Free Bear The Flame (Firebear Brides 2) by Anya Nowlan Page A

could think about was running over Kenner and his fucking cronies. How he made it to Shifter Grove and how he picked up the very obvious scent of raccoons outside of Austin’s Texas. They may have made conniving little henchmen, but they had such a distinctive smell that Redmond had to wonder why people bothered to hire them at all. Everyone knew raccoons were nothing but trouble.
    Somewhere between losing his mind and getting on the trail, Redmond ran into Diesel, the sheriff. He’d smelled the same scent, and the firm, serenely threatening look the panther shifter wore filled Redmond with all the confidence he needed. Whatever he was going to meet when he found Kenner and Rose, he knew that the law would find a way to side with him.
    Together they tracked the scent to the half-finished house outside of Shifter Grove. They left their trucks far away and continued on foot, keeping quiet and approaching in a way so the wind wouldn’t carry their scent to the house. Bears had strong noses, but foxes were better still and Redmond didn’t want to take any risks with tipping Kenner off before Rose was safely in his arms.
    If he’s done anything to her, I’ll rip his spine out, Redmond thought darkly, his hands itching for Kenner’s neck.
    Diesel had grabbed a shotgun from the truck and the closer they got to the house, the better of an idea it looked like to Redmond. There was only so much a bear could do against bullets, though one as determined as he was could take a good few hits before he’d stumble. Still, backup was appreciated. Weighing his options, Redmond finally decided on the most dramatic and easiest one.
    When they’d gotten close enough, he simply walked up to the door and knocked. He heard scrambling on the other side, along with voices. Rose’s scent was maddeningly clear here, all cherries and vanilla, and he had to physically restrain himself from barging through the door and immediately carrying her out.
    Every muscle in his body was flexed and ready to go when the door opened, leaving him staring mutely down the barrel of a gun.
    “We weren’t expecting visitors,” the man said. Redmond guessed that he was Cole based on Rose’s description.
    “Sorry to mess up your dinner plans,” Redmond said with an easy grin, pushing past him and ignoring the gun completely.
    “I could shoot you in the head right now, you know.”
    “Yeah, but you won’t,” Redmond scoffed, blindly stalking through the house and into the living room.
    When he saw Rose sitting there, tied up on the chair, he just about exploded. Gritting his teeth together, his blue eyes flashed dark brown and for the life of him, he couldn’t make them turn back. The bear was too fucking pissed off.
    “Redmond!” she said, her face lit with both relief and fear at the same time.
    “So this is the beau,” Kenner said casually, leaning on the doorway that lead into the living room from the kitchen. “I don’t think we’ve had the pleasure yet. I am Kenner Dealy. And you must be the piece of shit bear who thought he could take my girl from me.”
    The way he delivered those comments was like he was a bored announcer saying the same thing for the twentieth time that day. Redmond wanted to rush to her and untie her right away, but the three guns trained on him now gave him pause. He turned around to face Kenner, murder in his eyes.
    “I can’t take something away that never belonged to you in the first place, buddy,” he ground out, every word an exercise in self-control. “And by the fact that you have to have her tied up, I get the feeling the lady doesn’t appreciate your brand of affection. Now, how about you wise up and let her go before something really unfortunate has to happen?”
    Kenner grinned mildly, showing a row of perfectly white teeth. Redmond couldn’t wait to kick in every last one of them.
    “I don’t think that will work for us today, Mr. Hamilton,” he said in a leisurely way, straightening up.
    He was