She smiled and reached him, running a finger along the barely closed gash in his head. "The brain wasn't the right place to attack you."
His lip quirked. In one smooth motion, he grasped her clip and tugged it free. Her hair fell around her shoulders. "That's better," he said, tangling his fingers in the mass.
She swatted him. Fire flew from her fingertips.
He yelped and patted out his wrist. "What the hell?"
She gasped, delight rushing through her. "I made fire. Bear. I made fire."
He frowned. "Wonderful."
She laughed out loud and tried again. Nothing. "I guess it'll take practice."
He looked gingerly at the burn mark on his wrist. "I feel like you should be sleeping."
"Not without you." She snuggled into him, secure in his strength. "If I stay and take that job, we'll have witches, vampires, and demons around. A lot." Aye, she probably should've discussed the job with him first.
"I've already been overrun by witches." He took her hand and led her into the trees. "There's a billion of them at Lucas's secret hideaway going through all the data there. They've found warehouses of Apollo, the distribution line, and even the hired guns all over the world. Soon, the entire operation will be a thing of the past."
She stepped carefully over a bunch of snowy branches on the ground. "That's wonderful. We should come up with a plan to hand over evidence to the DEA so they stop freezing your accounts. Something that doesn't lead back to us."
He sighed. "Sounds like subterfuge."
"It does, doesn't it?" she asked happily, already planning. By the time she was finished, the DEA would think the Grizzly MC was squeaky clean, and Bear would have his money back. Then she'd decorate his cabin for him. "Is Grace Sadler still in the cabin?"
"No. Several Guard soldiers took her to the hospital in Vancouver," Bear said, his gaze darkening. "What will happen to her after that?"
Nessa thought it out. "She'll be tried for treason."
They reached the frozen bank. The water rushed by ten feet below them. Bear looked down at her. "I'm surprised you're not in the thick of things right now, dismantling Lucas's war room."
Oh. Aye. "Jasper and my uncle can direct the job."
Bear lifted his eyebrows. "Will one of them be named commissioner?"
She tried not to smile. "Can't tell you. However, I do think that my uncle plans to stick around here for a while. Help secure the area." In fact, he was angling for a job with Dage, and that meant Nessa would get to work with her uncle again. She gave a happy hop. Jasper would make an excellent commissioner, and of course she'd be able to stay in touch with him via her new job.
"I sure hope your uncle doesn't have to leave," Bear said, trying too hard to make the words sound like truth.
The poor guy really couldn't lie. Not at all. Aye, she loved him for that. She turned and slid her hands up Bear's very nice chest. "Are you letting Garrett and Logan stick around?"
Bear sighed. "Yes. They want to stay, and I kind of owe them for saving my life. So they stay."
"That's sweet," she murmured, her heart feeling so full she barely recognized the feeling. "I'm thinking I can put them to work for me. They both have excellent connections, and I trust them. Of course, the jobs don't start until next week."
"I know," Bear said softly, brushing snow off her cheek. His honey-brown eyes mellowed. "I've been negotiating with Dage the last hour. He would like to build a command center for you that's separate from mine, considering mine is just for the shifter nations. He wants to put it next to one of the garages."
That made sense. "You said no?"
Bear grinned. "I said yes, but I'm charging him an arm and a leg for leasing the land."
Nessa threw back her head and laughed. "I like that."
A helicopter hovered above and then set down in a clearing next to the river house. "Who's here now?" she wondered.
"Who the hell knows?" Bear's exhale was heated.
The door opened, and three of the Enforcers jumped out. "Kel-lach, Daire, and Adam Dunne," Nessa said, her eyes widening. The brothers scouted the area and then assisted their mates out. The three women looked around, moving quickly toward the house upon seeing Simone at the door. The greetings were boisterous and full of love.
"They're probably here to finish with the intel," Bear said, his voice a low rumble.
"They're here to celebrate," Nessa said quietly. "I'm sure Moira Kayrs, the remaining Enforcer, will be here soon, too."
Bear groaned. "The Kayrs family are like rabbits. When one shows up, they all show up." He shook his head. "Why me?"