partially open and there were blood stains on the marble floor.
Dalton exploded into his study and saw papers strewn everywhere. The
bloodstained letter opener was stabbed into a scrap of paper,
impaling the note to the wood of his desk.

Dalton yanked the blade out
and scented Joyce's blood. His eyes blazed as he read the hastily
scrawled ransom note. The place and time to deliver the money were
stated, but Dalton had already shredded the note with his claws. He
knew where she was. He had marked her, and the mate bond would lead
him to her. He was going to get his mate now.

Dalton spun round to see Tony
bursting through the front door. His brother took in the mess in his
study and saw the blood on the carpet.

“We'll get her back,”
Tony said at once. “I'll get the clan now.”

“No.” Dalton
straightened up. “It was a human male who took her. Not a
shifter. I'll go myself. There's no need to mobilize the whole
clan.”

“But she's been
kidnapped...”

Dalton was already striding
out of the house.

“You're not going
alone.” Tony jogged after him. “You need backup.”

Dalton shot him a glance.
“You'll do.”

Dalton was about to get into
his pickup truck when he saw his sister-in-law, Terri, sitting behind
the wheel of Tony's car.

“Terri drove me here,”
Tony supplied. “She came to fetch me from work, but we saw you
driving like a madman down the street and decided to follow you.”

“What happened?”
Terri got out of the car and ran towards them. “Joyce...”

“She's gone,”
Tony answered grimly. “Someone came into the house and took
her.”

“What?” Terri
cried. “Who's behind this? Who would dare touch Dalton's
mate? I'll beat the crap out of them!”

“Dalton and I are
just...” Tony began.

“I'm coming too!”
Terri insisted. “I can help.”

Dalton didn't waste time
arguing. “Park your car inside. We'll take my Jaguar,”
was all he said.