CHAPTER 12
HUTCH
It’s been three days since someone learned the hard way not to come for my woman and everything has been quiet around the cabin. Once Duncan was able to identify the men from the pictures I sent his way, I made sure that they would never be found. I’m aware that it should probably bother me, but it doesn’t.
A hired assassin doesn’t deserve my compassion or empathy. Not when the target they’re willing to take out is mine.
When I hear a vehicle coming to a stop, I reach over and give Fallon’s hands a squeeze. She’s been worrying them on her lap since I told her that Blake called and was on his way out to see us. I’m sure not knowing why he’s coming isn’t easy, but I’m not worried.
There’s no way he would drive out here without having good news to share with us.
I’m more worried about what is going to happen when Fallon is given the all clear. She’s not going to want to go back to her life, right? I don’t think so, not now that the way we feel about each other is out in the open. She has to know I’m never letting her go.
I stand and make my way to the front door, opening it, and waiting as Blake climbs out of his vehicle. When he sees me standing there, a smug expression crosses his face that has me rolling my eyes. The grin on his face only grows as he climbs the porch steps.
He keeps his voice low, “I expect an invitation to the wedding.”
I swing at him, but he steps back and out of the way while laughing. The fucker.
“Come on in,” I step back into the cabin and nod toward the living room, “Fallon is beside herself.”
Blake’s face falls and he nods. “I hope you assured her that I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t good news. I’d still be out there and working on a solution to the problem.”
“I did,” I assure him, “but she’s still worried.”
He glances toward the living room, his voice dropping again, “How’s she holding up with everything that happened the other night?”
“She’s fine.” I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I was worried that she would see me differently, even without knowing all the details.”
“I have a feeling you didn’t need to worry,” there’s a knowing in Blake’s voice that has me nodding.
He shoots me another grin before we head into the living room. When I see Fallon and the way she’s practically vibrating with fear and worry, I move toward her quickly. I don’t hesitate to pick her up and sit down with her on my lap.
As I run my hand up and down her back, she relaxes into me even though I can still feel the tension coming off her in waves. Her eyes are wide and a little wild as she looks over to where Blake has sat down in a chair. He leans forward and clasps his hands together, his gaze soft and filled with kindness.
“How are you doing, Fallon?”
My woman swallows hard before clearing her throat. “I’m,” she pauses like she’s really assessing how she’s feeling, “okay. I’m kind freaked out about whatever you’re here to tell me. Am I safe? Have you figured out a way to get them off my back? I don’t want Hutch to have to go out there in the middle of the night again and have to face fucking mercenaries intent on killing me,” the words rush out of her.
I press my lips together to stop myself from laughing because she’s turned bright pink now that everything has tumbled from her mouth. She’s so damn cute.
Instead of laughing, I kiss the side of her head. She glances at me, embarrassment coloring her features.
“I understand,” there’s a hint of amusement in Blake’s voice that has Fallon letting out an exasperated sigh. “I won’t beat around the bush because you’re clearly on edge here and that’s the last thing I want.” I swear Fallon leans forward like she’s hanging on his every word. “You’re safe,” there’s a resonance in his voice that has my woman relaxing further against my chest.
There’s disbelief in her voice, “I am?”
Blake nods and gives her a small smile. “You are,” there’s a promise in his voice. “The men who came after you were the key to ensuring you’re protected. We were able to use them to backtrack and prove that men high up in Luxe Notes hired them to come after you. That was enough leverage to approach them and put a stop to it.”
“You blackmailed them,” Fallon sounds more resigned than surprised.
Blake shrugs one of his giant shoulders and smirks. “I certainly threatened them with exposure.”
“You’re still going to expose them,” I rumble and Fallon glances back at me in surprise.
“Of course,” Blake grunts. “They need to be held accountable for their actions and not just the ones the company took.” His grin turns scary. “Duncan found a lot more evidence of their lies and bullshit as he was investigating the company. Everything has been turned over to Echo.”
“Oh,” Fallon gasps, “good. She deserves to break a story this big. She’s a great journalist but hasn’t been given the opportunity to really shine.”
“She’s been getting the recognition she deserves,” Blake agrees while nodding sagely. “We also ensured that the appropriate evidence found its way to the right people across the alphabet agencies. Luxe Notes, its board and upper management is going to be plenty busy dealing with all the people coming for them.”
Fallon closes her eyes, and I watch as an array of emotions cross her face. Relief. Joy. Acceptance. Anger. Resignation.
When her eyes open, she looks up at me and so many questions swirl in her eyes. My heart starts to pound in my chest. Is this when she tells me she’s leaving?
“That means you’re safe, Fallon,” Blake’s voice pulls her attention back to him. “You can go back to Seattle.”
I see red and the only thing that keeps me from launching myself at him, mountain of a man or not, and beating the hell out of him is the fact that Fallon is sitting on my lap. She fidgets and my hands come down and grip her hips to hold her in place.
“Fallon isn’t going anywhere,” I snarl the words and Blake smirks. “She might be safe, but she’ll be staying right here with me.” I can’t seem to stop the words now that I’ve started talking. “She’s mine and I’m not letting her go.”
I’m probably being too rough with her, but the idea of her walking away from me has fear clawing up my throat. She turns just enough to take my jaw in her hands. When I’m staring down into her blue grey eyes, the red haze coating my vision starts to clear a little.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Fallon softly coaxes me.
It takes some effort, but I force myself to relax my grip on her hips. She leans into me, and I take a deep breath. Her rose scent has my shoulders dropping.
Home.
She smells like home to me. I want the scent of her filling up ever corner of this cabin for the rest of our lives. I want to hear her laughter as she chases our kids. I want her looking at me with pride as we continue to build our lives together.
And if she wants to leave the mountain at any point, then I’ll figure it out. For her, I’ll do anything.
“Well,” Blake stands up, “I think you two have a lot of things to talk about. We will keep an eye on the situation and let you know if anything changes.” He gives me a chin lift before directing a soft smile toward my woman. “I’ll see myself out.”
It’s only when we hear the front door closing that our gazes lock. I could fall into the abyss of the promises in her eyes. The silence between us doesn’t feel awkward.
“You’re really not going anywhere?” There’s vulnerability that even I can hear in my words.
“Where would I go?” She cocks her head to the side as she studies me. “Even if I could go back to Seattle, I don’t want to. My life there is over. I’m sure I should regret that since I blew up my life without really realizing or recognizing the consequences, but I don’t. I did the right thing and the reward I’ve gotten out of it is something I could have never foreseen.”
My eyebrows pull together and I sound confused, “The reward?”
“You,” there’s so much weight in one word.
It takes me a moment for her meaning to sink in and my it feels like my heart blooms in my chest. “You’re fucking amazing, Fallon,” I rasp.
The smile she gives me is full of sunlight and warmth. “You’re fucking amazing too, Hutch,” she teases me.
I press my forehead against hers. “I hate the idea of you giving up your entire life in Seattle,” I admit. “I’ve been thinking of how to bring what you love here. I don’t have a clear plan, but I’m going to do my best.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you want to work, then we can figure it out.”
“There isn’t exactly a perfumery up here on Alpha Mountain,” she teases.
“No, there isn’t, but if we need to move somewhere then we can.”
She blinks up at me a few times before her face smooths out and she gives me a soft look. “I don’t want to move somewhere. This mountain gives you peace and I won’t be taking that away from you.”
I nod slowly, my mind turning with a way to bring her passion here to the mountain. “Then I’ll build you a lab,” I vow.
Fallon throws her head back and laugh, probably because the thought of building a lab all the way out here, in the middle of nowhere, is ridiculous. It is, but I’m going to figure out a way to make it happen.
When I don’t laugh along with her, she freezes and stares at me. “You’re serious?”
“I know it won’t be easy, but I’m going to make it happen.” Her eyes widen and I know she’s about to argue with me, but I shake my head. “I will figure it out. This is your passion. Even if all you do is make perfumes for yourself, that’s enough. More than enough because all I want is for you to be happy.”
She shifts until she’s straddling my lap, her fingers running through my hair.
“I don’t need a lab,” she murmurs, “I just need you.”
I take her mouth with mine, the kiss sweet at first. When she starts to grind down against the hard ridge of my cock, there’s a shift from sweet to carnal. Her taste drives my need to devour her.
Swallowing down her mewls of pleasure isn’t nearly enough. I flip us and hover over her. The way her eyes are glazed over with desire has my cock leaking behind the fly of my jeans.
“You’re mine,” I rasp against her lips.
“I’m yours,” she moans, her hips moving to find the perfect amount of friction.
I get lost in my woman and everything our future will hold.
An image of her round with our child flashes in my mind. The thought of her being pregnant with my kid has me feeling fucking feral.
“Gonna fill you with my cum,” I groan. “Fuck, want to give you a baby.”
The coy smile on her face has me grinding against her. “It’ll happen when it’s supposed to happen. Just like me meeting you.”
This woman. “So damn sweet,” I murmur before taking her mouth in another kiss.
I get lost in my woman, happily drowning in everything she makes me feel. I retreated to Alpha Mountain to find peace, but I could have never foreseen my peace finding me in the form of a woman needing my protection.
Now she’s got it for life. Along with my love.