Billionaire Bear Shifters A Paranormal Romance Complete Series Boxset - Brittany White Page 0,143

at Jessie, she knew he wouldn’t be averse to hurting her. “You stay in there and you keep your mouth shut. Don’t bother shifting to try to escape. We tested these bars ourselves. Couldn’t bust out of this cell even as a bear. Night night!” He giggled, tossing her a little wave and the four men made their way out.

Left alone, Jessie was able to calm herself down.

Maybe he can save them.

If Cody managed it, Jessie wondered if she’d ever find out. Maybe the sleuth would tell her. They might think she had something to do with it. That was fine. She was scared, but she could take whatever they decided to do with her. As long as the cubs were okay. She took a deep breath and lay down on the stone bench in the cell, staring up at the cracked ceiling. She could hear murmurs at the end of the hall. That meant there were at least two guards here to watch over her. Two fewer members of that sleuth that Cody and his brothers would theoretically have to fight.

That was something anyway.

Somehow, Jessie managed to fall asleep, even on the hard and unforgiving stone of the bench. It was uncomfortable. She wouldn’t have minded a dirt floor. She was used to that from napping in the woods as a bear when she had occasion to. A forest floor could be as cozy as memory foam if you found the right spot. But the stone bench made her neck sore. It also made her dream of the cubs back when she’d first found them in the cave. They’d had nothing but a stone floor to sleep on themselves.

Poor babies...

She dreamed they were still in that cave, except they were trapped and Jessie couldn’t get to them. She could hear them crying out for her and Molly screaming for help and somewhere she could hear Cody calling her name from far away. But she was helpless, trapped outside of the cave and unable to move a massive boulder in her way.

Voices woke Jessie and she jerked, groaning at the kink in her neck as she sat up and stretched. She rubbed the back of her neck and blinked in the darkness. There was one window at the end of the hall and there had been sunlight shining through it, but now it was much darker. They had taken Jessie’s phone and her purse was still locked up in the employee’s locker room, she supposed. She wondered how much time had passed.

The guards were bringing someone. Jessie rubbed her eyes, her ears perking up as she listened closely, trying to make out what they were saying.

“The other cell’s lock is broke,” one of the sleuth bears said.

“Goddammit... ”

“We’ll fix it later. Put him in the cell with the girl.”

“They should be separated-”

“Oh, who gives a shit? You’d rather he break out? We tested those bars. They wouldn’t bend against four of us, they’re not gonna break for these two.”

“Alright, alright.”

Jessie’s heart was pounding and she clapped a hand to her mouth. There could be one person they’d be bringing to her and she both hoped it was him and hoped it wasn’t.

But when she saw Cody’s face as they dragged him to the cell, she released a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding.

At last, she wasn’t alone.

The guards threw open the cell door and shoved Cody inside with her as Jessie jumped to her feet. He was a little beaten up, an ugly bruise starting to purple his cheeks and one eye too red and swollen. His hair was disheveled and his shirt was torn, revealing an ugly scratch along his shoulder.

But he was beautiful. He smiled slightly even as the guards locked the barred door behind them.

“Jessie, oh God... ” Cody threw his arms around her and she let herself be enfolded, slumping against him and squeezing him tight. “Nathan didn’t find you, I guess?”

“No?” She shrugged and summoned a resigned smile. “I was just working and these guys appeared out of nowhere and hauled me off.”

“He was probably looking for you at the same time,” Cody said, sighing. “Goddammit. I really didn’t want to find you here. I wanted you to be safe with my brothers.” He spoke softly and caressed her cheek, absently stroking her cool skin with his thumb. She let her eyelids shut and rested her forehead against his, taking some of his strength for herself. Or at least that was how she felt.

“The