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Silently, Bear held up a hand, and gestured for Julian to stay. In any other circumstance, Julian might not have minded being treated like a dog—in fact, he had some very interesting fantasies about it. But here, being told to wait, was something else entirely.
If he was being told to stay, it was because Bear was leaving him. He shook his head, and mouthed a silentno.
But Bear's expression didn't allow for any insubordination.Be good, Bear mouthed, and then he stood silently, leaving Julian.
On silent feet, hidden in the gloom, Bear slipped out of the office's side entrance. His heart screaming, Julian watched him go.
But it wasn't just to lead their enemies away from Julian, like Julian was a wounded cub that needed protecting.
After all, bears were predators.
As the men below them slowly began to poke around the factory floor, checking beneath abandoned tables and peeking into shadows, Bear slipped across the gantries above them.
And then he moved.
Julian watched with wide eyes as Bear sprang into action, his movements swift and calculated. He raised his gun, and fired it.
A man dropped, and the attackers spun around—but in the time it took them to spot Bear, he'd already shot two more times. Three of them dropped, gunshots and gurgling filling the air.
Bullets whizzed through the air, creating a deadly symphony of cracks and thuds. Bear expertly returned fire, each shot finding its mark with deadly accuracy. He seamlessly transitioned between cover, utilizing the environment to his advantage, always keeping the focus of the men towards him— and keeping Julian shielded from harm.
In a blur of raw power and lethal precision, Bear leapt from the gantry and engaged the remaining men, his body a weapon honed through years of training and experience. Julian's heart raced.
The air filled with the acrid smell of gunpowder and the echoes of gunshots reverberated through the warehouse. There were more of their attackers, but their numbers were no match for Bear's relentless determination.
Julian's mouth was dry as he watched Bear move with an unwavering focus. The violence unfolding before him was both terrifying and awe-inspiring. Bear was a force to be reckoned with, a guardian angel in the midst of chaos.
Time seemed to distort as the battle raged on, adrenaline fueling every movement. Julian's fear threatened to overwhelm him, but he clung to the hope that Bear's skill and unwavering resolve would see them through. He trusted in Bear's ability to protect him, to keep him safe.
And then, he saw a figure flanking Bear—
"On your left!" Julian shouted.
Bear followed his directions without question, trusting Julian's instincts implicitly. He squeezed the trigger, dropping the man. In that moment, their connection felt electric, and Julian couldn't help but feel a thrill course through him.
And then, finally, the warehouse was silent again. Bear swiftly made his way back to Julian's side. The intensity of the battle still lingered in the air, but a sense of relief washed over them both. Julian's heart raced, his body trembling with the aftershocks of adrenaline.
"Are you hurt?" was the first thing that Bear said, coming to Julian's side.
"I'm fine. Better than you are, probably." He let out a shaky laugh, his pulse still racing as the adrenaline began to ebb away. "Is it wrong to say that was kind of hot?"
Bear dragged a hand down his face. "Shut up, kid," he responded, though there was no heat in his words. If anything, the faintest hint of a smile played at the corners of his lips. "Thought I gotta say… it was nice to have someone to watch my back."
"Oh, trust me, I'm watching it," Julian quipped, unable to resist admiring Bear's strong, broad shoulders. There was something inherently erotic about the raw power on display, and he marveled at the unlikely convergence of lust and danger.
"Focus," Bear warned, but there was an unmistakable glint of amusement in his eyes. "We're not out of this yet. Let's move."
"Right," Julian agreed, steeling himself for whatever challenges awaited them.
Bear picked Julian up again, holding him in his arms—but this time, when he lifted Julian's weight, he let out a tiny sound of pain. If Julian had been any further from him, it wouldn't have passed him by. Pressed against his chest, though, he couldn't miss it. "Bear?"
"It's nothing."
But when he took a step, trying to leave, Julian felt the shudder than ran through him. The metallic taste of fear clung to the air like a second skin, and Julian's heart thudded in his chest. "Bullshit."
Before Bear could stop him, Julian wriggled around, running his hands down Bear's side—and then his fingertips came away wet and sticky. "Shit! Bear, put me down already!"
"It's nothing," Bear insisted.
