The bear’s gaze was still on her lips, but when he inhaled, a low, vicious rumble left him.
“Who the fuck are you?” Rook barked out. “And what are you doing talking to my female?” Rook’s deep, clipped voice came through like a serrated knife to her belly.
Kenzie tensed, and she noticed the bear clearly took note of that fact. His jaw hardened, and a muscle under his left cheek jumped violently. He kept his body right in front of hers, blocking Rook from her vision. Ever-so-slowly, he turned only his head, and she could imagine how he looked: fierce, commanding, and wouldn’t take shit from anyone, the sadistic panther shifter included.
How strange for her to feel something so magnetic for a male who just walked up to her and claimed she was his.
“Bos—” Tank’s voice was gruff from years of smoking.
“Shut the fuck up,” Rook growled.
“Want us to take him out back?” Marek asked with an excited tone in his voice.
“You shut the fuck up too.”
Although Rook’s right-hand men were all too ready to do some dirty work, she didn’t miss their apprehension. They should be wary, because Rook always expected to be obeyed, and those two had put this situation into motion.
Everything became eerily silent. “You fucked up by not watching my property, and I’ll deal with you two later.” A beat of silence surrounded them after Rook spoke.
The air around the bear shifted dangerously, and the hairs on her arms stood on end from the electricity that came off him. “Who the fuck am I?” The bear turned fully around but made sure to keep his body in front of her in a protective manner.
“Come here, Kenzie. Now.”
To anyone else, they wouldn’t have picked up on his intense anger, because Rook was a professional at keeping himself in check, but Kenzie knew better. She heard the threat laced with his words, one that was just for her.
She didn’t want to see anyone hurt.
The bear in front of her stayed calm, despite Rook’s presence, but there was no masking the scent of his rage.
Kenzie tried to move from behind the bear, but he threw his arm out, successfully locking her in a cage of bone and muscle.
“I asked who the fuck you are,” Rook said again in an even more threatening manner.
“You want to know who I am?” the bear prompted calm, evenly, and with so much intent Kenzie felt it deep down. “I’m Bram Wylde, the male who’s going to kick your sorry fucking ass for thinking this female is your property, because I sure as fuck can guarantee she’s not yours.”
And just like that, the tables had turned.5Kenzie’s heart was going to tear through her chest. She could hear the blood rushing in her ears, felt the hard, frantic beat of her pulse in her throat, and knew things had just gone from horribly wrong to devastatingly worse.
Again, she tried to move past this stranger, but it was like trying to run right through a brick wall. She wouldn’t see someone hurt because of her, not even if that someone looked like he could handle his own in a back-alley fight.
“Please, just let me go to him.” I can’t bear it if anyone is hurt because of me. Just thinking about going back with Rook had bile rising in her throat, but knowing that if this stranger, this bear shifter who was selflessly putting himself in front of danger for her, died because of her fear had nausea assaulting her.
That was a far worse thought than being Rook’s captive.
“No way in fucking hell am I letting you go anywhere near that asshole.” Bram’s voice was just as sharp as Rook’s had been, and Kenzie lifted her gaze up to his. She couldn’t see his eyes, but his profile showed steely determination and concentration.
“Boy, I don’t think you know who you’re going up against.” Rook undid the first few buttons of his shirt at the collar and grinned. Marek and Tank took a step forward, but Rook held his hand out to stop them without breaking eye contact with her protector.
Why was this stranger even willing to go head-to-head with a madman like the panther? He didn’t know her, so the only other logical explanation was he had to be just as crazy as Rook.
“I think you should ask yourself that same question.”
The deep vibrations of Bram’s voice went all the way through her once more. Kenzie couldn’t help but shiver from it. God, if Rook didn’t kill her over this, then he’d certainly make sure she hurt.
“Bram,” she said his name for the first time. It felt good leaving her tongue and lips, but she didn’t think too hard on that right now. “Please, just step back.”
Although she felt this change in him as soon as she said his name, he refused to look at her. Instead, he had this stare-down with Rook, and with each growing second, she felt the tension and hostility rise.