Bear The Flame (Firebear Brides 2) by Anya Nowlan

CHAPTER ONE
    Rose
     
    The street was eerily calm and quiet, except for Rose’s hurried footsteps. She was running now, not just rushing away. It was a jog, but she was inches from breaking out in an all-out sprint. Her light blue Nike running shoes barely made a sound along the pavement as she pounded over it, one hand stiffly clutching her duffel bag.
    Every few seconds, she would throw a look over her shoulder, her insides twisting with horror. They were right there. She knew that much. Maybe they weren’t in sight now—maybe she’d even threw them off the trail for tonight—but they’d get her again. They’d find her, pick up her scent, and just keep on her like the dogged little rodents that they were. If Rose knew Kenner at all, then she knew that he was a very, very sore loser and he’d made it abundantly clear that he had no intention of letting Rose get away this time.
    Her breath kept catching in her lungs as she continued running, but it wasn’t because of the exertion. Sure, she was a curvy girl, not one of those stick-thin women with amazing metabolisms who frequented her Pilates and yoga classes, but she was fit. As a fitness instructor, it was sort of a point of pride at this point.
    She loved her curves, but she loved the muscles she’d packed away underneath them that allowed her to squat heavy weights, as well as the endurance she’d built up that kept her running even when her mind told her to stop, rest, and take a break even more. Finally, Kari’s house came into view and she let out a sigh of relief. Checking over her shoulder one more time, she was glad to see that neither Cole nor Conrad had managed to sneak after her in the shadows. One crisis avoided. At least for one more night.
    Trundling up the stairs, she pulled the keys out of the pocket of her pink windbreaker just in time for Kari to open the door in front of her and yank her in. She yelped, almost falling on her face, and she had to shuffle her feet a bit to keep her footing.
    “Girl, where do you think you were sneaking around at this hour? And don’t you go lying to me. I know that your classes ended more than two hours ago!” Kari said, worry evident on her expression as she took Rose’s bag from her.
    “I’m sorry, Kari. I couldn’t call. I was running from those two bastards again,” she said, sighing heavily.
    She kicked off her running shoes and took the windbreaker off, following Kari into the kitchen. A big glass of red wine was thrust into her hands and a cheese plate appeared as if out of thin air on the kitchen table.
    “Sit,” Kari said sternly.
    A second later, a steaming bowl of chicken and rice was set down in front of her and a fork clattered down next to it.
    “Eat!” Kari commanded again, sitting down across from Rose. “And then explain why are we not going to the police about this? Just humor me. Tell me again how I don’t get it and how it would be a horrible idea. Come on.” Kari goaded Rose as she took a big gulp of the wine and then dug in ravenously.
    “I can’t!” she protested loudly, swallowing a mouthful.
    God, the food tasted so good. Kari must have noticed that she’d been neglecting taking care of herself. Stressing out about Kenner and her graduation and work had obviously been getting the best of her, and she was struggling to keep up with the demands of her body on top of it all.
    But that’s to be expected when your psycho ex-boss won’t let you go, right?
    The look on Kari’s face told her that it was totally not enough of an explanation.
    “Yeah you can. This is not some sort of odd backward nation where going to the cops means that you’d put yourself or anyone else in danger. You know this! So what if he’s some sort of a goddamn mogul, girl. You can’t let him treat you that way. Stalking you, sending his cronies after you… sheesh.”
    Kari rolled her eyes, obviously both annoyed for and because of Rose. Rose blushed slightly, taking another mouthful and chewing