I nodded, burying my face into him.
His arms tightened like steel bands. “You will be. I swear it. He won’t touch you again. Not while I’m breathing.”
I wasn’t sure if it was the last I’d see of Chad, but at least for now I could rest.
The tow finished quickly after that. My car was free, but I knew I wasn’t going back to it. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
Back at the ranch, Lily met us with blankets and hot cocoa, her quiet support as steady as the men’s protective presence. Itfelt like walking into a safe harbor, one I’d never known existed before.
Behind her, Hailey stood near Bear, her arms wrapped tightly across her chest. Her eyes darted toward the windows, like she was already bracing for the next storm. A flicker of unease passed over Bear’s face as he drew her in closer, his jaw tight. It was gone in a heartbeat, but I saw it.
Something else was coming. I may not have known the details, but I could feel it.
Later, when Lucas led me back to his room, the snow outside had started to melt, the drifts turning to slush in the bright morning sun. It felt symbolic, like the world itself was thawing.
That night, I lay in bed with Lucas’s arm draped over me, his breath warm against my neck. For the first time in years, I felt… free.
My mind drifted back to the beginning. To the woman who’d been driving up a dark mountain road, screaming along with the music, desperate to run away from her own life.
She’d been lost. Lonely. Cold.
Now, I wasn’t lost.
I wasn’t cold.
And I sure as hell wasn’t alone.
I turned my head and pressed a kiss to Lucas’s jaw.
Outside, the mountain slept under its blanket of snow, peaceful and still. Tomorrow would bring whatever it brought. Bear’s eyes earlier had told me trouble wasn’t done yet. But tonight, I had everything I’d ever wanted.
Home. Safety. And a man who would fight for me, no matter the odds.
EPILOGUE
Dice
Sara’s laughtercarried through the main house, light and warm, like it had always belonged here.
Two days ago, that sound hadn’t existed. Two days ago, she’d been frozen, terrified, convinced she wasn’t worth saving.
Now, she stood with Lily and Hailey in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, flour streaking her cheek as she worked dough with careful hands. A smile tugged at her mouth.
My chest tightened.
My woman was safe. She wasn’t running anymore. And she wasn’t alone.
I lingered in the doorway a beat longer, soaking it in, then turned toward the low murmur coming from Jacob’s office.
Jacob, Diesel, Jax, Fox, Flapjack, and Bear were gathered around the big oak table. A county map lay open, pins marking roads and safe houses, notes in Jacob’s precise hand. The air in here was different. It was sharp and tense, like metal pulled too tight.
“—can’t afford to be sloppy,” Diesel said, jaw set, voice clipped. “Whoever’s feeding them information knows too much about our routes.”
Jax nodded once, eyes on the map. “Could be someone we know. Bandito has known our every move.”
Bear swore under his breath. “If it’s an inside man, I want a name, Jacob. Soon.”
Jacob didn’t answer right away. His gaze moved over the pins, then over us. When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet as a blade. “This family holds. We don’t let outsiders break us. Not now. Not ever.”
