By afternoon the snow has stopped falling, and the sun peeks through the clouds. Thorne suggests we sit on the porch for a little while. He wraps me in the big quilt and helps me outside. We sit side by side on the wooden swing, the mountain stretching out before us in quiet beauty. The air is crisp and clean. For a while we don’t speak. We just sit together, watching the light play across the snow.
I glance at him. “Thank you for finding me.”
He looks at me, eyes serious. “I’m glad I did.”
There is something in his gaze that makes my heart beat faster. I look away, suddenly shy, but I can’t stop the small smile that tugs at my lips.
This place. These people. This man.
I’m starting to believe I might have finally found somewhere I can stay.
And that thought feels both terrifying and wonderful at the same time.
SIX
THORNE
The cabin feels smaller than usual today.
Sadie sits at the small kitchen table, wrapped in one of my thick flannel shirts, her dark hair still damp from the shower. She sips the coffee I made her, both hands curled around the mug like it is the only thing keeping her grounded. Every time she shifts, the shirt slips slightly off one shoulder, revealing a pale strip of skin, and I have to force my eyes away.
I’m sexually attracted to her. There’s no denying it. The pull started the moment I lifted her out of the snow and has only grown stronger since she woke up in my bed. I want to touch her. I want to kiss the worry from her face. I want to pull her close and show her exactly how safe she is with me.
But I can’t. She’s vulnerable. She’s a rescue. She’s running from something bad enough to make her risk death in a blizzard. My job is to protect her, not complicate her life. I have to remain professional. I have to keep my distance even if every instinct in me screams to close it.
I turn back to the stove and stir the sauce in the pan, focusing on the simple task of making dinner. The sound fills the quiet space. I can feel her eyes on me, soft and curious. It makes my pulse kick harder.
A knock sounds at the door. I wipe my hands on a towel and open it. Gavin stands on the porch, snow dusting his shoulders, expression serious.
“I have the info you asked for,” he says quietly. “You want to do this now?”
I glance back at Sadie. She’s watching us, tension already creeping into her shoulders. I nod. “Yeah. Come in.”
Gavin steps inside, stamping snow off his boots. He nods politely at Sadie. “Hello. I ran the background check Thorne asked for.”
Sadie sets her mug down slowly. Her hands tremble just slightly. “You looked me up?”
“Only what we needed to keep you safe,” I say. I move closer to her, standing beside the table like a shield. “We’re not here to judge you. We just need to know what we’re dealing with.”
Gavin sits across from her, keeping his voice calm and even. “Sadie Calloway. Twenty-six. Worked as a bookkeeper for a small accounting firm that handled some of Magnus Vale’s legitimate-looking businesses. Single. You live alone but have a sister in foster care.”
Sadie’s face pales. She looks down at her hands. “Yes. That’s all true.”
“Magnus Vale is connected. Is it his men hunting you?” Gavin asks.
Sadie’s silent as her eyes meet mine. I nod my head, letting her know she can answer the question. Letting her know she’s safe. “Yes. I copied files from his operation. I thought I could use the files to get him arrested. I was stupid. I should’ve just run immediately. Now he wants the drive back and he wants me gone. He’ll kill me if he finds me. And he’ll hurt anyone who helps me.”
I clench my jaw. The urge to pull her into my arms is almost overwhelming. I want to tell her she’s safe. That I’ll stand between her and Magnus Vale. That I’ll burn the man’s entire empire to the ground before I let him touch her.
Instead I keep my voice steady. “You’re not stupid. You tried to do the right thing. That takes courage. But you’re not alone in this anymore. We protect our own here. And you’re one of us now.”
She looks up at me, eyes shiny with unshed tears. “I don’t want to bring danger to your door. To any of you. I already feel terrible that you had to rescue me.”
Gavin shakes his head. “That’s not how things work on this mountain. We don’t turn people away because trouble is following them. We face it together.”
I rest a hand on the back of her chair, close enough that she can feel my presence without me crowding her. “I meant what I said last night. I’ll keep you safe, Sadie. No matter what it takes. Magnus Vale does not get to decide how this ends. We do.”
She searches my face for a long moment. Then she nods slowly, some of the tension easing from her shoulders. “Thank you. Both of you. I don’t know what I did to deserve this kind of help, but I’m grateful.”
