Bear didn't linger long at her desk. Thanks to his history lesson for her, he'd barely made it in time.

If Grace Wells had any ill feelings towards his tardiness, she didn't let on. She was as bubbly and flirtatious as ever, and she tried not to gawk when she winked at her before the door shut her from sight.

An hour had passed before she left his office--all smiles and giggles--and stood before her expectantly. "I'll need to schedule a meeting for when he has more time."

"You need longer than an hour to discuss biotech?" Skylar bit out with a deceptively friendly grin.

Grace didn't seem to notice her pointed sarcasm and leaned over the desk. "Between us gals," she began like an airhead, "I bet you by the end of the week, I'll have him singing my name."

"Grace?" Bear poked his head out of his office and she shoved away from the desk.

"Yes? Yeah?" she stammered, smoothing down her lilac dress.

Bear glanced between the two women before saying, "You left your notebook." He handed her the small leather journal with her gold, embossed initials across the cover.

"Oh," she faltered, "how silly. Thank you so much, Mr. Cruor."

He nodded, shutting himself back in his office. "How does December sixteenth sound?" Skylar batted her lashes at the blonde.

Grace forced a smiled to her ruby lips. "I have to be in Berlin that week. What about the week after?"

Skylar pretended to click and type and pouted. "Sorry, his next available date it March twenty-fourth. Would you like early morning or late afternoon?"

Grace scoffed. "He's booked until March?"

"Mr. Cruor is a very busy man."

The woman folded her arms over her bulging cleavage. "He doesn't have anything sooner? Not even for a potential partner?"

Skylar smiled sweetly. "Of course I can move things around for an important meeting with business associates and potential partners, but I assumed you wanted to see him for personal reasons. I'm afraid he doesn't leave many available days in his calendar for such things." She frowned dramatically. "Did I read that vibe wrong?"

Grace's lips parted and a flustered breath puffed out of her as she glanced back from his door to Skylar's grinning face. "I--no I was--" she broke off in embarrassment. "March is fine." She looked like a child that didn't get her toy at Christmas.

"March it is, then." Skylar typed in her name in a Word document and exited the program without saving. "Have a wonderful rest of your day, Ms. Wells." She was waving before Grace had the good sense to move.

"Yes," she said with some bemusement, "have a good day." She moved awkwardly to the elevator and stopped before hitting the button as the doors swung open and two giggling high schoolers emerged.

"You're alive!" Charlie nearly knocked her over, sprinting into her arms. Grace turned up her nose and stepped in.

"Of course I am." Skylar looked to Teresa for help.

"My dad said your house got broken into and you got hurt. Then you didn't come to school today and I thought, Oh shit she's really hurt, and then T said that she stopped by your house and your parents said you left until the guy got caught, and--"

"Take a damn breath Charlie!" Teresa snapped. Charlie sucked in a gulp of air and sagged. With a roll of her teal lined eyes, Teresa said, "What she's trying to say is that we were worried about you, and we're glad you're okay."

Skylar winced as Charlie brought her in for another squeeze. "Jeez, guys I'm fine, seriously. I hurt myself. My dumbass dropped a glass and it broke all over my feet."

"Sit down!" Charlie snapped and Teresa palmed her face.

"Charlie, chill."

"If her feet are hurt she shouldn't be standing! Sorry, when I'm upset I have no control over the volume of my voice. So where are you staying then?" Skylar winced, taking her feet off the floor and settling back into her cushy chair.

"Well, I--"

"Skylar, can you have Gabby bring me--oh. Charlotte, Teresa," he greeted the two with a polite smile. Bear leaned one arm against the frame of his golden doorway and flashed them a disarming smile that left Charlie gaping.

"She prefers Charlie," Skylar reminded him with amusement.

"No, no. Charlotte is--he can--Charlotte--"

"Charlotte is fine apparently," Teresa said smoothly, slipping an arm around her friend and pulling her in for a side hug. "Jesus Christ, Charlie."

Bear laughed in his throat and turned back to Skylar. "Can you get Gabby to bring up my lunch? I want to eat before my next meeting with Dr. Griggs."

"Yeah, of course," Skylar replied, lifting the phone to her ear.

"Did you know Skylar almost died last night?" Skylar groaned, putting the phone down until Charlie had a better handle on her mouth.

Bear cocked a brow at her. "Is that so?" he aske with feigned interest.

"Almost got murdered by a burglar," she went on.

Teresa had taken to looking anywhere but her obnoxious friend, admiring the light fixtures and the statue in the fountain. "Murdered, huh?" Skylar blushed when his gaze turned to her.

"Charlie, please st--"

"Roman Ridge almost had two tragedies in one night. They think the guy that broke into her house is the one that's been killing all those girls." 

Something in Bear's eyes shifted--something secretive and dark. "Wait, what?" Skylar's brws furrowed. "Two tragedies?"

"Uh, yeah," Charlie crooned as if everyone was aware of what had happened. "Mr. Collins had a sub today because apparently he got too wasted and drove his car off a cliff. Almost died, but he's still kicking. He's in critical condition and had to be airlifted to Overlook."

"What's Overlook?"

"It's a hospital two towns over for people that get seriously fucked up," Charlie explained matter-of-factly.

Her eyes shifted to Bear that had taken to looking at his wingtips with disinterest. "That's horrible. Was his wife and daughter with him when it happened?"

"Nope. It was just him, but get this!" Charlie slammed her hands on the desk, making everyone in the room flinch. "He was texting Hannah from his first period and got busted for sending her nudes! So he's fucked up in the hospital, and when he's better, he's probably going to jail."

"Holy shit," Skylar breathed. Bear didn't look up. She picked up the phone and dialed Gabby. "Mr. Cruor would like his lunch, please." The woman on the other end didn't respond, she never did.

"I told her on the way over to be chill," Teresa said with a frown. "Sorry that that didn't stick."

"It's okay," Skylar sighed. "Maybe we can go out when I get off? Get something to eat, or blow off steam?"

"Yes! Romulus?" Charlie checked, big eyes twinkling.

"Sounds good. I get off at ten." She glanced up at Bear and found him glaring ahead. She followed his gaze and saw the light of the elevator raising up until it dinged and the doors slid open. 

A sharp dressed man swaggered out of the elevator looking as vainglorious as a king, and offered them all a beaming smile. He was a tad shorter than Bear, but wore black just as well. Where Bear liked solid colors, this man wore his suit with white pinstripes in long, vertical slashes down his jacket and pants. His shoes were red leather, and she had no doubt in her mind that they were real. They matched the red vest he wore over his white shirt. 

The thing she noticed most of all was his two, large green eyes. The kind of green that Bear had--the kind of green that she now possessed in one eye. She wanted to twist in her chair and double check that this was the man he'd been waiting for, but she couldn't speak. Not when she noted how absolutely rigid Bear had gone. Even Charlie and Teresa seemed entranced by the devilishly handsome man in the lobby.

"Mr. Cruor," he greeted in a suave voice. "Have a moment?"

"Cancel all my meetings," Bear ordered without looking at the others.

Teresa's mouth was hanging open, but Charlie had no problem blurting out, "I'm Charlie!"

Skylar and Teresa looked at her in horror, but Bear's gaze didn't leave the man. "Charlie?" The man strode over to the desk where the three girls lingered. Skylar could smell his cologne--spicy and dark. "It's Dior," he told her. Skylar's eyes went wide that he'd caught her trying to place the scent. "Still wearing that cheap drugstore bullshit?" He cocked his head at Bear.

"What are you doing here?" Bear bit out.

"I don't see you for years, and this is the welcome back you give me? Now, that doesn't seem very hospitable." He leaned an elbow on Skylar's desk and lifted a dark brow as he toyed with a strand of Charlie's hair. Charlie looked as though she'd forgotten how to breathe. "Charlie, you seem like a bright young woman." A small squeak escaped her lips at the compliment. "Where would you recommend getting a bite to eat in this shithole town?"

"W-we were going to go to Romulus when Skylar got off. Best burgers in town," she stammered, chest rising a bit too fast. The man's lips curled into devious smile at her visible nervousness. 

"He's not much of a burger guy." Bear's tone was sharp, like a whip lashing at raw flesh. His eyes were narrowed and deceptively clear.

"Oh, come on," the man clicked his tongue, "I've been known to eat worse."

Charlie knocked over Skylar's mug and sent scorching hibiscus tea over the desk and her shirt. "Shit!" Skylar leapt back, holding her white blouse away from her chest. 

"Are you okay?" Charlie gasped.

"Here," Bear said, offering her his blazer to her. 

"Thanks," she sighed, accepting the oversized jacket. The thin material of her blouse had already become transparent and stained with the fuchsia liquid. Her red bra blazed beneath and noticeably drew the eye of the man in pinstripes. So much so, that Bear put an arm around her and invited her into his office to change, calling Gabby to bring a fresh set of clothes with lunch.

Charlie and Teresa watched in silence as she disappeared into the office. "Pick you up at ten!" Teresa called before the door shut.

"I'm sorry," Bear apologized when they were alone. "Here," he picked up a towel from a table, "I'll bring the clothes in when Gabby gets here." Pausing at the bathroom door, he glanced back and said, "I'm sorry. Just wait in here, I'll send him away."

"Who is he?" The question fell from her lips.

"Mr. Svennson." He shut the door.

Skylar sat down on the porcelain ledge of the massive sink and blew out a breath, looking at herself in the mirror and frowning. She looked tired--more so, she looked terrible. Her skin burned from the tea, and her face was flushed.

She ripped the shirt from her skirt and fumbled with the buttons before tossing it onto the counter in a heap. Her bra was soaked through and little puddles of pink were sitting in the cups. Growling she unhooked it and pulled Bear's blazer over her tighter, waiting impatiently for him to return with new clothes. 

Minutes went by, and he didn't come. 

She tapped her foot in the air, legs crossed one over the other. He didn't come. With a heavy sigh, she hopped off the counter and closed the blazer over her bare breasts before walking out. "Hey, has Gab--"

She froze. Her words escaped her--evaporated into the air at what she beheld. Blood--so much blood. The walls, the floor, the couch where he had slept with her just the previous night. Her legs wobbled, turning to jelly until they buckled and sent her knees slamming into the hard floor.

"Skylar!" Bear's voice sounded like a distant echo.

Gabby's body lay sprawled on an arm chair. Her head--Skylar vomited.

"Is she always so sensitive?" Mr. Svennson queried in a bored tone. He sat opposite Gabby with ruby lips and teeth. The front of his shirt was soaked in blood. 

"Skylar!" Bear rushed forward, picking her up. The blazer fell off her shoulders and Mr. Svennson let out a long whistle.

"First time for everything. Quite the beauty you found." Skylar trembled all over. Her teeth clamped down to keep from chattering as Bear slipped the blazer back on and pulled it shut, kissing her forehead.

"Get the fuck out!" he bellowed at the man. 

Ignoring his outburst, the man went on, "Gosh, you know, I feel like I know her from somewhere." He snapped his fingers in mock thought. "Oh! I know!"

"Shut the fuck up! Get out!" He gripped Skylar to his chest and she swore she could feel his body vibrate.

"Easy, Little Bear," Mr. Svennson warned lowly. "You don't want to do anything stupid."

Cold tremors of terror coursed through her. The man stood from his chair and stalked closer to them. Bear turned to the side, creating space between her and the blood drenched man. "What's going on? Bear?" Her words sounded distant, small.

"Don't," Bear's tone switched. All venom dropping from his voice and replaced with something...fearful. "Don't," he repeated quietly.

Mr. Svennson clicked his tongue and pouted. "Take care of her," he pointed to Skylar peeking through Bear's arm, "a beauty like that only comes around once in a lifetime. Or is it more often?" He shrugged nonchalantly and lifted a hand to stroke her cheek.

In a flurry of black and red, she was flung to the ground. She screamed when she landed in a pool of blood, still dripping and gushing from the gaping hole where Gabby's head had been. From her place on the floor she could see the twisted remnants of her neck and hair, but the discarded head had been crushed. Brains and gore painted the rug it had landed on.

If she hadn't emptied the contents of her stomach, she would have vomitted again. She scurried out of the mess and backed up, seeing the two men grappling and striking one another over and over.

Bear gripped Mr. Svennson by the throat, strangling him with such force that his teeth bared and his eyes were wide with insatiable bloodlust. "Bear!" she cried out, looking wildly for anything that could help.

His eyes went to hers, softening when he beheld the raw fear written on her face. He hesitated, and that was all the man needed to get the upper hand. In a blur of darkness, Mr. Svennson had rolled Bear over and hovered above him with a wide grin, dripping scarlet all over him. "Haven't we gone over this? You can't let some pussy distract you so easily."

Bear growled, bolting up and smashing his forehead into the man's nose. CRUNCH! Bones and cartilage cracked and popped as fresh blood gushed from his nose. "Fuck!" he cursed, stumbling back. Bear dove, tackling him to the ground and grabbing his head, ramming the back of it into the ground over and over and over. Red. Everything was so read.

She couldn't scream--couldn't move. "Bear," she sobbed, crumpling to the floor. Mr. Svennson brought his hand up, gripping Bear's hair and tugging his head back. Bear let out a flurry of curses as his head was yanked backward and Mr. Svennson sent a fist barreling into his jaw. Bear spit blood, falling to the side.

"You're getting weaker and weaker," Mr. Svennson stood, catching his breath. "Maybe it's all this bullshit you've been eating." He unscrewed the lid from the thermos of Bear's usual meal and dumped it over his head. Skylar could only watch in pure horror as the scene unfolded in front of her teary eyes. Bear's dark blond hair flattened against his head, his pale angular face twisted into surprise as thick, chunky redness washed over him. The man bent down and sniffed, scrunching up his face in disgust. "What is this? Aborted fetuses? Reheated in a microwave?" His tongue worked to cluck in reprimand. "You're pathetic."

Skylar blinked and Mr. Svensson stood in front of her. She opened her mouth to scream, but his hand clamped over her. "None of that," he tittered. "Skylar, was it?"

"Leave her alone!" Bear's words were gurgled by the goop running down his lips. 

"Why?" he asked halfheartedly. "How would you like to ride in a helicopter?"

"No!" Bear shouted, getting to his feet.

"I wasn't asking you," the man snapped. He gripped Skylar's chin, squeezing so hard she felt that her jaw might crack under the pressure. She met his stare and felt nothing but icy hatred. His green eyes bore into hers, his pupils dilating into black caverns that she fell headfirst into as he spoke rythmically, "Gabby went home sick. She brought you clothes and your boss fucked you senseless in the bathroom. You didn't see any blood, and we never had this conversation."

His pupils went to pinpricks and she stopped shivering. Her body went still and her mind drifted to a warm, safe hollow space deep inside her subconcious. The room around her crumbled and broke off in pieces, floating away like a shredded painting of grotesque wealth and secrets. And then she felt him. His thickness sliding in and out of her, the cries of pleasure, the coolness of porcelain on her naked back. 

She blinked. "Have fun," Bear said casually.

"Huh?" She adjusted herself in her chair. The tea had been mopped up and she had to touch the fabric of her dress to remember slipping on the pastel yellow satin after their rendezvous in the bathroom.

"Charlie and Teresa are waiting for you." He lingered in the doorway of his office, concern etched into the plains of his face.

"Oh, right. Sorry, I was zoning out for a minute." She flushed, rubbing her temples before shooting out of her chair and grabbing her things.

"You've been through a lot," he sympathized. "I got you something."

She stopped rushing and gave him an inquisitive look. "You didn't have to do that. You've done enough for me." He'd gone above and beyond to make her feel comfortable and safe. Guilt gnawed at her for not being able to give him anything in return.

Bear shrugged and pulled out a slim box from his breast pocket. He hadn't donned his blazer after she'd changed, sporting an onyx vest over a charcoal dress shirt. He looked damn good in it. "It's my pleasure," he assured her, pushing the box towards her.

With pursed lips she took it, pulling the delicate ribbon of lavender from the pink box. She flicked the lid off and looked up at him, pulling the shiny new cell phone from it's case. "You bought me a new phone?"

"You need a phone. No one should be in a place like this without a way to call someone." Call for help, is what she figured he meant.

The gesture was thoughtful, genuine, and she simpered at his kindness. "Thank you," she uttered, reaching up on her toes to press a chaste kiss to his cheek.

"Be safe. Call me if you need me to come get you. I stored my number in there already." He motioned to the phone.

"I will." She kissed his lips, tugging at the lower before strolling to the elevator.