I shake my head. My voice comes out small and a little shaky. "I don’t think I’ll ever leave Montana. It’s safer here. Familiar. Books are easy. You close them when it gets too scary. Real life... not so much."
He steps closer. His hand comes up to brush a snowflake from my cheek. "Why not? Tell me."
I bite my lip and look up at him. Those steel eyes hold me in place. "I’m scared to leave. What if the cartel finds me out there? What if I step outside my safe little library world and everything falls apart? It’s easier to stay where I know the shelves and the routines. Even if it means missing out on adventures."
The words hang between us. My heart races. I feel exposed but also closer to him than ever. Jax looks like he wants to pull me against his chest and promise the world can’t touch me. The tension between us crackles like static in the cold air. His big frame blocks the wind completely and all I can think about is how safe I feel. How much I want him to close that last bit of distance.
He doesn’t pull me in. But the way he stares down at me with that intense protective heat says he’s fighting the same pull I am. My heart’s already writing the next chapter. One where the grumpy marshal shows the scared heroine that the world might be big and scary but so is the way he looks at her.
For now I just smile up at him shyly. "Thank you for the walk. And for the plant lesson. It’s nice to learn something real from someone who makes me feel... braver."
The snow starts falling again in soft lazy flakes. We turn back toward the cabin but the connection between us feels stronger than ever.
6
Jax
The cabin door clicks shut behind us and the warmth wraps around us like a blanket. Snow dusts Ava's hair and melts into tiny diamonds on her lashes. She looks flushed from the cold and the walk. Her cheeks glow pink. I stamp the snow from my boots and hang our coats.
She heads straight for the small kitchen area again. Her hands find the dishcloth even though the counters shine. I watch her fuss with the already neat cans. She needs to move. I get it. The waiting eats at people like her. Soft. Good. Not hardened by the shit I’ve fucking seen.
My satellite phone buzzes on the counter before I can suggest another distraction. I grab it fast. The screen shows the secure line from the office. I answer on the second ring. "Hey."
Mason's voice comes through clear and steady. "Jax. Update. Court date moved up. Ava needs to testify early tomorrow morning. Zero eight hundred sharp. They pushed it because the underboss is getting antsy in holding. You’ll have full escortonce you hit the county line but the road in is on you. Keep her breathing until then."
I grip the phone tighter. My jaw clenches. "She’ll be there. Testifying against Hector Carlos. Underboss to the whole damn cartel. Copy?"
"Confirmed. Make it happen, brother. They’re looking for her hard. This is the moment they make their move if they get a scent. Stay sharp."
"Always." I end the call and set the phone down. The weight of it settles heavy in my gut. Tomorrow. Out of this cabin. Into the open. They’ll be waiting. If there’s any night to hit us it’s tonight. While we’re still isolated. While she’s still mine to protect right here.
Ava stops her nervous cleaning. She turns those big eyes on me. "Everything okay? You look like you just got bad news from one of your hero sidekicks."
I cross the room in two strides and stop in front of her. Close enough to feel the warmth rolling off her body. "Court date is tomorrow morning. Early. You testify against Hector Carlos. Underboss. The one you saw in that garage. My team will meet us partway but the first stretch is on me."
Her face goes pale. The sparkle in her eyes dims fast. She wraps her arms around herself and backs up until the counter hits her hips. "Tomorrow? Already? Jax I... I don’t know if I can do this. What if I freeze up on the stand? What if they’re waiting right outside the courthouse? I’m just a librarian. I shelve books and recommend cozy mysteries. I don’t testify against cartel underbosses. I might not be able to go through with it."
Her voice cracks on the last words. It hits me like a punch to the chest. I close the distance again and cup her face in my hands. My thumbs stroke her soft cheeks. She feels so delicate under my rough palms. Breakable. Mine to keep whole. "You’ll be okay Ava. I’ll be with you every step of the way. In the SUV. At the courthouse. Right beside you when you take that stand. No one gets near you. Not while I’m breathing."
Tears shimmer in her eyes but she leans into my touch. That small show of trust makes my heart slam harder. "Promise? Because right now I feel like the heroine who’s about to get written off in chapter six."
"I promise." My voice drops an octave. "You’re the strongest woman I know. You survived the apartment. You handled the self defense drills. You walked through snow and still smiled at flowers. Tomorrow is just one more thing. And I won’t leave your side."
She nods slowly. Some of the terror eases from her expression but it doesn’t leave completely. I pull her into my chest and wrap my arms around her. She melts against me. Her face presses over my heart. My body reacts instantly. Heat pools low.
Fuck.
We eat a simple dinner in heavy silence. I make sure she takes seconds. She needs strength for tomorrow. Afterward she changes into her soft pajamas and fuzzy socks. She crawls into the big bed and pulls the covers up high. Her eyes stay on me as I move around the cabin. Checking locks. Boarding the last window tighter. Adding wood to the stove so it’ll burn steady through the night.
"Try to sleep, Ava. I’ll keep watch."
She gives me a small shy smile. "Thank you, Jax. For everything. Even the plant names. It helped."
I nod once. My throat feels tight. She turns on her side and curls up small. Her breathing eventually evens out but I know the fear still lingers. I drag a chair over and sit at the edge of the bed. My rifle rests across my lap. Loaded. Ready. The metal’s cool and familiar under my hands. I lean back just enough to stay comfortable but every sense stays sharp.
The night deepens outside. Wind howls low through the pines. Snow lashes the windows in bursts. I watch the door. The windows. The shadows. Every creak of the cabin makes my grip tighten on the rifle. They’re out there. Hunting her. This is the perfect night to strike. Isolated. Stormy. One man against however many they send. I welcome it. Let ‘em come. I’ll put every last one of the motherfuckers down before they touch her.
Hours crawl by. The stove crackles softly. Ava shifts in her sleep and whimpers once. I reach out without thinking and rest my hand on her back. She settles under my touch. The feel of her warmth through the covers stirs that deep need again. I want to slide in beside her. Pull her against my chest and keep her safe with my body wrapped around hers. Claim her. Mark her. Make sure the whole world knows she’s mine.
