Bear Necessities
Page 52
Yup. This is working out well. His cell phone rang. “Tabby?” He winced. He’d meant to pick her up for lunch, but he’d gotten sidetracked. “I’m sorry, baby. I forgot. I took Ryan to lunch.”
“That’s not why I called.” She paused. “Well, okay, that’s one reason.”
Bunny frowned. She sounded shaken. “What happened?”
“Couple of things. Don’t freak out.”
Okay, those three words had him on his feet, reaching for his jacket. “Tabby. Tell me.”
“Gary came to the shop. There’s some damage but no one was seriously hurt.”
Bunny growled. He gestured to Ryan. “Gary was at the shop.”
Ryan was on his feet in two seconds flat. He dropped some twenties next to their half-eaten food and they raced for the door.
“You all right?”
“Yeah. Max and Gabe showed up and rescued us.”
Bunny slowed down. If the Puma Alpha and Second had been there, he doubted Gary got much more than threats out. “Anyone hurt?”
“One of Gary’s minions landed a blow on Cyn, but she’ll be all right.”
“You called Julian yet?”
“I’ve been ordered not to.”
But she hadn’t been ordered not to tell Bunny. “Good girl.”
“Thanks. I’m not supposed to tell Ryan either.”
He laughed. “Too late. We’re headed your way.” He put his hand over the receiver.
“They’re fine. Gabe and Max rode to the rescue.”
Ryan straddled his bike and reached for his helmet. “Good. But I’m still heading over there.”
“I know. Let me call Julian. Cyn’s the only one who got hurt, but the girls are pretty shaken up.”
Ryan nodded and strapped on his helmet.
“We’re on our way, baby. Need us to pick anything up for you?”
“Lunch would be good.”
He winced at the amusement in her voice. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” She sighed dramatically. “You forgot me. I understand.”
He could feel himself blushing. Damn it. How did she keep doing that to him?
“Pizza good?”
“Works for us. Oh, and make sure there’s at least one meat lovers, extra bacon, okay?”
“Done. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”
“Love you.”
“Love you too.” He waved Ryan off before dialing Julian’s number.
“’Lo?”
He didn’t bother with any preliminaries. Julian sounded really out of it. “Gary attacked Cyn. She’s okay, but we’re heading over to Living Art to check on her.”
No response.
“Julian?”
“When you finally face him, make sure you give him a swipe from me.”
“So you think he’ll go after them again?”
Julian sighed. “Let’s just say I don’t see any other possibilities.”
“Are you heading to the shop?”
“Does a bear shit in the woods?”
Bunny laughed shortly. “Meet you there.” He clicked shut his phone, called Lou’s Pizza and ordered three larges. He straddled his Harley and started off, wondering what else had Tabby upset. More than Gary’s visit was bothering her. She’d sounded…excited. And he bet that Max and Gabe were the source of that excitement. Maybe Gabe had something on Gary, or would be able to get a warrant now that the man had vandalized the shop and harassed Cyn. He sort of understood why the sheriff hadn’t arrested him on the spot. Putting a shifter into a human jail was always problematic. Still, knowing Gary and his friends were locked up, even overnight, would go a long way toward easing his mind.
Hell, at this point he bet all of them could use a break. He’d help the girls get the shop cleaned up and locked up for the day. Then he was going to take Tabby house hunting.
He arrived at Living Art with the pizzas, a plan already forming. All thoughts flew right out of his head when he saw the shattered glass countertop with the baseball bat stuck in it. “Son of a bitch.”
“That’s what I said.” Ryan’s jaw was clenched so hard Bunny was surprised his teeth hadn’t snapped off.
“We’re fine.”
Ryan glared down at Glory. “He attacked you.”
She shrugged. She was doing her damndest to look nonchalant but Bunny could see the way she was shaking. “He attacked Cyn and Tabby. I was along for the ride.”
Ryan took a deep breath. Then he took another one. Bunny could see his Bear shifting under his skin, dying to get out, hunt down the man who’d dared threaten his mate, and tear him to pieces. “I’m going to fucking kill him.”
“Get in line.” Julian stepped into the chaos. Silver still peppered his hair, and his dark eyes sparkled with gray lights. “Where’s Cyn?”
Glory inched away from Ryan and earned herself a low growl. “She said she was going out for a bite.”
The three men froze. “She wouldn’t.” Bunny stared at the curtained-off area, wondering if she’d really be that stupid.
“She would.” Julian walked around him, his gait still unsteady. “Where’s Tabby?”
“She left. She said she had to make sure Cyn didn’t do anything stupid.” Glory frowned, staring at the three groaning men. “What?”
“Did you think she was going out for lunch?”
“Well, yeah.” She blinked up at Ryan. “Wasn’t she?”
“Shit. You think she went to Aunt Laura?”
Ryan shrugged. “She did before. Mom told her no, that it was up to Julian to do the honors.”
Julian groaned. “Crap.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “This keeps getting better and better.”
“We’ll find her, Julian.”
“And then I’m going to tie her fine ass down and mark her.” Julian stomped out of the store.
“I thought you said it wasn’t time?” Bunny shouted after him.
“Yeah, well, the timetable just got screwed all to hell and back.”
Bunny chuckled. Tabby would try to keep Cyn from doing anything stupid, but still. Maybe Glory knew something about what was going on. “Do you know where the two of them went?”
“I think Cyn said something about talking to Emma.”
“That’s not why I called.” She paused. “Well, okay, that’s one reason.”
Bunny frowned. She sounded shaken. “What happened?”
“Couple of things. Don’t freak out.”
Okay, those three words had him on his feet, reaching for his jacket. “Tabby. Tell me.”
“Gary came to the shop. There’s some damage but no one was seriously hurt.”
Bunny growled. He gestured to Ryan. “Gary was at the shop.”
Ryan was on his feet in two seconds flat. He dropped some twenties next to their half-eaten food and they raced for the door.
“You all right?”
“Yeah. Max and Gabe showed up and rescued us.”
Bunny slowed down. If the Puma Alpha and Second had been there, he doubted Gary got much more than threats out. “Anyone hurt?”
“One of Gary’s minions landed a blow on Cyn, but she’ll be all right.”
“You called Julian yet?”
“I’ve been ordered not to.”
But she hadn’t been ordered not to tell Bunny. “Good girl.”
“Thanks. I’m not supposed to tell Ryan either.”
He laughed. “Too late. We’re headed your way.” He put his hand over the receiver.
“They’re fine. Gabe and Max rode to the rescue.”
Ryan straddled his bike and reached for his helmet. “Good. But I’m still heading over there.”
“I know. Let me call Julian. Cyn’s the only one who got hurt, but the girls are pretty shaken up.”
Ryan nodded and strapped on his helmet.
“We’re on our way, baby. Need us to pick anything up for you?”
“Lunch would be good.”
He winced at the amusement in her voice. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” She sighed dramatically. “You forgot me. I understand.”
He could feel himself blushing. Damn it. How did she keep doing that to him?
“Pizza good?”
“Works for us. Oh, and make sure there’s at least one meat lovers, extra bacon, okay?”
“Done. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”
“Love you.”
“Love you too.” He waved Ryan off before dialing Julian’s number.
“’Lo?”
He didn’t bother with any preliminaries. Julian sounded really out of it. “Gary attacked Cyn. She’s okay, but we’re heading over to Living Art to check on her.”
No response.
“Julian?”
“When you finally face him, make sure you give him a swipe from me.”
“So you think he’ll go after them again?”
Julian sighed. “Let’s just say I don’t see any other possibilities.”
“Are you heading to the shop?”
“Does a bear shit in the woods?”
Bunny laughed shortly. “Meet you there.” He clicked shut his phone, called Lou’s Pizza and ordered three larges. He straddled his Harley and started off, wondering what else had Tabby upset. More than Gary’s visit was bothering her. She’d sounded…excited. And he bet that Max and Gabe were the source of that excitement. Maybe Gabe had something on Gary, or would be able to get a warrant now that the man had vandalized the shop and harassed Cyn. He sort of understood why the sheriff hadn’t arrested him on the spot. Putting a shifter into a human jail was always problematic. Still, knowing Gary and his friends were locked up, even overnight, would go a long way toward easing his mind.
Hell, at this point he bet all of them could use a break. He’d help the girls get the shop cleaned up and locked up for the day. Then he was going to take Tabby house hunting.
He arrived at Living Art with the pizzas, a plan already forming. All thoughts flew right out of his head when he saw the shattered glass countertop with the baseball bat stuck in it. “Son of a bitch.”
“That’s what I said.” Ryan’s jaw was clenched so hard Bunny was surprised his teeth hadn’t snapped off.
“We’re fine.”
Ryan glared down at Glory. “He attacked you.”
She shrugged. She was doing her damndest to look nonchalant but Bunny could see the way she was shaking. “He attacked Cyn and Tabby. I was along for the ride.”
Ryan took a deep breath. Then he took another one. Bunny could see his Bear shifting under his skin, dying to get out, hunt down the man who’d dared threaten his mate, and tear him to pieces. “I’m going to fucking kill him.”
“Get in line.” Julian stepped into the chaos. Silver still peppered his hair, and his dark eyes sparkled with gray lights. “Where’s Cyn?”
Glory inched away from Ryan and earned herself a low growl. “She said she was going out for a bite.”
The three men froze. “She wouldn’t.” Bunny stared at the curtained-off area, wondering if she’d really be that stupid.
“She would.” Julian walked around him, his gait still unsteady. “Where’s Tabby?”
“She left. She said she had to make sure Cyn didn’t do anything stupid.” Glory frowned, staring at the three groaning men. “What?”
“Did you think she was going out for lunch?”
“Well, yeah.” She blinked up at Ryan. “Wasn’t she?”
“Shit. You think she went to Aunt Laura?”
Ryan shrugged. “She did before. Mom told her no, that it was up to Julian to do the honors.”
Julian groaned. “Crap.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “This keeps getting better and better.”
“We’ll find her, Julian.”
“And then I’m going to tie her fine ass down and mark her.” Julian stomped out of the store.
“I thought you said it wasn’t time?” Bunny shouted after him.
“Yeah, well, the timetable just got screwed all to hell and back.”
Bunny chuckled. Tabby would try to keep Cyn from doing anything stupid, but still. Maybe Glory knew something about what was going on. “Do you know where the two of them went?”
“I think Cyn said something about talking to Emma.”
