Free Rock (BBW Secret Baby Bear Shifter Romance) (Secret Baby Bears Book 2) by Becca Fanning Page B

there were no flashing lights. There were no cops. But men had arrived at the camp, parked just outside Eddie’s trailer. She could see their silhouettes from down the road. Turning off her headlights, she glided the truck slowly towards the trailer, stopping a few yards down. She ducked her head, viewing the men from her dashboard.

    It was Girey and his thugs. Wearing an expensive cowboy hat on his chunky head, he directed his men into the trailer, waving a pistol in the air. Minutes later, to her horror, they came out, carrying Eddie, who was unconscious.

    “No,” she breathed, tormented.

    She didn’t know what to do. She had to run. She couldn’t risk getting caught. But Eddie…

    Devastated, knowing her fate was sealed, Dakota restarted the engine, hoping it didn’t draw attention, and she picked up the radio. “Colby,” she said, pushing the button on the side like she had seen Eddie do. “Colby, can you hear me? It’s Dakota.”

    The line crackled, and he came on. “You probably shouldn’t be talking to me, Dakota, not without a lawyer. I’m on my way to see Eddie. Is he there with you?”  

    “That’s the problem.” She quickly told him everything she saw. “I don’t know what to do.”

    “Leave. Get the hell out of there. I’ll be there soon.”

    “Okay,” she said, setting the radio down. Except she couldn’t leave. If she did, Eddie would be gone. The men were trying to load him into a van, struggling against his weight. They’d clearly never abducted a bear before, but they would soon succeed. Who knew what they had planned.

    Closing her eyes, Dakota took a deep breath, and then she sped towards the men, ramming the truck into their van. Her head hit the steering wheel, disorientating her. Through blurred vision, she saw the outrage in the men’s faces. Dropping Eddie, they hurried to the truck and pulled her out. She barely noticed, a black haze forming around her, yet she remained conscious. The men pushed her to the ground, at the feet of Girey.

    “That was a dumb move, sweetheart,” he said, snarling. “Looks like you’re going to be joining your boyfriend at the river.” He turned to his men. “Tie her up. Take her with us. We’ll drown them both.”

    Two men lifted her up, but they immediately dropped her back down, hearing the roar of a bear. Eddie was awake, standing on all fours, a massive grizzly. Pulling rope from the back of their busted van, some of the men tried to lasso him down, but his might was too strong. He ripped through the rope and brushed the men away with his paw.

    Girey had been watching with amusement, until he saw his men go flying. He pointed his pistol at Eddie. “I was going to take you in alive so I could watch you suffer, but this will have to do.”

    “No!” Dakota tried to shout, but her voice was weak, inaudible.

    Girey steadied his arm, but he didn’t get a chance to shoot. Another grizzly knocked him over and tore his gun away. It was Colby.  

    Returning to his human form, Colby stood over Girey. “This ain’t my town, but you better get the hell out. Your days at the rodeo are over. If I ever see you and your men again, the next time I take your gun away, I’ll take your hand with it.”

    “You can’t get rid of me that easy, boy,” Girey sputtered. “I always collect on my debts.”

    Colby roared in reply, returning to his bear form. Girey quickly got up and jumped into the van, followed by his men. They raced away, as fast as the wreckage of their vehicle would allow, shouting curses from the broken windows.

    Ignoring the bastards, Eddie came to her, a bear no more. “You came back?” he asked, taking her into his arms. “Why’d you go and do a stupid thing like that?”

    Her head pounded, and there was a ringing in her ears, but she tried not to let it show. If Colby was going to take her into custody, she wanted to go with her dignity.

    “I didn’t steal your truck. I brought it back,” she answered,