Black Bears of Independence: Cade: Black Bears of Independence, #2

By K. R. Hall

Danger and Fate

 

When a trip to Independence, CO leads to an amazing night of steamy lovemaking, Gracie tells herself that's all it is. She is an FBI agent and has other things to think about besides the clan Beta, Cade Norton. Even if her cougar says differently and demands they go back to claim their mate.

 

After an incredible night, Cade Norton knows Gracie is the one for him. But when he wakes the next morning she's gone with nothing but a note. As much as his black bear insists he go after her, he won't chase her.

 

When Gracie's case ends she decides to listen to her cougar and return to claim her mate. But it might be too late because everything starts to go terribly wrong. With other agents dying all Cade wants to do is keep Gracie safe, but he has no clue how with a killer on the loose.

 

To add to the fire, the mysterious man that threatens the Black Bear Clan is no longer happy with sabatoge and other shifters are starting to get hurt. One thing is clear, he is after the Molybdenum, but the question remains why?

• Language: English
• Publisher: K. R. Hall
• Release date: Apr 18, 2018
• ISBN: 9781980982838

Book preview

First and foremost, I would like to thank my husband, Tom, for standing beside me throughout my writing this book. He has been my rock, and I dedicate this book to him. I also thank my beautiful mother Sandy, and all the knowledge she has gained from watching crime shows. Also, to my children Tommy, Tracie, and Justin for their encouragement.

I also thank my editor Cheles, who proofed and made sure my book flowed before I sent it to my editor. 

With great thanks, this book is also dedicated to my friends that kept encouraging me and volunteered to let me use their names in my book! 

Last but not least, I’d like to thank all of you readers. Thank you for taking the chance on my writing!

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Prologue

Excited screams pulled Cade Norton to the main lodge’s large picture window as Eloise, his best friend’s fiancé and mate, yelled, Gracie, you finally made it!

The woman climbed from the car with a smile that quickly stretched her lips into a wide grin, and her eyebrows arched for the sky in surprise. 

In the seconds that followed, Cade watched Eloise and the stranger hug each other as if they hadn’t seen each other forever. But in Eloise’s case, it would probably feel that way. She’d been through a lifetime of danger and change since she’d come to the ranch.

The woman that walked in could have graced any billboard or magazine cover, but she was better than those two-dimensional photoshopped models. Somehow her imperfections made her perfect. There was no hesitation in her body movements or the softness in her voice. Long wisps of umber hair streaked with ginger highlights seemed to gleam when they captured the light just right and complimented her fair complexion. She had the kindest pair of baby blue eyes framed by long gorgeous lashes. Her emerald green suit had a tailored look that was bold against her pale skin, but Cade could already see her in jeans and a t-shirt, feet up on the couch, painting her nails. She was right there, only feet away—his mate.

Hey, I’d like to introduce you to someone; this is Cade Norton, the second in command here. He is so devilishly handsome and with a heart of gold. Eloise pulled her friend toward Cade. 

His face was symmetrical, classically handsome, so he had been told. His curls were midnight black. His eyes were not just light blue, they had dark blue flecks in them, and he worked hard to keep in shape. He had been told that his smile was his best feature. Cade noticed her taking small, discreet sniffs. He could tell she knew, without a doubt, that he was a bear shifter, and she knew he was the one for her, her mate. 

Cade, this is my best friend in the world, Gracie Jefferies, continued Eloise.

As they shook hands, strange warm, tingling sparks ran up his arm. Amazement doesn’t quite cover it. I feel like someone just took my spark of wonder and poured kerosene over it. There is no way the smile on my face adequately reflects what I feel inside. It’s like every neuron of my brain is trying to fire at once—the best kind of paralysis.

Usually bears, well, smelled like bears. But she smelled entirely different. Her scent made him think of freshly cut wood and the damp forest after a rainy day. She smelled heavenly, like fresh pine and honey. Her aroma was like a drug to him; he couldn’t get enough of it. She also smelled like a mountain lion. And without a doubt, she was his mate.

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At Corbin and Eloise’s wedding reception, they danced a bit and drank way too much. Gracie gently leaned in and kissed him on the lips. He pulled back and took a shaky, shallow breath that matched hers. 

Gracie, he whispered and kissed her neck. The pulse that beat below his lips sped when he brushed over it a second time.

The nerves that had run amok when he thought of asking her out on a date vanished. I can’t wait for a date, and I don’t think she’s much for waiting either. He grabbed her hand and ran with her to his cabin. 

Hand-in-hand, she walked with Cade up the wide steps and across the spacious porch. She stood patiently as he unlocked the door and then stepped back to let her enter first. 

I hope you don’t find all this too rustic, Cade said over her shoulder.

Unable to contain himself any longer, he tenderly cupped her face in his hands and pulled her into a scorching kiss. Her hands work their way around him, feeling each line of his body, making him crave her all the more. He would make tonight one of those evenings when lovemaking lasted for hours.

Moving to the bedroom, he laid her on the bed and climbed beside her, pressing his body to her. He gently explored her curves with fingertips and palm, roamed over her curves, exploring. Staring deep into her eyes, he watched them swim with wonderment and passion. He leaned in to kiss softly and nibble up and down her neck.

Small whimpers of anticipation caressed his ears. As they kissed, she pushed him to roll over, and he readily complied. She shifted on top of him and aligned her strong, trim, muscled body to his. Her soft lips trailed up his neck to his mouth, leaving a loving and intense kiss on his lips. The pleasure that followed was beyond anything he ever dreamed.

Drained of energy from their lovemaking and unbridled desire, Cade fell asleep wrapped around the one woman in the world that made him complete. 

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With a contented moan, Cade rolled over in the sheets as the sunlight winked between the partially opened curtains. He reached across the bed, and the stirring air smelled of sex and her skin. But the space next to him was empty. Taking a quick look around the room, he spotted a folded piece of paper leaning against an assortment of notebooks, sharpened colored pencils, and other stationery items. 

Cade pushed himself up and out of bed, letting his feet hit the cold, wooden floor. The cold matched the chill that had taken up residence in his heart.

Grabbing the letter from the table, he read: I can tell you how this is gonna go, but I’m begging you to prove me wrong. The closeness will trigger a panic in me; I can’t control, and I’ll go cold, like ice. I will retreat. Then, when the fear of being hurt all over again has passed, I’ll come back to you, warm and affectionate, feeling guilty, feeling worried that I’ve lost you. It will look like ‘fire and ice,’ or ‘push and pull,’ but in truth, it is an emotional wave that is painful and all of my own doing. I know you are kind, steady, and now, perhaps confused. In the end, I would walk through fire and ice for those I love. So, throw a penny in a well, my love, and make a wish. I already did."

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Chapter 1

Cade was a natural born beta. He listened more than he spoke, but when he did speak, it was with the kind of even paced certainty that folks listened to. He was never quick to judge, considered every angle first, and he was, above all, compassionate. He strove to do no harm in all he did. When it came to the tasks, he always pushed himself to the limits. And through his example, his clan pushed themselves too, and that’s why they always won. Cade continually praised the clan, but they knew they’d be nothing without their beta. He was the glue that held them together. But lately, Cade was a lonely man—lonely and unhappy.  He seemed to see and hear nothing of what was going on around him and to be absorbed by some depressing and unsolved problem.

Everyday thoughts barely formed in Cade’s mind when his nostrils were filled with the hint of honey or pine in the air, and they were replaced with the melancholy longing and fantasies of what could be if he were only brave enough to find Gracie. Food became like cardboard, chewy, and laborious to eat. The sunshine had no meaning for him unless he could be with her. He daydreamed about every feature of her pretty face, just as the first day he saw her, her long dark lashes, framing her lovely forget-me-not blue eyes twinkling with laughter and teeth that were glistening as she smiled. He recalled the way he had seen her hair at the wedding and lying across the pillow of his bed; he had logged all of her quirky mannerisms to his brain. Strange, it had never seemed lonely here before.

As Cade began to exit the barn, he heard his friends talking about him. He stopped in the shadow behind the barn door so that he wouldn’t be seen. The smells of the animals would mask his scent. His enhanced shifter hearing allowed him to hear what was being said as if he was right next to them.

Cade has it really bad. It’s depressing; he must be feeling pretty bad right now, observed Jase.

Yeah, I wish we could do something for him. That type of heartache is rough, having your mate reject you, replied Corbin.

Gracie isn’t much better. I could tell when we talked on the phone the other day, added Eloise. We need a plan to get them back together.

You’re trying to play matchmaker again, aren’t you? stated Jase.

Two months had passed since Corbin and Eloise’s June wedding, and all Cade had left of Gracie was his memories. He had lost the sound of her voice and the touch of her skin. His chest ached with his loss. He should have gone after her when he woke and discovered her gone from his bed. No one could ever replace her, and no one ever would. He wished for sleep, but it would not come. Only depressing thoughts came to him in the bed he’d shared with her.  Cade—the recluse—was lonely without his mate.

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I love you, Gracie blurted as she woke. 

She found her bed cold and lonely. She missed Cade’s muscular arm that she’d dreamt was wrapped around her as much as she missed the smell of him. The pang of yearning resonated through the very center of her soul. With every spare moment, her mind would rehearse a new letter to him. She never realized missing someone could take over every fiber of your being and wring you out like a wet sponge every day. It was a torment she hadn’t been prepared for.

Staring at her reflection in the vanity mirror, Gracie was surprised. She looked okay, normal even. Inside, however, the ache for her mate gnawed at the very heart that still beat ceaselessly for him. She forced her lips into a smile and then let out a frustrated sob. Anyone could easily mistake that lackluster grin for real happiness. It stunned her to think she could look so ordinarily normal when her entire being had crumbled.

No more would she crawl between icy sheets and shiver until her own body heat warmed them—or wake to a cold, lonely house. Tonight would be the last solitary night in her home.

Cade permeated her every thought of how she’d tell him the news. What his reaction would be and her rehearsed response. Then her mind’s eye replayed how the light danced on his skin and the warmth and spark of hope that had rushed through her every time he’d smiled.

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The last seven months spent investigating the Wassermann crime family as a part of a special task force had been hard on Gracie. The FBI had built a good case against Eric Wassermann as a drug lord and arms dealer. Now, they just needed to get all their evidence in order.

Gracie had to confirm that the FBI was approached and questioned about the preponderance of credible tips. 

I explained my trip to the FBI and my extended follow-up conversation with Agent Jefferies, stated the hooker.  

As for Gracie’s partner, the hooker’s comments, as recorded in one statement she grudgingly gave the authorities, listed him as, Some john I did for a couple of bucks of drug money. 

Had her partner been there to make a drug deal with Eric? They had been on a drug bust, but someone had tipped off the bad guys. If her partner was involved in a drug ring, Gracie needed a way out.

It was time to beg former FBI agent Daniel Brody for help. She had used him to find information a lot over the years, not always to the FBI’s liking.

After a friendly greeting, Daniel Brody gave her all the data he uncovered. 

Your drug dealer’s still in business, and the FBI is still all over the place. 

His own close investigations into Eric’s drug dealing methods and gun running had led to a serious attempt on his life that forced his early retirement.

I was surprised the DEA didn’t press us on some of these more prominent cases. We alerted the state police down here, and now that the DEA is excited, a lot more eyes are looking for Dante and Eric, snorted Gracie. Like the FBI didn’t do such a great job before that.

We’re not doing this for the FBI in any sense, said Daniel Brody. When there’s a significant drug buy, nobody trusts anyone else—especially face to face.

* * * 

Gracie’s extra investigative work proved Eric Wasserman had been selling drugs mainly to kids. Her search killed most of the day before they finished checking his known properties for his whereabouts. In the meantime, the FBI had put out a statement they were handling the Wasserman case and pursuing strong leads out of state. Just a false tidbit to put Wasserman at ease while the team continued to build the case against him—which she hated.

With Gracie, it was all by the book. She knew that sometimes her fellow agents felt the need to get something done by bending the rules, so they’d tie her up on a wild goose chase and just go. That’s what was supposed to happen tomorrow night when they took down Wasserman. But she wasn’t going to let it go down that way. In previous encounters, the drug boss had acted as if he held all the cards. If they didn’t go through procedures, Gracie knew he’d have their badges and go after their families next. That’s why she was going to start staking him out on her own tonight. 

Perfect. The possibility of a shootout after dark sent a chill down Gracie’s spine. With a quick peek in the rearview mirror, she made sure the grim expression on her face didn’t match the fear burning inside.

She slid through the evening mist her five-foot-nothing-and-a-half form, admittedly a little round about the middle, and red hair pulled back into a low ponytail, a mere shadow. On her belt were her standard-issue Glock and her badge. She entered the warehouse without notice. Using her more substantial shifter hearing, she located Eric talking in his office. The closer she moved toward him, the better she understood the conversation. She stopped just outside the door and listened to Eric talking over a speaker on the phone to his brother Dante.

Just influence the investigators and be done with it, Eric grumbled. 

You think perhaps the FBI is behind it? asked Dante.

I fooled that FBI jerk. I phonied up some stuff on a computer, official-like, the FBI receipting the dough and showed it to him. I thought he bought it, but I couldn’t be sure, laughed Eric. 

It was obvious that like everyone else, Eric had hoped Jefferies was out of the case and was disappointed to learn the FBI was expecting Jefferies’s continued assistance in the investigation.  

Just make sure you play ball with the FBI, and don’t let your old pals find you, said Dante.

 Someone just came in. I need to go, said Eric as he hung up the phone.

Eric’s eyes held a gaze more fearsome than a tiger. A thin cigarette hung from his bottom lip, a small trail