Burly and Protective (The Men of Silver Pine Ridge #5)

Chapter 1

LUCY

Y ou’re sure no one followed us?” I ask, my fingers digging into the strap of my bag as Jake takes another hairpin turn.

Getting a death threat wasn’t how I pictured my Monday going.

Harley warned me it was a possibility—but I didn’t think it would actually happen.

He showed up in my life while I was searching for my missing ex-roommate, Mila.

I never found her. Instead, I found trouble.

Or rather, it found me. Now the same dangerous men who took her are coming after me.

Harley’s not your average white knight. He’s a former motorcycle club guy with a web of underground contacts, all focused on one mission: taking down traffickers and rescuing the women they exploit.

Now, I’m on the way to some secret mountain safe house run by Ghost Security, who are part of his extensive network.

“Positive. We’ve been using counter-surveillance techniques since I picked you up.” Jake keeps his eyes on the road. “Plus, my team is watching your digital footprint. If anyone tries to track you, we’ll know.”

The forest presses in on both sides as we climb a narrow mountain road, a wall of green that seems to erase the outside world.

Evening light filters through the canopy, but the dark clouds overhead feel ominous.

I still can’t believe this is happening to me.

Though, after finding out what happened to my friend and pushing to uncover the people responsible…

I’m not sure I should be surprised. Harley told me to drop it a long time ago, but I wouldn’t listen.

“How much longer?” I hate how small my voice sounds. I’ve always been fairly confident, but fear is coming in waves. One minute, it doesn’t seem real that my life is in danger, and the next, my body is vibrating with terror, certain the bad guys are right behind us.

“Another twenty minutes to the drop-off.” Jake glances at me. “Once we reach The Lodge, you’ll transfer to your protection detail.”

I nod, trying to look calmer than I feel. My go-bag sits heavy in my lap—clothes, toiletries, two paperback novels, and a notebook. No laptop. No tablet. Nothing that could give away my location.

“Let’s go through protocol again,” Jake says, slowing as we approach yet another bend. “You need to understand how serious this is.”

“I get it.” The words come out sharper than intended.

We’ve already been through this half a dozen times.

Follow the instructions of the man assigned to protect me.

No electronics. Stay in the cabin. Use the beacon in an emergency.

Don’t use the satellite phone my protector will have unless there is a grave emergency. “Sorry. I know this is for my safety.”

“It’s standard procedure for high-risk clients.” Jake’s voice is all business. “You don’t have a second cell phone you haven’t told me about, right? Or any other device connected to the internet? Anything can be tracked.” He glances at my wrist, but I’ve never used a smartwatch.

Before we left the Ghost Security office, he made me remove my phone’s battery and SIM card and place them both into a Faraday bag. It’s a bag that blocks all signals. They insisted on keeping it in their office, in a safe.

“No, I don’t. Is this level of isolation really necessary?

” I ask, though I already know the answer.

The threats I received weren’t subtle—detailed descriptions of my apartment, where I get coffee in the morning, the address of my parent’s condo in Lakeview Heights.

Whoever wants me dead has resources and knows a lot about me.

“Yes,” Jake says simply, his eyes never leaving the road. “These people have demonstrated both intent and capability. Until they’re caught or neutralized, we need to assume they’ll use every means to find you. Kozlov may not be here, but he has men everywhere.”

My stomach knots. I’ve spent months working on Mila’s story, investigating what happened to her and tracking down the men responsible.

Fear crawls across my skin like insects but I can’t back down now.

It’s beyond frustrating that I won’t be able to work this week.

For that, I need my computer, but Jake was adamant that was a no-go, insisting even that has a trackable signal.

Carrying paper case files is out of the question, so I now have to go into hiding and trust I’ll be able to see my piece published.

“The men at Silver Pine Ridge are former special operators,” Jake continues, shifting gears as the road becomes a steep incline.

“They work with Ghost Security when we need enhanced protection. They live off-grid by choice, which makes them perfect for protective detail. You’ll be taken to a remote cabin that’s cut off from everything. ”

How am I supposed to survive a week with no internet and presumably no Netflix? I know I should be grateful Harley set me up with Ghost Security and this protection, but now I’m wondering about surviving life with a stranger in a remote cabin.

“The man we’ve assigned to you—Terrance—is ex-Special Forces,” Jake says. “You’ll be completely safe with him. He takes this kind of assignment very seriously. I trust him fully.”

My head snaps up at the name.

I stare out the window, mind racing. That name is one I locked away in a mental box I labeled ‘do not open’ a long time ago. Memories of my ex try to push their way to the surface of my mind. But there’s no way that this man is him.

Still, I wonder what ever happened to Damien.

“Damien?”

I stare in shock at the tall figure standing with his back to us.

Jealousy twists in my gut when I see him standing by a fireplace where he’s talking to a gorgeous woman who’s touching him on his arm.

Even before he turns, my chest constricts with recognition—the set of those shoulders, the way he holds himself.

When he turns and looks at me, time stops.

His intense green eyes widen, and I see him blink rapidly. He looks harder, more weathered, but unmistakably the man I loved so many years ago. His dark hair is shorter now, his jaw more defined beneath a neatly trimmed beard. The boy I knew has become a man I only partly recognize.

My heart slams against my ribs so hard I’m sure he can hear it. Eight years evaporate in an instant, leaving me twenty-two again, staring at the only man I’ve ever loved.

Jake blinks, glancing between us with confusion, his forehead creased. “You two know each other?”

The question hangs in the air for a long moment. Damien’s jaw tightens, a muscle flexing beneath his skin. I can’t tell if seeing me is a good or bad thing for him.

“Yes,” I answer, my voice clipped as I try to control my emotions. “In another life.”

Damien’s gaze never leaves mine. “Lucy.”

Just hearing him say my name pushes my mind further into overdrive. He’s the one assigned to protect me?

“I wasn’t aware of any prior connection,” Jake says. He turns to a burly man who’s just entered the room we’re standing in. “Jax. You got someone else we can send up with Lucy? This is a complication.”

“It won’t be a problem,” Damien states quickly, all business now. “There’s no conflict here,” he says, his green eyes boring into me.

I watch him, cataloging changes. The easy smile I remember is replaced by something more guarded. A scar runs along his forearm that wasn’t there before. He moves more deliberately, like there’s a coiled power in him that’s waiting to break free.

“I don’t have anyone else,” the man named Jax says, crossing the room to join us. “You want me to contact Waylon King? See if Creek Ravine is clear?”

Jake hesitates, then shakes his head, then turns to give Damien his full attention.

“No, we’ll make this work. Not ideal, but I’ll trust you on this, Terrance.

Don’t let whatever past you two have become a problem.

I should get back to headquarters.” He hands Damien a satellite phone.

“This is programmed with our secure channel. Call only when checking in or if there’s an emergency. ”

Damien nods, taking the phone and slipping it into the pocket of his coat.

Jake turns to me. “You’ll be safe, Lucy. Trust me. Terrance is one of our best.”

“Okay.”

Jake hesitates, then hands me an emergency beacon. “Keep this with you at all times. If you’re separated from Terrance for any reason and feel threatened, activate it. Don’t worry if it turns out to be a false alarm. Your safety is the most important thing.”

“Thank you.” I slip it into the front pocket of my backpack, acutely aware of Damien watching the exchange.

After a few more instructions, Jake leaves.

“So,” I say, forcing myself to meet Damien’s gaze. “This is awkward.”

He opens and closes his mouth like he’s stopping himself from saying something. Eventually, he says, “Not exactly how I pictured seeing you again.”

The familiar voice sends a shiver through me.

“I didn’t think I would ever see you again,” I say, aiming for neutral, but I can hear the emotion creeping into my voice.

Damien’s eyes darken, and he rubs his jaw. “Life has a way of throwing curveballs.”

Thunder crashes outside, making me flinch.

“You okay?” he asks, nodding his head toward the window and the storm outside.

“I’ll be fine,” I say, though the way he’s looking at me, I know he knows I’m bluffing.

I want to demand answers, to know why he never came back, why he left without a real goodbye. But now isn’t the time, and this isn’t the place.

“How long will I be here?” I ask, focusing on practicalities.

“Just tonight. Tomorrow morning, we head to the cabin.” He moves toward a hallway.

“I’ll show you where you can sleep. There’s food if you’re hungry.

Jax and Leesa are good people, and you can trust their discretion.

I’ll be in the main room if you need anything. ” His voice is professional, distant.

As he turns to leave, I can’t help myself. “Damien.”

He pauses, looking back at me with those green eyes that once saw all the way through me.

“Is this going to work?” I ask. “Us, I mean. This arrangement.” So many years, I’ve wanted to know what happened to Damien, to see him and find closure. I’m still working to process that he’s standing in front of me and my life is in his hands for the next week.

“It has to. Your life depends on it.”