She nodded and smiled at him, though he could still see the worry in her eyes. “I just don’t want to bring our son into the world while we’re running scared.”
“Then let me handle the part where I keep you both safe,” he said, his tone gentler now. “That’s my job. Yours is to keep him safe and to keep you both healthy. Let me take care of the rest.”Winter exhaled shakily, finally resting her head on his shoulder. The fire crackled low, and outside, the snow began to drift again, blowing against the cabin’s walls, soft and steady. For the first time, Jace knew that he was going to have to fight harder because now, he had someone worth fighting for—or in this case, two someones.
He pressed a kiss to the top of Winter’s head, his words a low promise against her skin. “When it’s safe,” he said again, “I’ll take you home.”
Jace stepped out onto the porch just after noon, the phone in his hand. The storm had finally broken overnight, leaving the world blanketed in white. The trees bowed under the weight of it, their branches heavy and still. No wind, no sound—just the kind of quiet that could either mean peace or danger.
He glanced back through the cabin window. Winter was dozing on the couch, her hands resting protectively over her belly, the firelight dancing across her face. The sight of her like that made his chest tighten. He’d promised her he’d try to get her home before the baby came, but that didn’t leave him much time. He just had to hope like hell that was even a possibility. It would depend on the Dead Rabbits to stop sniffing around Savage Hell and the promise that between the Royal Bastards and Harlots, he’d be able to keep her safe back in Huntsville.
He dialed Bolt’s number, waiting while the line clicked and crackled. He had a really bad signal but was thankful that he had one at all—especially after the storm. Bolt answered on the second ring. “Tell me you’re still tucked up in that frozen-ass cabin and not doing something stupid,” Bolt demanded.
Jace gave a low chuckle. “Still here. Storm’s finally over, but it’s still pretty damn frozen up here.”
“Good. You and Winter, okay?” he asked.
“She’s fine—just tired after her trip. She wants to get back home before the baby comes,” Jace said, cutting right to the chase.
“Yeah, I figured that was coming.” Bolt exhaled, a rough sound that carried through the line. “I can’t blame her, but it’s not safe yet. The Dead Rabbits are still prowling around Savage Hell. They’re trying to shake loose anyone who might’ve seen you. I’m trying to keep Rebel away from the club, but that’s getting harder and harder to do. Your sister is pretty stubborn.”
Jace leaned against the porch post, eyes scanning the tree line. “You don’t have to tell me how stubborn my sister is, but you do know that she’ll end up doing what she wants at some point, right? You still think they’re buying that I’m dead?”
“I know, but I plan on sitting on her if I have to. For now, the Dead Rabbits seem to be buying that you’re dead,” Bolt said. “But they’re getting antsy. A couple of their guys followed one of the Royal Bastards’ prospects home last night, trying to get him to talk. He played dumb, but it’s only a matter of time before they start digging deeper. You need to stay at that cabin and stay off-grid. Which means no lights after dark, no fires that smoke too heavy, no trips to town.”
“You do know that I have the same training as you do, right?” he asked. Bolt seemed to forget that sometimes, but Jace appreciated his friend worrying about him. “Besides, I’m already on it. I’ll keep us safe up here, and you keep an eye on things down there and let me know when I can bring Winter home.”
Bolt hesitated. “Are you armed?”
“Always.” Jace’s gaze flicked toward the snowmobile under a tarp near the shed. “Got enough supplies for a while. But I’ll need to restock before long.”
“Don’t,” Bolt said sharply. “Not yet. Let me handle that. I’ll have Rebel send a drop your way once the roads open up. You stay put.” They had been sending him food and supplies since he got back to the cabin, and they had a trusted network. He just hated having to rely on it to get by. He was sick of living off grid, but that wasn’t going to change until the Dead Rabbits decided to let the dead man lie—he being the dead man.
Jace grunted, not liking the idea of relying on anyone else, but knowing Bolt was right. “Copy that.”
“Listen, brother,” Bolt said, his voice lowering. “I know this isn’t easy. I know you want to get Winter somewhere safe before that baby shows up. But right now, that cabin is the safest place on the map. You step out of those woods before I say so, and you’re leading the storm right to her and your kid.” That was the reason Jace was staying put.
Jace’s jaw tightened. “I’m not risking them. Not for anything.”
“Good,” Bolt said. “Keep it that way. I’ll update you when I know more. Oh—and tell Winter Rebel’s been asking about her. She’s been worried sick.”
Jace smiled faintly. “Tell my sister we’re all right. She doesn’t need to worry. I can take care of Winter and myself.” His sister had raised him after their mom passed away, and even though he was an adult now, she still liked to worry about him—a lot.
“Brother, you know that woman’s entire personality is based on worrying about you, and now that there’s going to be a little you in the world, she’s worrying times two,” Bolt teased.
A quiet laugh escaped him because he knew that telling his sister not to worry was like telling the sky not to snow in Minnesota. “Yeah, that’s fair.”
Bolt’s tone softened. “Hang in there, Jace. This thing will blow over at some point. The Dead Rabbits won’t keep the hunt up forever. They’ll get bored or pick a new fight, and when theydo, you’ll have your window of opportunity to come back home with Winter.”
Jace nodded, though Bolt couldn’t see him do so over the phone. “And when that happens, we’re heading home and moving on with our lives.” Jace wasn’t sure what their lives would look like once they got back to Huntsville, but that was something that he and Winter would have to discuss at some point. He hoped that she’d still want him to be a part of both her and the baby’s lives.
“Damn right,” Bolt agreed. “And we can’t wait to see you—all of you, man.
They ended the call, leaving Jace in the brittle stillness of the morning again. He slipped the phone into his pocket and stared out at the woods, watching a hawk glide over the tree line. His instincts hummed to life the same low thrum that always came before trouble. Those instincts were what kept him sharp and alive as an FBI agent over the years. For now, the world was quiet, and he was thankful for that.
When he went back inside, Winter was awake, watching him with tired eyes as she sat up on the sofa. “Was that Bolt on the phone?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he said. “I check in with him every few days. I do it mostly because I don’t want Rebel on my ass about being safe, but it’s also nice to talk to people from back home. It almost makes me feel normal, if that makes sense.”
“What did he say?” she asked. He didn’t miss the worry in her dark eyes, and he hated that she had been pulled into his mess. He had no idea that spending one night with Winter would put her in so much danger, but it had.
