Chapter Sixteen
Brad was the shirtless one, but this confession made me feel utterly naked. I couldn’t pretend I was sweet little Ellie or sexy Synamon anymore. He knew exactly what I wanted.
My heart thumped as he leaned in closer. Drinking in his delicious heat was a privilege I could ill afford right now. I couldn’t fool myself into thinking he would offer comfort.
“So your ex didn’t trade you in for a newer model. You got caught.”
“Something like that.”
Brad sighed heavily. “I understand how scary this is. But you have to tell me everything, Synamon. Don’t leave anything out. What did he catch you doing?”
I closed my eyes for a long blink. It was ridiculous, really—I hadn’t done anything wrong.
But I’d been trained by society, human and bear, to absorb the guilt, to take the fall when I exposed the big guy doing terrible things.
After all, I was the one who could lose everything.
Even if I won, those developers would just find another easy target, move on, and forget all about me and the lives they ruined.
“I took a deep dive on the permits—Ellie loves that shit, so no one thought twice about it. I made it look like a countywide initiative. I would’ve gone further had my jurisdiction allowed it.
But you’ve got to build in the sandbox you’re given.
Of course, I found discrepancies—that's polite Ellie talk, so let me tell you what I really found—bribes. Forgeries. Cover ups. Land that was basically stolen from shifters. Not just my clan. Shifters across the county that were too trusting and not business savvy because that’s not how we think.
I saw the patterns clear as day, along with the next property they planned to swindle. And I blocked it.”
Brad pursed his lips, nodding as he took that information in. “All that happened five years ago?”
“Yeah.” I was feeling bolder, lighter after that confession.
It was almost the same adrenaline hit as an Only Bears performance.
“Ellie knows bureaucracy can be sexy. All people saw was this beige little mouse in a turtleneck. But the back and forth, it’s like foreplay.
One move. Then another. Rules. Regulations.
Precedent. So they fought me, but I used those things to stay one step ahead of them, because there’s another thing my ex didn’t realize—there's a distinct difference between being good and being lucky.”
Now an old feeling flooded in, a chaser to all those good vibes.
Anger. But it didn’t feel the same as every time a countersuit, or a new proposal came across my desk, hoping this time I’d miss the loophole or let them get away with all their gross bullshit.
For the first time in a long time, I felt free.
Ironic, I know, when I’m literally in captivity, but I truly believed this bear would help me.
Because he was the thing I’d never let myself have.
Unconditional acceptance.
Brad cocked a brow. “Which one are you, good or lucky?”
“Obviously, I’m good.” I gave him my best camera-worthy smoldering look, and grinned when I was rewarded by a surge of body heat.
“I earned my position. My daddy didn’t give me a job.
So I made my moves—blocking those bastards every step of the way.
Kept them choked up in so much legislation they didn’t even know what they were fighting for anymore. ”
“Love it,” Brad rumbled. “But what happened, when he figured it out?”
“They caught me looking a little too deep.” And I hated that I still felt shame about it.
“Their lawyers weren’t better than me, there were just more of them.
So my ex presented the evidence when he said that we couldn’t get married.
And graciously offered to go through with the wedding if I dropped the case.
Which might have worked if I ever wanted him in the first place.
But if we truly went public—then his side of the story came out too.
He’d look bad. So instead, Ellie agreed to be the shunned woman, because everyone believed she was the kind of woman that a powerful man would cast aside. No questions asked.”
Brad leaned in. “Was that when Synamon Honey was born?”
“More like, she exploded.” I chuckled. “I only agreed to that arrangement because then I could keep digging deeper without anyone suspecting anything. I was so close to putting a stop to everything, and I wasn’t letting some fragile male egos stop me.
Synamon was a way to deal with the frustration and take back who I really was. ”
“But I still don’t get why this is all coming to a head now,” Brad said.
An old familiar feeling turned my limbs to stone, paralyzing me. Fear. My bodyguard bear could surely sense it, as a rumble rolled through his body like thunder.
“I thought we were looking for the Centerfold Slasher,” I said.
“That was before I knew Ellie was a fearless badass,” he countered. “Why did they try to disappear you?”
“Kevin showed up at my office a few weeks back. There was a new deal the trust was interested in, and of course he hit roadblocks. So he tried to get me to push it through. Offered me more money than I can even comprehend. I could’ve bought my clan’s land back outright and still had enough money to go full-time on Only Bears. ”
“So why didn’t you?” Brad asked.
“Because it would’ve set precedent.” I sighed.
Truth be told, I’d almost caved and took the money.
I was tired of fighting. I wouldn’t tell Brad that.
I liked him thinking of Ellie as a badass because no one else ever had.
“He knew it. They were willing to give up a piece to get the whole pie. So, I refused.
“And he said he’d ruin me. And I told him, not if I ruin you first.”
Brad grinned. “How did you plan to do that?”
“I was gonna testify—shit—what day is it?” With the abduction attempt, the shift, and now being sequestered in this cabin with my gorgeous bear bodyguard, I’d lost all track of time.
“The twenty-second.”
My heart skipped a beat. “The trial is at the end of the month. If I don’t show my face in court, Kevin’s company wins the case. And my clan gets nothing. Brad, Ellie needs to be there.”