"That'll be twenty-four ninety-five." Cameron inwardly groaned when his voice cracked. He was so nervous that the inside of his stomach was jumping. Why on earth did the cowboy affect him this way? Cameron had no problem getting dates or getting laid. But lately he seemed to be insanely fixated on this one guy.

Rowdy slid his credit card through the machine as Cameron strummed his fingers on the counter. He wanted the man gone. His nerves were stretched tight and it wasn't a pleasant feeling. Cameron's hands were sweaty and his pulse was still racing. What the fuck was wrong with him?

Once the transaction was complete, the cowboy grabbed his bags, nodded a thank-you, and then walked out. Cameron slumped against the counter and let out a long breath.

"That was intense," Simon said as he approached. "I could see the nerve jumping under your eye from two aisles away."

Cameron slapped his hand over his left eye and rubbed the skin. God, Simon was right. Cameron could feel heat slowly suffusing his skin as well. God dammit. He was blushing.

"Are you still looking for a roommate?" Simon asked as he began to straighten the items on the other side of the counter. The chains draped on his pants clinked as he moved.

Cameron didn't know Simon all that well. He probably would've said no but he was desperate. Besides, if Cameron let Simon move in with him, Arlene would stop asking. Ever since she'd found out that Cameron needed a roommate, she had dropped hints like nuclear bombs. She wasn't that subtle and she was very aggressive. It was like trying to ward off a pit bull coming in for the attack.

Cameron glanced over at the photo area to see her holding a strip of film above her head, examining it under the florescent lighting of the store. Why did he have a feeling she had just ruined that roll of film? Probably because she had. The bleach she used to dye her hair blonde must've sunk into her brain long ago.

Cameron gripped the counter and forced himself to nod. "Why, are you looking to move in?"

There was hesitation in Simon's eyes, as if it were the last thing the guy wanted to do. "Times are hard."

Amen to that. Cameron was one paycheck away from being homeless. He knew how the guy felt. Cameron scratched at his chin and pretended to consider Simon's offer for a moment. There was no need to let Simon know just how desperate he was. Cameron wanted to make Simon think that he was doing the guy a favor. If Simon turned out to be a bad roommate, then Cameron could be guilt-free about kicking the guy out.

"You got any money on you now?"

Simon nodded. "First month's rent and deposit."

Hot damn. Cameron could tuck away the deposit and use half the rent money Simon was giving him for chicken. Or maybe even beef. Actual meat. Not noodles. Oh yeah. Talk about living it up. His mouth was already watering at the thought. "You can come over to my place tonight and we'll talk about the rules."

Simon seemed uncertain as he stared at Cameron. "What kind of rules?" he asked.

"Basic boundaries and splitting of the bills. Respecting each other's privacy. Rules about dates. Simple stuff like that." If Cameron didn't lay down the ground rules now, Simon just might try to take advantage of him. Cameron was used to a quiet home and there was no way he was gonna suffer through head-banging music, people running in and out, or having his privacy invaded.

Simon stared at Cameron for a little longer before the guy finally said, "I'll be there after my shift."

Cameron finally felt as if he could breathe. Maybe he wouldn't be living in a box under the bridge after all. Things were finally looking up. A frigid blast of air blew through the door as someone entered the store. Cameron and Simon looked up at the same time to see a man standing in the doorway wearing a ski mask. Cameron would've thought the man was wearing it because of the weather, but the sawed-off shotgun in the man's hand was a big clue that they were in trouble.

Chapter Two.

It began to lightly snow as Rowdy sat in his truck outside the drugstore. The heat from the vents kept him cozy as he considered going back into the drugstore. He'd suspected for some time now that Cameron was his mate. Although bears couldn't go on scent alone, anytime Rowdy was near Cameron, the delicious aroma of warm vanilla filled his lungs.

He'd been fighting the attraction for months now. So many times Rowdy had been tempted to come into town just to catch a glimpse of Cameron. Curling his fingers into tight fists, he reminded himself of why he kept the man at bay.

Edward. It had been ten years but the nightmares still haunted Rowdy. The person he had been back then still crept up on him every once in a while and reminded him that he was living a lie. The ghostly images taunted him, whispering that he wasn't a decent man. Rowdy knew he would never escape his past and that was why he couldn't claim Cameron. He wasn't going to pull an innocent man into his nightmares.

Though Rowdy wasn't certain he could ever make up for what he'd done, he continually tried to redeem his soul by helping others, like Steven. Steven was a man who had the same gift that Edward had possessed. Just like Edward, Steven had never been taught to buffer the voices and images that constantly bombarded his mind. At least, not until Rowdy had shown him how.

"Stop thinking about it," Rowdy whispered to himself as he gritted his teeth. But the thoughts continued to assail him. He would give anything to erase his past and be able to offer Cameron a happy life.

He chuckled humorlessly. "How many times have you wished that?"

Too many for him to count. Rowdy was about to pull away when he noticed something peculiar. There was a man walking through the falling snow with a ski mask on. That wasn't what caught Rowdy's eye, though. It was the shotgun he was trying to keep close to his side in hopes that no one noticed it.

Rowdy pulled his cell phone free and called the sheriff's station. He had a bad feeling about this. But what really raised the hairs on his neck was when the armed man walked into the drugstore.

Cursing, Rowdy quickly relayed what he'd seen before hanging up. He didn't consider himself a hero, but he knew the people who worked inside. He didn't want any causalities, and most of all, he was terrified that something would happen to Cameron.

No matter his thoughts on their mating relationship, he wasn't going to allow Cameron to face the gunman alone. There had to be something Rowdy could do to disarm the man.

Like what, let him shoot me?

Shaking his head, Rowdy slipped from the truck and moved alongside the wall of the drugstore. It was cold as shit but he ignored the blowing winds. The entrance was on the corner of the building so he was able to sneak a peek inside. Rowdy cursed when he saw Cameron behind the counter. The goth guy was standing on the other side of the counter and both men looked frozen with fear.

Rowdy stood there trying to figure out what to do. He had no weapon on him. And he sure as shit wasn't bulletproof. Times were hard everywhere but resorting to robbery wasn't the answer. Tackling a man with a shotgun wasn't either. He could always wait for the police, but what if the gunman made his move before the cops showed? Rowdy didn't have the faintest idea what to do. He'd never been in this type of situation before.

He knew how to shoot a gun, but his rifle-the only gun he owned-was tucked away in his room at the bunkhouse. A lot of good that did him right now. He thought about shifting, but not even his bear was a match for a shotgun blast. Besides, it would look bizarre as hell if a bear walked into a pharmacy.

Decision made, Rowdy pulled a deep breath into his lungs and moved around the corner. Nothing like fear to wash a person's mind clean. The sliding doors opened. Rowdy cursed. He'd forgotten about those. Everyone turned to look at him. He had an insane urge to wave. The gunman raised his weapon at Rowdy. The guy was about average height, a little thick in his body, but it was the two tattooed teardrops under his left eye that made Rowdy pause.

The man had killed two people and had probably served time in prison. Rowdy was willing to bet the guy had a rap sheet a mile long.

Great. I turned from a potential hero into a goddamn victim. Rowdy held his hands up and moved carefully around the man. His mind was working overtime as he tried to figure out how to get that gun from the guy. Nothing came to mind. He was pretty sure saying please wouldn't work.

As he passed the man, Rowdy gazed into cold, flat eyes. There would be no reasoning with this guy. He wasn't just a scared, desperate man trying to make ends meet. This son of a bitch meant business.

Flashing lights began to swirl around the front of the store. The cops had arrived. The gunman pumped his shotgun, aimed it toward the entrance, and then fired. The glass shattered. Rowdy jerked and stumbled backward. If the robber had no qualms about killing a cop, then the people in the store had no chance.

Adrenaline was flowing like a rushing river. Rowdy was alert to every shadow, the way the lights swirled just outside the door, and the gunman. His body was in emergency mode, and he hoped to god nothing tragic came of this.

The gunman didn't bother to move away from the door. It was as if he were taunting the cops. Rowdy began to shiver as the cold air from outside whipped through the broken glass and entered the store. The front area of the store quickly drained of heat as Rowdy took two more steps back. He was trying to position himself between the robber and Cameron.

He briefly thought about negotiating with the man, but the robber didn't look like he was in a talking mood. Besides, Rowdy wasn't much of a talker so he had no clue what to say. Put your gun down and you might walk out of here alive seemed kinda cheesy. It never worked in the movies.

"This is the sheriff of the Bear County Police Department." Sheriff Sparrow's voice came over a bullhorn. "Drop your weapon and come out slowly and no one needs to get hurt."

The only thing he could do was blink when the gunman fired out the door and reloaded so fast that Rowdy's head spun. He'd never seen anyone do that before. The guy had mad skills and Rowdy wasn't about to test them.

Someone began to cry behind him. Rowdy turned his head long enough to see the film girl standing in her small corner with tears streaking down her face. Her crying intensified.

The gunman turned and aimed at her head. "Shut. The. Fuck. Up."

The man's voice was deep and malevolent. He meant to hurt her if she didn't quiet down. The girl's sobs grew louder. The goth guy hurried over to her and pulled her into his arms, shushing her. Rowdy shot a quick glance at Cameron to see his mate gazing toward his feet. What was he looking at?

Please don't let him be contemplating anything stupid.

Rowdy tried to get Cameron's attention but the man wouldn't look up. His eyes stayed glued to the floor. The phone rang over by the photo area.

"Don't answer it," the gunman warned as he pulled his the mask from his head and tossed it aside. It took a lot to scare Rowdy, but the man's voice brought to mind a vicious bulldog pulling at the end of his leash to get loose.

Rowdy frowned when he saw Cameron pull his cell phone free. What on earth was the guy doing? When the gunman looked out the door again, Cameron snapped a quick picture and then lowered his phone. Rowdy could see his mate's hand moving and knew the human was sending the picture to the police.

Gotta love technology. But even if the cops knew the man's identity, that wouldn't be much help right now. If anything, it would probably piss the guy off if the cops used his name. Rowdy had gotten to know Sparrow and didn't think the man would be that careless. But he'd never seen the sheriff in a high stress situation before.

"Stop using your phone," Rowdy whispered when Cameron tried to get another picture from a different angle.

"Oh, are you talking to me now?" Cameron's response was snippy. Rowdy didn't blame the guy. He'd all but shunned the man. But now was not the time to air their dirty laundry.

"Just stop doing it." Rowdy didn't want the man to be shot for a few pics.

"Stop talking to me," Cameron snapped, his voice growing a little louder.

"Stop being so damn stubborn," Rowdy countered, his voice rising as well. "You're being a moron."

Cameron spun around, fully facing Rowdy. If looks could kill, Rowdy would be lying in his grave right now. "At least I'm trying to do something. You're just standing there."

Rowdy's fist came crashing down on the countertop. "And what the fuck do you want me to do, wrestle him?"

"What I want is for you to ignore me like you've been doing. Don't think this situation changes anything, asshole."

"You don't even know why I've been ignoring you." That didn't even sound right in Rowdy's head, let alone hanging on the air between them. He was spitting mad, though. He hated the fact that Cameron was putting his life at risk.

"Do you know how that sounds?" Cameron asked. "Are you really that stupid?"

Rowdy growled as he swiped a beef jerky off the counter, opened it, and bit into the piece of meat like it had killed his entire family. He chewed widely, glaring at Cameron. "There, I'm doing something."

"You're going to pay for that," Cameron retorted. "A buck and five cents."

The gunmen shot a shelf of potato chips, sufficiently silencing them. Guess the guy didn't like to hear people arguing.

Rowdy continued to chew as he tried to come up with a solution. Now, not only was Rowdy scared, but pissed off. Cameron looked as if he wanted to slam Rowdy's head into the counter.

"You." The gunman pointed at Cameron. "Get over here."

"What do you want him for?" Rowdy asked as he moved closer to the counter, as if standing closer would stop the gunman from doing anything insane. "He's just an innocent bystander."

"Yeah," Cameron said, his voice shaky and his eyes wide. "What he said."

"Get. Over. Here." The robber aimed his shotgun at Cameron and Rowdy was desperate to come up with an answer, and fast. The situation was quickly snowballing out of control.

He was a damn ranch foreman, not a negotiator. Rowdy couldn't think of a freaking thing that would keep them all safe. He was taller and more solidly built than the gunman, but that didn't mean diddly-squat since Rowdy was unarmed.

Cameron eased around the counter, looking at Rowdy for help. It seemed as if everyone in the store held their collective breath when Cameron stopped a few feet from the guy.

"Go get me something to drink. My mouth is dry."

Rowdy let out a long breath as he watched his mate wander toward the back of the store. What kind of robber was this? Didn't they usually keep all hostages in plain sight? He wouldn't blame Cameron in the least if his mate took off out the back door.

"You." The gunman pointed at the goth kid. "Go out there and tell Sparrow I want him in here, alone and unarmed. If he doesn't do what I ask, the girl gets it."

The girl let go of a loud sob. Rowdy wanted to tell her to calm down before the gunman shot her just for irritating him. He didn't appear to be the comforting or consoling type. He looked like he'd rather choke her than hug her. "You can't kill me."

A smile that could rival Satan's appeared on the man's face, making Rowdy less than confident that the girl would make it out of this alive. "Wanna bet?"

When the goth man began to move, a part of Rowdy wished it was Cameron heading outside. At least then his mate would be safe. Not that he wanted anyone harmed, but his mate was his first priority, even if Cameron was being snide with him.

Rowdy could tell the goth had no love for the girl, but he seemed hesitant to leave her. His eyes bounced from her crying face, to Rowdy's, and then to the gunman.

"Last chance," the gunman said as he aimed his shotgun at the goth. "Go or be blown away."

Anyone would have rushed out of there with that kind of threat hanging over them. And that was exactly what the goth guy did. He hurried forward, sparing one last glance at the girl behind the counter, and took off through the broken sliding doors.

The doors had difficulty opening since there was shattered glass all over the floor. One corner got caught in the debris, making that door stick. But the goth guy was skinny enough that he slipped sideways through the big, gaping hole. He was gone in seconds.

Cameron came back down the aisle, a few beverages in his hand. "I wasn't sure what you would want."

That seemed to impress the man with the gun. He nodded as if he appreciated Cameron's thoughtfulness. Rowdy on the other hand wanted to smack his mate for being so considerate to a man who held their lives in his hands. He also wanted to hug Cameron to him, to shove his mate behind him to keep him out of harm's way.

When Cameron began to pass him, Rowdy reached out and snagged his slim arm. Cameron glanced up at him and Rowdy could see raw fear in the gorgeous depths of his mate's eyes. He gave his mate's arm a light squeeze and Cameron didn't move. He stood at Rowdy's side, slightly to the right so part of his body was hidden from the gunman.

Rowdy's bear was growling in approval and ready to rip the gunman apart. In that moment, Cameron was as vulnerable as a newborn cub. Rowdy could feel his mate shaking slightly. He wanted to console the guy, but didn't. Not now. He'd have to wait for that. Rowdy didn't want to be distracted. He couldn't afford to be distracted.

The robber cracked the lid on a diet Sunkist and swallowed half the bottle. But his eyes never left Rowdy or Cameron. When he lowered the bottle, he asked, "You two lovers?"

It was a simple question asked without malice.

"No." Cameron shook his head.

"Trying to be." Rowdy wasn't sure why he'd said that. He had been avoiding Cameron all this time and when faced with the question, he'd spilled his deepest desire to a stranger who could potentially kill him. It had to be the stress.

The man nodded as if he understood Rowdy's internal struggle. Though there was no way the guy could. "Why are you doing this?" Rowdy asked. "You apparently don't want any money from the register."

He kept his right hand on Cameron's arm, ready to shove his mate to the floor if the gunman became hostile. Some people didn't like being questioned when in a highly stressful situation.

The gunman rubbed his jaw with the back of his hand, still gripping the Sunkist bottle. "Some things are too complicated to explain."

Rowdy knew all about complication. He was quite intimate with it. Now it was his turn to nod as if he understood why the man was doing this. "I feel you on that one."

The guy's eyes flickered from Rowdy to Cameron. He looked as if he wanted to say something and he might have, but Sparrow appeared in the doorway at that moment and the tension that seemed to be draining from the man's face just a moment before snapped back into place.

"Sparrow." The gunman growled the one word. "We meet again."