"Let's just say that if you're ever unhappy, I'm not sleeping in my bed." Sam waved for Jed. When the mechanic came over, Sam stood there and talked to him about servicing all the vehicles for Executive Bodyguards.

Sam felt buoyant now that Taylor had given the green light for them to put off having children. He wasn't going to say that he never wanted them. But he was willing to wait, to warm up to the idea and get over his fear.

And that alone endeared him to his little goth angel.

Chapter Nine.

Later that evening, Sam watched as Cameron made a play for Rowdy.

"A real live cowboy?" Cameron asked for the tenth time since Rowdy had come into the kitchen. The human rocked on his feet and squinted sideways at the foreman. "You're not pulling my chain, are you?"

Taylor rolled his eyes as he finished off his juice. Sam sat in his chair, rocking back and chuckling as he popped another grape into his mouth. Poor Rowdy.

"Born and bred in Wyoming," Rowdy said and Sam could see the shifter was trying his hardest to be polite. The foreman flexed his bicep before glancing away.

Or was that interest? Sam couldn't tell. Rowdy wasn't a very talkative man and Sam wasn't going to pry into the guy's life. He seemed to know what he was doing when it came to his job, and that was all that mattered.

"So, what kind of cowboy things can you do?" Cameron asked. He leaned against the counter and rested his chin in his hands, staring at Rowdy with dreamy eyes. "I just want to say up front that I'm really enjoying you, visually."

Sam nearly choked on a grape. Taylor coughed as he lowered his glass.

"Stop pestering the guy," Taylor warned. He stepped between the two and placed his glass in the sink. "The guy doesn't want to be bothered."

"Or he might eat you," Sam added. Taylor glanced at him and Sam winked at Taylor.

"You're a bear shifter?" Cameron asked as he stood up straight to look around Taylor, who was still standing between them. "Just great."

Rowdy slid Sam a thanks a lot glare. Sam shrugged, unrepentant. "You'll eventually thank me for telling him."

Rowdy walked out of the back door as Cameron left the kitchen, heading toward the living room. Taylor turned to him. "That was mean."

"If it was meant to be, me telling Cameron won't matter." He watched as Taylor went after his friend. Jeez, try and do a guy a solid and that's the thanks I get?

Sam checked his watch. The doctor was supposed to be coming by soon to start Taylor on his birth control. Sam was aching to be with his mate...and yes, he was damn sure that's who Taylor was to him. No one would convince him otherwise.

He'd been with his fair share of lovers and although the sex had been good, none had made his bear react in any way. It was as if his beast slept through the sex. But Taylor made his beast not only come alive, but snap and snarl to get close to the human. Sam also felt a deep connection to Taylor. He couldn't explain it. When he'd gone on the extraction mission with the others, a part of him had ached so badly to be with Taylor that Sam had thought he was losing his mind.

Sam stared at the empty kitchen and wondered if he was making the right choice. Was Taylor really willing to forgo children now or had he said that because he knew how Sam felt? Sam yearned to give Taylor anything the man wanted, but children...he just wasn't ready for them. Was that selfish of him? He wasn't sure.

Colton ambled into the kitchen and grabbed a seat. He had a thin file tucked under his arm. He dropped the file to the table and shook his head. "You know how to pick 'em."

The legs of the chair scraped the floor as Sam sat forward. He set his bowl of grapes aside. "Come again?"

Colton opened the file. "I checked Taylor's phone records. Aside from you and Cameron calling him, he had one other call while we were away. The phone number is registered to a Todd Langer. Real piece of fucking work." Colton flipped a page over. "He's wanted for multiple counts of assault and battery, kidnapping, rape, and the list goes on and on."

Sam took one of the sheets from Colton and glanced over it. His stomach turned over and tightened into a solid knot as he started to get a good picture of the life Taylor had suffered through. Todd Langer was the worst kind of degenerate. "Did you find out if he's heading this way?"

Colton shook his head as he flipped another sheet of paper over and scanned its contents. "His phone GPS still has him in Nebraska. The guy must have been playing mind games with Taylor. I don't think this Todd guy knows where Taylor is."

"Then we need to make sure he stays ignorant." Sam might be easygoing, but he'd kill the son of a bitch if the guy came anywhere near his mate. Hell, he might do society a favor and kill the guy regardless. Todd Langer was a parasite, preying on the weak. Judging by the way Taylor behaved, Todd used fear as a way of getting what he wanted. But didn't all bad guys use that method?

The thought sickened Sam.

"Taken care of." Colton winked at him. "I called the local sheriff's department in Lincoln. You'll never guess who works there."

Sam shrugged.

"Cash Holloway."

"No shit," Sam said. Cash was a man who Sam and his unit had rescued from enemy fire when they were in the service. The guy was an ex-marine like them.

Colton nodded. "He was more than happy to repay us for saving his life. I faxed the paperwork and Todd Langer's GPS coordinates to Cash. He has the reports and, as of two hours ago, has Todd in custody. He assures me that Mr. Langer won't be victimizing anyone else for a long time."

Sam stood and wrapped his arm around Colton's neck, giving him a firm hug as he kissed the man's head. "Good fucking job."

Colton swung his arm up as he pulled away. "Kiss me again and I'll cut your damn dick off, you crazy bastard."

Sam chuckled. The threat didn't scare him. Nothing was going to ruin his mood right now. Taylor was safe and that was all that mattered to him. Sam hurried from the kitchen, found Taylor in the living room, and threw his mate over his shoulder.

"What the hell?" Taylor asked loudly as Sam jogged up the stairs to the second floor. They could find inventive ways to fool around until the doctor arrived to discuss forms of birth control. But keeping away from Taylor was killing him.

He kicked open his bedroom door, closed it, and then dropped Taylor onto the bed. Sam grinned widely when Taylor backed up until his back hit the headboard.

"I don't know what's gotten into you, but-"

"It's what's about to get into you." Sam winked at Taylor. He started to undress and stilled. Something was...off. The hairs on the back of his neck tried to creep down his spine. Nothing seemed out of place, yet...

Sam stayed close to the bed as he scented the air. The balcony doors were open but he didn't remember leaving them open. His bedroom was on the second floor. There were perimeter sensors all around the property and Colton would've told him if one of them had been tripped.

"Is there something wrong?" Taylor crawled to the edge of the bed and scanned the room before looking up with a frown.

The room was lit only by the moonlight spilling through the open balcony doors. There were heavy shadows in the corner. Sam took a deep, steadying breath. Nothing was lurking in the shadows. So why was every instinct he possessed on full alert?

Sam stepped closer to the balcony doors. The sounds of cicadas filled the night. There was a wind pulling at the tops of the tall trees, but it never touched the ground. The heat whispering through the door felt good on his air-conditioned skin. He scanned the backyard but all he could see was the bunkhouse and the large stables off to the right. The corrals were empty, the horses put away for the night.

"Sam?"

As Sam turned to look at Taylor, something heavy struck him in the back. He went sprawling across the floor and then flipped over to stare up at a stranger. Where the fuck did he come from?

Taylor went statue still. His eyes rounded in horror but the man didn't move a muscle. Whoever the stranger was, he was aiming a gun at Sam. Sam's pulse quickened as he glanced from Taylor to the stranger.

The stranger's eyes were wild but his aim was steady. "Come, boy."

Taylor began to slip off the bed until Sam held up his hand. "Don't move, Taylor."

Panic began to settle in Taylor's pale-blue eyes as he looked from the stranger to Sam and then back to the stranger. Taylor was confused and scared and Sam was beyond pissed. With effortless ease, Sam rolled into a crouching position.

The stranger tsked. "I wouldn't try any heroics."

Sam's eyes flickered over to Taylor. "Angel, who is our guest?"

The moon showed Sam that Taylor's breathing had become shallow. Sweat was glistening on his skin as his eyes stayed riveted on the stranger. "Todd."

That was impossible. Cash had Todd Langer locked away in Lincoln, Nebraska. The man could not be in two places at once. Had Cash lied to Colton? It didn't seem likely, but Sam wouldn't put anything past people these days.

Todd's eyes gleamed with hatred as he shot Taylor a withering glare. "I did not give you permission to use my name."

"Sorry, Sir." Taylor's eyes dropped and Sam wanted to tear a hole through Todd. The bastard appeared smug when he looked at Sam.

"You're not taking him out of here," Sam said. "He doesn't belong to you. He doesn't belong to anybody but himself."

Todd shrugged and seemed unrepentant. "My contract says otherwise."

Sam crouched there breathing, trying to figure out how to get Taylor away from this lunatic. The man would have time to get one shot off before Sam took him down. He just didn't want that shot to end up in Taylor. Helplessness crept over him. It was the one emotion that Sam feared most.

"I don't want to go." Taylor's voice was so soft that it was barely audible.

Todd laughed, high and wild, like wind chimes in a storm. "You have no choice, boy. You will do whatever I command or you will suffer the consequences."

Sam stared at that thin, unpleasant face. His chest was tight with the urge to rush the guy. If he could take Todd by surprise, maybe he would catch a bullet in his leg instead of his head. Shifter or human, a bullet to the head was a death sentence.

Taylor slipped from the bed.

"Taylor, don't." Sam rose to his full height. "Take back your life, angel. Fear is his only power over you. Show him that you're not afraid."

"He has a gun," Taylor stated. "I think I'm allowed to be afraid right now."

With his free hand, Todd snapped his fingers and pointed to the empty spot next to him.

Taylor took a step forward.

"Taylor," Sam said.

"He won't listen to you," Todd said. His voice was light, as if amused. "He knows what I'll do to him if he disobeys."

"The answer is out there, Taylor, and it's looking for you, and it will find you if you want it to," Sam said.

Todd shook his head. "That makes absolutely no sense." He looked over at Taylor. "Don't make me tell you twice. Get over here."

"I've already found it," Taylor said. His voice cracked but it held firm. "It was you, Sam. It was you that I was searching for."

Sam's heart burst with pride when Taylor jutted his chin out and stared directly at Todd. "I don't belong to you."

Todd swung around and aimed the gun at Taylor.

Sam rushed the man. A shot rang out in the room as Sam took the man down. They both shifted at the same time. Claws and teeth tore into skin as their large bodies crashed into furniture, knocking things over as they both fought for Taylor. But Sam was fighting for his mate's freedom. Todd was fighting for the right to own the human.

Another shot rang out and Todd stilled, gazed angrily at Sam, and then slumped to the floor. Sam turned to see Taylor holding the gun, his shoulder bloody, his hands shaking.

Sam shifted. "It's okay, Taylor. It's me, Sam." He spoke to Taylor as if he were a frightened child. "Put the gun down, angel."

The bedroom door crashed open. Colton and T-Rex stood there, weapons aimed. They both appeared stunned as they took in the scene.

Sam held his hand up to stop the two from entering. "It's fine, guys," he said slowly, softly. "Taylor was just taking back his life."

Taylor's eyes filled with tears as the gun wavered in his hand.

"You did it," Cameron's voice sounded from the hallway. "You beat him, Taylor. He won't ever come after you again."

Sam took a step forward, trusting that Taylor wouldn't shoot him. "You're in shock, Taylor. It's fine. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

Taylor began to cry. Sam knew how hard it was to take a life, even if the person deserved it. The gun fell to the floor and Sam closed the distance, pulling Taylor into his arms. "You were so brave, my little goth angel. So damn brave."

Taylor fell apart in Sam's arms as Sam pulled Taylor toward the bed, cradling his mate. He rocked Taylor, speaking softly and soothingly. He wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but the next thing he knew, Sparrow was entering the room.

"Self-defense," Sam said as he tightened his arms around Taylor.

Sparrow nodded toward the dead body. Todd had shifted back once he died. "That the man you said was coming after Taylor?"

Sam nodded. He sat there and told Sparrow what had happened and why Taylor had had no choice but to shoot Todd.

"How in the hell am I supposed to file this report?" Sparrow said, more to himself than anyone else. "Two bears were fighting and one was shot?"

"You could leave the bear part out," Sam said.

"Guess I could." Sparrow stepped aside as the coroner came in and took the body away. Taylor hadn't said a word. He stayed buried in Sam's arms.

"Your mate?" Sparrow asked.

"He is," Sam stated with pride.

"Take him into one of the guest rooms," Colton said. "We'll need to get this mess cleaned up. He doesn't need to see it."

"My question is," Sam said, "how in the hell was Todd here when Cash said he had the man in custody?"

"I was coming up to tell you that when I heard the shot," Colton said. "Cash did a little more digging. Seems Todd had a twin named Ted. It's Ted who is sitting in jail right now. He had Todd's phone and confessed to their plan once Cash put the heat on him. He also confessed to helping his twin in some of his crimes. He won't be getting out anytime soon."

Sam felt as if he could finally breathe. He glanced down at Taylor who was watching everything with a sort of detachment. "You hear that, angel? You're safe."

The light finally flickered back on in Taylor's eyes and he looked up at Sam. "Thank you." He reached up and kissed Sam on the cheek. "For everything."