Bear in a Billion: EXPOSED (#1) (11 page)

The interview got a little uncomfortable when they talked about whether it was possible for him to partially shift. Haley had been curious about what she had seen in the photograph of Ethan barbecuing, and he had explained that, yes, just his hands or feet could shift, for example, but he had to allow it to happen. Then, the interview got even more uncomfortable when they talked about the mating habits of bears. About how they could be promiscuous, but when they claimed their mates, they mated for life. They talked abut how a bear marks his mate, either human or otherwise, so all other bears would know of the union. They also talked about how a human mate could birth cubs. It was all interesting material, and the more Haley learned about shifters, the less frightening she found them, but it still made Haley heartsick to talk about it. Because the things Ethan was talking about, Haley wanted those things. But she wanted them with somebody she could believe in.

Haley pushed her personal feelings aside. At least she had completed the interview. She could edit the material later. In fact, she figured she had enough content for several interviews. Haley hurried back home. Ethan had told her that it wouldn’t be long before she could release what she had recorded. Yes, she supposed that after his behavior to her, she would be perfectly justified in going behind his back and just sending it out to a bunch of news outlets right away, but she would never do that. The personal was the personal. This was professional. She would honor their agreement.

“Excuse me. Haley, right?”

Haley turned. A man with close-cropped hair, sharp features, and tiny eyes stood there.

“Tony. Tony Bryson. I know you did an interview with him,” Tony said.

Haley cringed inwardly. Was he talking about her shifter interview? How did this guy know that? “What are you talking about?” she asked innocently.

“Don’t give me the innocent act. Everybody knows,” Tony replied.

A news van rushed past them, heading in the direction of Ethan’s beach house. “You sent the shifter an email, right? About the interview? Shouldn’t have done that. I’m not the only guy who’s been sniffing around that place.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Please. That guy’s got enemies. His communications have been under surveillance for months.”

Tony moved closer to her and Haley didn’t like the feeling she was getting. It was a bad vibe. Was Ethan right? Was doing the interview more dangerous than she had considered? What had she gotten herself into?

“You have it on you?” Tony asked.

Haley stepped away.

“Easy, doll, I’m only asking.”

“And I’m telling you to get lost.”

Haley hurried home. Was this Tony guy telling the truth? Had Ethan been under surveillance? And by whom? She thought the thing about his wanting to keep her safe had been a line. Another way to get what he wanted. But now she considered that Ethan might have been genuinely concerned about her. When she got back to the cabin, Laila was panicked and even the normally unflappable Katie looked rattled.

“Oh my gosh, Haley they’ve been calling since you left,” Laila said.

“Who?”

“The media. News channels. Newspapers. Everybody. What have you been doing?”

“I told you. I got an interview with the shifter.”

“Well, everybody knows about it.”

The phone rang. It was her uncle’s landline. One of those old-style rings that sounded like a bell. Haley felt her stomach knot up. Why was that phone ringing? It rang once, twice, three times…

“Well, are you going to get it?”

Haley stared at the phone for a moment longer. She didn’t have a good feeling about this. She picked it up.

“Yes, this is Haley.”

Haley listened. Then she hung up. She looked at Katie and Laila.

“Well?” Katie and Laila said simultaneously.

Haley’s heart was in her throat. She couldn’t believe what the caller had said to her. Had her ears deceived her?

“
Celeb News
just offered me a million dollars,” Haley said quietly.

“For what?”

“My interview with the shifter. They want the recording,” Haley said, suddenly very worried.

“And?” Katie asked. “Is that it?”

“And they want me to reveal who he is.”

**********************

Ethan watched the convergence of news vehicles outside his home. There had been an onslaught of news activity, and preliminary reports had already identified him as the shifter. Of course, there was no proof yet, but still, this was exactly what he had wanted to avoid. He couldn’t come out publicly yet. His plans with the others weren’t finalized. And Haley, he worried for Haley. If Haley was connected to him, they would go to her, hound her, or worse. The interview she held in her possession was very valuable. And men throughout history had done terrible things to obtain items of value. Who had tipped the media off, anyhow? Had Haley distrusted him so much? Had she been so upset that she had given him up? Did the conditions he had attached to the interview mean nothing to her? No, Ethan’s bear refused to believe Haley had sold him out. Not his mate. Not Haley. However angry she was, she wouldn’t have betrayed his identity. There had to be another explanation. Ethan knew that he needed to find her. To speak to her. But first he had to get out of his house. There were reporters at his front door, reporters at his back door, reporters on the beach. Fortunately, Ethan had thought ahead when he’d built the place. He made a telephone call.

Then Ethan pulled on his wetsuit, complete with a dark neoprene hoodie. Ten minutes passed. That was about right. His phone rang a second time and he grabbed his surfboard and headed down to the basement. Down behind the water heaters was a concealed door. It led to a tunnel, and that tunnel led to the far corner of his property. Ethan hustled through the reinforced tunnel, and when he got to the end, he pushed up on a storm grate. The grate was surrounded by shrubbery and when he peered around it, he saw the reporters gathered around his house. But he also saw his van, trundling down the beach road. Just a few more seconds now…

The reporters concentrated their attention on the house.

The van passed by.

And Ethan hopped out from behind the shrubs and into the open side door.

Ethan shut the sliding door and they drove away, just three surfers hitting the waves.

“Thanks, guys.”

“Not a problem, friend,” the long-haired driver said. “Hide-a-key is a wonderful invention.”

“Always happy to help out,” his burlier companion growled. “Where do we drop you?”

“Sorry, guys. I think the question is, where do I drop you?”

“Bear business?” the long-haired guy asked.

“Bear business,” Ethan replied.

**********************

A million dollars. It was a lot of money. Not only that, they offered to let her be the one to break the news about the shifter as an exclusive special report on camera. Haley couldn’t believe the offer. But she wouldn’t do it. It wasn’t right. She had agreed to Ethan’s conditions to not reveal his identity and to wait for his go-ahead before releasing the interview. Still, the whole thing had her worried because she had begun to realize the story might be even bigger than she had imagined. People cared about this. They cared a lot.

And it wasn’t just that. Haley found herself concerned about what Ethan was thinking. Did he think she was the one who had alerted the media? The idea that Ethan might believe she was the one who had leaked the story, shook Haley to her very core. Why? Why did she care so much? And she realized why. Even if she couldn’t trust him, she wanted him to know that he could trust her. If it came down to it, her career, or what Ethan thought of her, she was going to choose what Ethan thought of her. And there was only one reason for that.

Love.

She knew it, but she didn’t want to admit it to herself.

Love.

She loved Ethan. But everything was so complicated between them. And even if she loved him, she still couldn’t trust him. She just didn’t know what to do.

“What are you going to do?” Laila asked.

“Don’t bother her,” Katie said. “But what are you going to do?”

“I’m not going to tell them who he is, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Wait. You know who the shifter is?” Laila said.

“Yes, Laila.”

“I thought he would be in disguise or something.”

“Tell us,” Laila said.

The screen door creaked open.

“Yes. Tell us.”

All three of them looked up. A man stood there. He wore a black bandana pulled up around his face. And he held a gun. It was a nickel-plated snub-nosed pistol and it was frightening looking. Haley had never had a gun pointed at her before and at first it felt like a dream. Like it wasn’t even happening. But after a moment had passed, Haley realized it was happening. It was very real and she felt a cold chill run down her spine. This was what Ethan had warned her about. This was why he said she couldn’t reveal anything until he told her to. It was for her own good. He really had been looking out for her.

“Who are you?” Haley croaked, her voice breaking.

“Just give me the interview.”

Haley looked at her friends. They had nothing to do with this. She hated herself for dragging them into the middle of it. It was up to her to stand up to this guy, whoever he was. The man with the gun had a determined look in his eye. A determined, calculated look.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Haley said.

“Lady. Save you and your fat friends a lot of grief and hand it over.”

Great. Not only was he going to rob her at gunpoint, he was playing the fat card. Haley felt the fear that had gripped her replaced by another emotion. Anger. Just who was this man hiding behind his black bandana and his gun? He looked familiar.

“I’ve seen you before,” Haley said.

“I don’t think so.”

“The demonstration. You broke the window.”

The man’s evil eyes smiled. “You think it’s an accident that protest turned out the way it did? We’ve been keeping tabs on your freak billionaire boyfriend and his pet causes for a while. Now we can get him where it hurts. Give me the interview.”

The man advanced on the three of them. Haley had goosebumps on her flesh. Her heart was in her throat. She was scared. But she wasn’t about to give in to this bully, not until she absolutely had to. She reached into her pocket for the SD card that contained the video interview. “Go and get it.”

And Haley tossed the card across the room. The man crossed the floor to get it, and as he did, she watched Laila and Katie’s eyes open wide. The guy with the gun was scary. It was frightening to think what he might do. But Laila and Katie had clearly seen something that frightened them more. The look in their eyes was more than fear. It was terror. And then Haley saw why. The screen door creaked open a second time. And a two-thousand-pound grizzly bear roared.

Chapter Eight

The bear rose on his hind legs, baring his teeth. It looked savage. Brutal. But Haley could tell right off that it wasn’t threatening them. It was after the man in the bandana. Haley remained absolutely still as the giant bear leaped swiftly over the couch. Laila screamed. Katie looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there, and Haley didn’t blame her. The man in the bandana backed away from the bear, abject fear in his eyes.

“Nice, grizzly,” the man said.

He held his gun pointed at the bear as he slowly retreated to the door. Then the bear roared a second time, charging toward him. The man’s fingers quaked on the trigger.

No, Haley thought. Don’t do it.

But he did it.

Boom!

The thunderous report of the shot echoed through the tiny cabin. Haley screamed in terror. What had he done? That wasn’t just any bear. Haley could sense it. That was Ethan. Ethan’s bear was hit. Hayley could see it. The bullet looked like it had impacted his bear’s shoulder. Haley could see blood beginning to pool in his fur. Ethan’s bear paused, staring viciously at the man in the bandana. Then he shook himself and leaped forward. The man fired again, but Ethan’s bear kept going straight at him. The man just managed to get through the screen door. Ethan’s bear followed at full tilt. It was incredible how quickly he could move. The power. The grace. Haley heard another roar and a moment later, it was just the three of them again, screen door banging in the wind.

“Holy shit,” Katie murmured. “Did that just happen?”

Laila nodded.

“Yes, it did,” Haley whispered. She caught her breath. The SD card was still on the floor. She  walked over and picked it up, heading directly for the door.

“Wait here,” Haley said.

“Are you crazy?” Laila said.

“Don’t go out there,” Katie added.

“Just wait here.”

Haley hurried outside. She was scared, but more than that, she was worried. Worried for Ethan. The bullets had hit him. She knew they had. She had seen the blood welling in his fur. But when she got outside, she saw no bear. No beast was chewing on a bandana. What she saw was Ethan’s van parked behind the house. The sliding door was open. He sat on the floor of the cargo area, blood on his shoulder and chest. Haley’s heart pounded. Was he all right? How badly had he been hit? She rushed up to him. She wanted to embrace him. To take him into her arms. But she didn’t want to hurt him. Didn’t want to make it any worse.