The guys were already moving out to inspect the crash. Damien sprayed the wreckage with a fire extinguisher, putting out the fire.
The bodies were all burnt to a crisp and littered among the twisted metal.
“We need to find the jewels,” Rollo said. “And return them to their rightful owner.”
The bears dug through the wreckage as backup crews showed up to deal with the bodies. Finally, Gauge pulled a metal box out of the crash. He brought it over to the squad car and hefted a crow bar. Rollo watched him as he forced open the box.
Inside, the velvet bag was slightly melted but not ruined. Gauge handed the bag to Rollo, and Rollo pulled it open.
The jewels were all there. He could now return them to Caitlin. But this case was far from closed.
Right then, an unmarked black SUV pulled into the field beside the squad cars and two suited men stepped out. Rollo knew immediately that these guys were feds.
“Commander Rollo Morris?” one of the man said. “Agent Black and Agent Wick, FBI.”
They flashed their badges and the Bear Patrol all looked up, taking notice of the newcomers.
“We’ll be taking over this investigation now,” Agent Black said. “You and your men can clear out.”
Agent Black showed Rollo the order by the feds to take over his case.
“We’ve recovered Caitlin Somerset’s jewels,” Rollo said, handing the bag to the agent.
“Good work, Commander Morris,” Agent Wick said. “We’ve been tailing this creep since he landed in the country. He gave us the slip in Arizona. But you brought them down and recovered the jewels.”
“It wasn’t just me. Zoe Bright has inside information about his gang.”
“Ms. Bright. We have questions for you about your involvement in this case. Don’t leave town,” Agent Black said, looking from Zoe to Rollo and back again.
“Let’s go,” Zoe, he said, leading her to the squad car he’d driven to the scene.
She dropped into the passenger seat, noticeably exhausted.
“You need to rest,” he said, pulling out of the field and onto the road.
“First you kidnap me, then after you mate with me you start treating me like a baby,” she snapped.
Rollo could feel her emotions rolling inside his own heart. She was angry, scared, and frustrated. She felt like he didn’t see her. That couldn’t be any further from the truth. He tried to reach out to her and show her his total admiration. But she just stared out the passenger side window, not meeting his eyes or his heart.
“Just because I didn’t want to take you to a shootout, does not mean I’m treating you like a baby. You could have been killed.”
“I could have been killed for three years, Rollo. You have no idea what that bastard did to me. Once you finally convinced me to open up about it, I realized I’ve been a coward. I’m done with people treating me like an idiot. That includes you.”
“Wah, what? I don’t think you are an idiot.”
His own heart was breaking, wondering why she was so angry at him. All he’d ever wanted to do was protect her. He felt the confused jumble of energy rolling off of her. She was his marked mate. She should be able to feel him and understand where he was coming from.
“I know,” she said, looking at her lap. “I’ve just been so trapped for so long. I’m tired of it, Rollo. I’m not taking it anymore.”
“Let me take you home, darlin’. You need a nap. And so do I.”
He drove them back to his house. It seemed like it had been such a long time since they’d left that morning. Bringing down Ivanov and his gang had been a real win for him and the Bear Patrol. Now that the FBI was involved, he would have to work twice as hard to make sure that Zoe remained free.
They got out of the car in front of his three-bedroom suburban house in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Fate Mountain Village. He bought the house when he first moved to town and was proud of it. It was a craftsman with a big front porch and landscaped backyard. It was exactly the kind of place you would want to bring your mate and start a family.
Even after marking Zoe and her marking him, Rollo was still having doubts. She was obviously tired and cranky after the shootout, but her reaction to him was more severe than he would have expected from his marked mate.
He opened the front door and they walked inside. The front room was cool and dark in the late afternoon air. It felt good to come inside, and it made Rollo realize how tired he actually was. Contending with Zoe wore him out. But it was so much fun that he hadn’t realized his fatigue until now. All he wanted to do was take her upstairs, share a long hot bath and lie down in his big, soft bed with her.
Zoe looked tired and confused, as if she had no idea what to do. He put his hand around her waist and led her upstairs. She leaned her head against his shoulder as they ascended to the second floor.
“Let’s take a bath in my whirlpool tub.”