Free Bear The Blaze (Firebear Brides 3) by Anya Nowlan

talking about,” he said grimly, shoving his hands in his pockets. “We’ve been living here all our lives. You three have waltzed back to Idaho like you fucking own the place. How about you leave me and my brother alone and we won’t have to have any more trouble?” he said through gritted teeth.
    Abigail could feel Ragnar begin to jerk forward and she grabbed his arm quickly, shaking her head. She heard the surprise in Sear’s voice. Whatever else he may have done in his past, he hadn’t set that fire. And she got the feeling that he didn’t even know about it.
    Abigail slipped her hand into Ragnar’s, giving it a squeeze. He looked down and the darkness in his eyes cleared, the deep brown that had flashed in there retreating and giving room to the hazel she loved so much.
    “Don’t do anything stupid,” she said with a small smile, her voice a whisper. “Let’s be smart about this. You’ll find the evidence, and you’ll put them away if they did this.”
    Ragnar stared at her for a moment, his hand squeezing hers almost painfully. Then, he took a deep breath and nodded, turning to look at Sear again.
    “How about you let me know when your brother’s back. I want to have a talk with him. And Sear, I don’t know if you’re involved in this or not, but if you are, I swear I will hunt you down and we’ll settle old scores the way they were meant to be,” Ragnar said, a dark threat that couldn’t be mistaken now entering into his voice.
    Abigail’s heart leapt into her throat. After the story Ragnar had told her, she had no doubt about what he meant by his words. This stern, quiet man had a beast within him that was waiting to be unleashed if anyone hurt the ones he loved, and it was clear as day that Ragnar had been pushed far enough for that. She put her other hand on his palm as well, trying to soothe him with her presence.
    “Noted,” Sear said coolly, turning around and walking back into the house.
    The guy had some nerve.
    “Let’s go,” she said quietly, feeling a bit woozy from everything.
    Years and years in LA had not prepared Abigail for the kind of excitement Idaho held. After all of the madness, she needed a moment to figure things out for herself. Looking up at Ragnar, it was evident that they both needed a chance to catch their breaths.
     
    ***
     
    She wasn’t sure how long she slept, but it felt like a lifetime. When her eyes opened and she gingerly stretched out her body, she immediately felt eyes on her. Flipping around, she came face to face with Ragnar, who was sitting on the corner of her bed, smiling slightly at her.
    “Morning,” he said gruffly, his voice growlier than usual. She liked it.
    “How long was I out?” Abigail asked, propping herself up on some pillows.
    Dressed in an oversized Los Angeles Fire Department T-shirt and some boyshorts, she should have felt underdressed in front of Ragnar. The way his eyes rolled over her form, hungry with appreciation, made her consider chucking the shirt off altogether.
    “About fourteen hours, give or take a few,” he replied, shrugging back his shoulders.
    The first rays of dawn were peeking into the bedroom and Abigail groaned slightly, shaking her head. That was a damn long nap she’d allowed herself. But at least her head was a little bit clearer. Scooting closer to Ragnar, she climbed into his lap and curled up there. She was beyond giving a crap about what her logic and reason told her. Her heart told her she wanted to be as near to him as possible, and dammit, she had to stop doubting herself at some point.
    His warm embrace was soothing as it was a turn-on. Hearing his heavy heartbeat thumping in his chest, the breaths he took, and the way his body seemed to curve around her protectively like an outer shell made her core throb and her hands bind into his shirt. Why was he wearing one anyway? She much preferred him without one.
    “I think we need to talk,” Ragnar said after a while of just holding her.
    “So