Chapter 22
Lana
I step through the doorway with my lips still tingling from Caleb’s kiss, unable to wipe the stupid grin off my face. I’m not even three steps inside when Kori pounces from the shadows of the living room, making me jump.
“Well?” she demands, arms crossed over her chest, a knowing smirk playing on her lips. “How was it? And don’t you dare say ‘fine’ or I’ll pinch you.”
I roll my eyes but can’t suppress my smile. “It was... perfect,” I admit, shrugging off my coat and hanging it by the door. “He took me to this amazing little lodge with incredible food, and we saw the northern lights, and—”
“And?” She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively.
Heat rises to my cheeks. “And he kissed me. Twice. Well, more than twice.”
Kori squeals, grabbing my hands and bouncing like we’re teenagers discussing a high school crush. “I knew it! The pink hair worked its magic!”
“It wasn’t the hair,” I protest, though I remember the way his eyes had lingered on it. “It was... everything. The conversation, the honesty. I told him about Mark.”
She stops bouncing, her expression turning serious. “You did? And?”
“And he said if Mark weren’t already dead, he’d hunt him down and kill him himself.” I bite my lip, remembering the quiet intensity in Caleb’s voice. “He meant it, Kori.”
“Good,” she says firmly. “That’s exactly the right response.” She studies my face. “So, when are you seeing him again?”
“Tomorrow, I guess? We’re all meeting to go through the documents, remember?”
She swats my arm. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it. When’s the next date?”
Before I can answer, Kane strides into the room, phone pressed to his ear, his expression animated in a way that suggests important news.
“Yes, I understand. “Of course, we’ll be ready,” he says, though his voice wavers slightly, betraying a hint of nervousness as his eyes dart to Kori. “Tomorrow afternoon? Perfect. I’ll send someone to pick you up at the airport.”
Kori’s attention shifts immediately. “Who’s that?” she mouths at me.
I shrug, hanging my purse on the coat rack.
“Excellent,” Kane continues. “We’ve got plenty of room here at the lodge. See you then, Declan.” He hangs up and turns to us, his eyes bright with excitement. “That was Declan. He’s sending reinforcements.”
“Reinforcements?” I echo, suddenly concerned. “For what?”
“For the NTM situation,” Kane explains. “After what happened today with the chamber collapse, I called Declan to update him. He agrees we need more eyes on this. Wren, Rory, and Kat are flying in tomorrow.”
Kori claps her hands together. “Wren and Kat’s coming? Oh, that’ll be fun! I love those two.”
“…Yes. Well, he’s also bringing a small army of men here, too.”
“A small army?” I ask, my eyebrows shooting up. “What do you mean by small?”
Kori leans forward, suddenly concerned. “Kane Alexander Murphy! Exactly how many people is Declan sending?”
Kane runs a hand through his dark hair, looking slightly uncomfortable. “Fifty men. All are highly trained, former military. Declan isn’t messing around.”
“FIFTY?” Kori nearly chokes on her own spit, eyes wide with disbelief. “Is he crazy? You think fifty-nine people are going to fit in this lodge? Where will they sleep? And don’t even get me started on feeding them. Do you have any idea how much food that many men will consume?!”
Kane at least has the decency to look sheepish. “Well, I hadn’t quite thought through the logistics—”
I watch my sister’s expression shift from shock to determination as her hospitality instincts kick in. She’s already mentally reorganizing bedrooms and calculating supplies.
“I need to make a grocery list,” she announces, spinning on her heel. “We’ll need enough food for an army—literally!”
She disappears toward the kitchen, muttering about bulk purchases, the hours of Costco, and sleeping arrangements, leaving me alone with Kane.
I can’t help but laugh at Kane’s bewildered expression. “You really didn’t think this through, did you?”
“In my defense,” he says, “security was my primary concern, not sleeping arrangements, and one doesn’t really say no to Declan.”
“Good point! Well, good luck with that,” I tell him, suddenly feeling the weight of the day pressing down on me.
Between the collapsed chamber, our dinner, and now an impending invasion of security personnel, I’m utterly exhausted.
“I’m going to bed. Something tells me tomorrow’s going to be. .. intense.”
“Smart woman,” Kane calls after me as I head for the stairs. “Get rest while you can.”
In my room, I change into pajamas and slide between the cool sheets.
Despite my exhaustion, my mind keeps replaying moments from the evening with Caleb—the candlelight catching in his eyes, the gentle pressure of his hand on mine, the way his lips felt against my own.
I touch my mouth, still feeling the ghost of his kiss.
For the first time in months, I fall asleep smiling, with no nightmares to disturb my rest.
888
“Rise and shine, people! We’ve got work to do!”
Kori’s voice jolts me from a deep sleep. I crack one eye open to see my sister standing in my doorway, already fully dressed and far too energetic. The bedside clock reads 5:00 AM.
“You have got to be kidding me,” I groan, pulling the pillow over my head.
“Not kidding!” She yanks the pillow away. “Fifty men are arriving today, and this place is nowhere near ready. Get up, get up, get up!”
I drag myself out of bed, mumbling threats under my breath that I have no intention of following through on.
After a quick shower and two cups of coffee, I’m marginally more human and joining the cleaning brigade Kori has assembled.
Kane, Mia, and Connor are already hard at work, tackling different areas of the lodge.
“You take the east wing bedrooms,” Kori directs me, handing over a basket filled with clean linens and towels. “Make sure every room has fresh sheets and at least four towels per bed.”
“Yes, Drill Sergeant,” I salute, earning a glare that I counter with a sweet smile.
The next several hours pass in a blur of cleaning, organizing, and rearranging furniture to maximize space.
Kori orchestrates everything with military precision, crossing items off her massive checklist as we complete them.
By noon, the lodge has been transformed—every available space prepped for our incoming guests, the pantry and refrigerators stocked with a grocery delivery that brought enough food to feed a small army, which is exactly what we’re expecting.
“That’s it,” Kori announces finally, surveying our work with satisfaction. “Kane, you should head to the airport. The rest of us will go to Jake’s to brief him on the situation.”
I ride with Kori to Jake’s farm, using the time to check my messages. There’s one from Caleb: “Looking forward to seeing you today. Sleep well?”
I smile, typing back: “Until my sister woke me at 5 AM to clean. The lodge is now prepared for an invasion. See you soon.”
His response comes quickly: “Sounds intense. Coffee waiting for you when you get here.”
“You’re grinning like an idiot at your phone,” Kori observes, not taking her eyes off the road. “It’s disturbing.”
“Says the woman who practically floats when Kane walks into a room,” I counter.
“Fair point,” she concedes. “But seriously, I’m happy for you. Caleb seems... solid.”
“He is,” I say softly, thinking of the way he’d insisted on walking me to the door, how he’d pulled back when things heated up between us. “He’s different from anyone I’ve ever met.”
“Good. Because your past relationship was with an asshole.”
I look at her, and she looks at me over her sunglasses. Together, we burst out laughing, knowing full well the only relationship I ever had was with her ex.
888
When we arrive at Jake’s, I spot Caleb immediately. He’s on the porch, deep in conversation with Connor, but his eyes find mine the moment I step out of the car. The smile that spreads across his face makes my heart flutter embarrassingly.
“Coffee, as promised,” he says when I reach him, handing me a steaming mug prepared exactly how I like it.
“My hero,” I say dramatically, taking a grateful sip.
Inside, Jake has cleared the dining room table to make space for a large map of his property.
Ella is setting out snacks while Julia—who apparently arrived earlier—is helping Nora with what looks like homework at the kitchen counter.
She looks up when I walk in, and she rushes over to hug me as she squeals, “I couldn’t keep myself away! ”
“I’m glad you’re here!”
She takes my hand as Jake calls out, “Everyone’s here?” We all gather around the table. “Good. Caleb was filling me in on our impending security detail.”
“Fifty men,” Kori confirms. “Kane’s picking them up now.”
Jake whistles. “That’s... substantial. Declan must be taking this seriously.”
“With good reason,” Richard says from the corner where he’s examining documents with Margret. “If NTM gets wind of what we found, they won’t hesitate to take extreme measures.”
“Which is why we need to establish a secure perimeter,” Caleb explains, pointing to the map.
“Kane and I discussed this last night. We’ll need teams covering the main access points—here, here, and here.
” His finger traces roads and trails leading to the property.
“Plus, regular patrols along the boundary, especially where it meets the provincial park.”
As Caleb outlines the security plan, I watch him transform before my eyes.
Gone is the gentle man who held my hand across a candlelit table—in his place stands a tactical expert, confident and commanding.
It’s a startling reminder of his background, of the skills that made him so valuable to special forces.
“The men arriving today are all ex-military,” Jake adds. “Most have worked with Declan before on high-risk security operations. They know what they’re doing.”
“And they’re all staying at the lodge?” Ella asks, looking concerned. “That seems like putting all our eggs in one basket.”
“No, they’ll be divided,” Caleb explains.
“Twenty at the lodge, twenty here at the farm, and ten at strategic positions around the perimeter.” I look over at Kori and see her relax.
The thought of so many men staying at the lodge had her really frazzled.
She shoots me a thumbs-up as I turn back to listen to Caleb.
“Kane is bringing communications equipment so all teams can stay in contact.”
“What about the documents?” I ask, gesturing to where Richard and Margret are working. “Are they secure?”
“Connor arranged for a safety deposit box in Pinecrest,” Jake says. “We’ll keep digital copies here and physical copies in the bank. The originals will be moved to a secure location in Toronto once Declan’s team arrives.”
The sound of vehicles approaching draws our attention. Through the window, I see a caravan of black SUVs pulling up, followed by a small bus.
“Looks like the cavalry has arrived,” Caleb remarks.
We move outside to greet them. Kane emerges from the lead vehicle, followed by Wren, Rory, and Kat. Behind them, men in tactical gear begin unloading equipment from the other vehicles straight into an implement shed on the edge of the yard.
“Richard, Margret, and Julia,” Kane calls, approaching with his family. “This is Wren, Declan’s wife. Rory, Declan’s right-hand man.” Rory shakes Richard’s hand and nods to the ladies. “And Kat, Rory’s fiancé and our sister.”
They all exchange greetings, then Jake says, “Thank you all for coming. We appreciate the help. Where is Declan?”
“He’ll be out shortly. He just got a call when we pulled up,” Wren said, moving over to Nora, who throws her arms around her aunt’s neck for a hug.
As everyone gets to know one another, I find myself gravitating toward Caleb. He stands slightly apart from the group, watching the proceedings with a professional eye.
“You okay?” I ask quietly.
He glances down at me, his expression softening. “Just assessing. Old habits.”
“Having second thoughts about getting involved in all this?” I gesture toward the growing activity as men begin establishing a command center in Jake’s implement shed.
“Not at all,” he says firmly, his hand finding mine. “If it means I get to see you every day.”