Chapter 8
Chapter
Eight
D usk settled over the mountain, painting the cabin in shades of amber and gold. Gemma stood at the window, watching as shadows lengthened across the clearing, transforming familiar shapes into potential threats. Caesar had alerted twice during the day—once at a deer passing too close to the cabin, once at nothing they could see—and each time, her heart had nearly stopped.
She had spent the day on pins and needles, worried constantly for the men determined to place their lives on the line for her, between her and the man determined to have her. How long could this go on? How long could she allow others to be hurt for her? She was tired of running, tired of being afraid, tired of letting others fight her battles for her.
Her phone buzzed with a message mid-afternoon with an image of Case, blood smeared on his chest, asking her that same question.
10am behind the school. Come alone or I start with your classroom.
She knew what she had to do, only was she brave enough to do it?
Night was falling and Case moved around the kitchen behind her, the sounds of dinner preparation oddly domestic given the circumstances. The scent of venison stew filled the cabin, rich and comforting, so at odds with the knot of anxiety that had taken up permanent residence in her stomach.
“You should eat something,” Case said, his voice gentle but firm. “You’ve barely touched food all day.”
Gemma turned from the window, forcing a small smile. “I know. I’m just not hungry.”
“Your body needs fuel,” he insisted, setting two bowls on the small table. “Especially after the day we’ve had.”
She couldn’t argue with that logic, so she joined him at the table, accepting the bowl he pushed toward her. The stew was delicious, but each bite seemed to stick in her throat, requiring conscious effort to swallow.
“Any sign of him?” she asked, breaking the silence that had settled between them.
Case shook his head, his expression carefully neutral. “Nothing concrete. Ty found what might have been a camp, but it was at least a day old. Jake’s set up motion sensors on all the likely approach routes.”
The calm, matter-of-fact way he discussed hunting her stalker should have frightened her. Instead, she found it strangely reassuring. Case wasn’t underestimating Darren—or Michael Reynolds, as they now knew him to be. The revelation of his true identity still made her sick when she thought about it. All this time, she’d been running from a man with military training, a man who knew exactly how to hunt her.
A patterned knock at the door made her jolt, her spoon clattering against the bowl. Case was instantly alert, hand moving to the sidearm he now wore constantly, but his posture relaxed at a distinctive pattern of raps.
“It’s Ty,” he told her, crossing to open the door.
Ty entered, followed by Jake, both men scanning the cabin with the hyperawareness of soldiers in hostile territory before allowing themselves to relax marginally. Caesar bounded in after them, immediately coming to Gemma’s side and pressing his warm body against her leg. She scratched behind his ears, drawing comfort from his solid presence.
“Nothing,” Ty reported, accepting the bowl that Case handed him. “Trail’s gone cold.”
Jake nodded his agreement, taking his own bowl and leaning against the counter rather than sitting. “Motion sensors are all active. If he comes within half a mile of this place, we’ll know.”
The men discussed patrol patterns and sightlines with the economical language of those long accustomed to planning operations together. Gemma listened, trying to focus on their words rather than the fear that lurked beneath them. They were good at what they did—she could see that in the precise way they moved, the shorthand of their communication. But so was Darren.
“You need sleep,” Case said to her when the others had finished eating. “You look dead on your feet.”
She couldn’t deny it. Exhaustion pulled at her, the result of adrenaline that had been coursing through her system since the morning’s attack, now receding to leave her drained.
“We’re heading out for evening patrol,” Ty announced, rinsing his bowl in the sink. “Taking Caesar with us. His night tracking is better than ours.”
At the sound of his name, the dog perked up, looking from Ty to Gemma as if seeking permission. She gave him a final pat, whispering, “Good boy,” before he trotted to Ty’s side.
“Lock up after us,” Jake instructed as they prepared to leave. “We’ll do the standard knock pattern if we need to come back in.”
Case nodded, walking them to the door. Gemma caught fragments of their hushed conversation—“Four-hour rotation,” “Perimeter alarm,” “Signal flare”—before the door closed behind them, leaving her alone with Case for the first time since the morning’s attack.
“You should sleep,” he repeated, checking the locks on the door and windows. “Take the bed. I’ll keep watch.”
The thought of being alone in the darkened bedroom made her stomach clench. “Will you stay with me?” she asked, hating the tremor in her voice but unable to suppress it.
Case paused in his security check, turning to face her fully. Something shifted in his expression, the hardened soldier giving way to the man beneath. “There’s no place I would rather be,” he said softly.
“What about Ty and Jake? Should they be out there alone?”
“Trust them,” he said, closing the distance between them. “They’ll be fine. They’ve done this before, in much worse conditions.”
The casual reminder of their shared military past made Gemma’s throat tighten. These men had seen horrors she could hardly imagine, had survived experiences that had broken others. And now they were all in danger because of her. It only hardened her determination to end this and protect these men from her past.
“I didn’t want you to get hurt because of me,” she said, the words tumbling out as tears welled in her eyes. She reached up to touch the bandage on his arm, the physical evidence of how close she’d come to losing him. “I never wanted anyone to get hurt.”
Case caught her hand, pressing it against his chest where she could feel the steady thrum of his heartbeat. “I’d take a bullet for you, Gemma,” he said, the simple truth in his voice undeniable. “You’re mine to protect.”
The declaration broke something inside her—the last wall she’d built around her heart, the final defense against what she was feeling for this man. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she pressed her face against his chest, breathing in the scent that had become synonymous with safety.
“I don’t want to be alone anymore,” she confessed, the words muffled against his shirt. “I love you.”
His arms tightened around her, one hand coming up to cradle the back of her head. “Then don’t be,” he replied, his voice rough with emotion. “You’re mine. Forever.”
Her heart clenched, knowing she was about to leave him, something he would see as a betrayal. She only hoped he would understand and forgive her. Gemma lifted her face to his, needing to see the truth of them in his eyes. What she found there made her breath catch—tenderness and fierce protectiveness and something stronger, a deep emotion that went beyond duty and responsibility. As if his soul had recognized hers, claimed it, long before his mind caught up.
She rose on tiptoe, pressing her lips to his. The kiss began gently, an affirmation of the words they’d just exchanged, but quickly deepened as days of fear and tension transformed into a different kind of urgency. Case’s hands slid down her back, drawing her closer until there was no space between them, until she could feel the hard planes of his body against the softness of hers.
“We should sleep,” he murmured against her mouth, though his actions belied his words as his lips traced a path along her jawline to the sensitive spot behind her ear.
“Later,” she breathed, her fingers already working at the buttons of his shirt. “I need you now.”
Heat flashed in his eyes at her words. He caught her hands, stilling them against his chest. “Are you sure? After everything today...”
“I’m sure,” she said firmly. “I don’t want to let him take this from us too. I don’t want to be afraid anymore.”
He searched her face for a moment longer, then nodded, releasing her hands to cup her face between his palms. His next kiss was different—slower, deeper, as if he were memorizing the taste of her. Gemma surrendered to it completely, letting the world narrow to just this moment, just this man.
They moved to the bedroom in a haze of half-shed clothing and interrupted kisses. When the back of her knees hit the edge of the bed, Gemma pulled him down with her, unwilling to break contact even for a moment. Case braced himself above her on his uninjured arm, his eyes dark with desire as he looked down at her.
“You’re beautiful,” he said, the reverence in his voice making her blush. “So damn beautiful it hurts to look at you sometimes.”
She reached up to trace the lines of his face, the scar along his jaw, the slight crinkles at the corners of his eyes. “So are you,” she whispered. “All of you.”
He smiled then, a rare, full smile that transformed his features, making him look younger, unburdened. Gemma vowed in that moment to make him smile like that more often, to find ways to ease the weight he carried so stoically.
His hands moved over her body with exquisite patience, removing each piece of her clothing as if unwrapping something precious. When she was finally naked beneath him, he took his time simply looking at her, his gaze a physical touch that left heat in its wake.
“Case,” she whispered, reaching for him. “Please.”
He shed the rest of his own clothes, then returned to her, skin against skin, the contact drawing a soft moan from both of them. Unlike their first night together, there was no rush now, no desperate attempt to forget. This was about remembering—creating memories that would anchor them both.
His mouth traced a path down her body, pausing to pay homage to each breast, tongue circling and teasing until she arched beneath him, seeking more. He obliged, moving lower, hands spreading her thighs with gentle insistence. The first touch of his mouth against her core made her gasp, fingers tangling in his hair.
Case took his time, learning what made her breath catch, what made her moan his name. When she came apart beneath his mouth, it was with a cry that he captured with his hand, mindful even now of the open window and the men on patrol outside.
Before she had fully recovered, he was moving up her body, positioning himself between her thighs. He paused, eyes seeking hers, always checking, always making sure.
“Yes,” she breathed, answering his unspoken question. “Yes, Case. Please.”
He entered her slowly, their shared gasp hanging in the air between them. For a moment, they stayed perfectly still, adjusting to the sensation of being joined so intimately. Then Gemma shifted beneath him, urging him deeper, and Case began to move.
They found their rhythm easily, bodies speaking when words failed them. Gemma watched his face above her, memorizing the way his expression changed as pleasure built between them, the intense focus in his eyes as he drove them both higher.
When he shifted his angle, hitting a spot inside her that made stars explode behind her eyelids, she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. Case noticed—he noticed everything —and covered her mouth with his, swallowing her moans as he maintained the pace that was quickly pushing her toward a second climax.
“Let go,” he murmured against her lips. “I’ve got you, Gemma. Always.”
It was the “always” that undid her, the promise of a future beyond this moment, beyond the fear. She came with his name on her lips, her body clenching around him, drawing him deeper. Case followed her over the edge moments later, his release triggering aftershocks of pleasure that left them both trembling.
He collapsed beside her, careful not to crush her with his weight, but immediately pulled her into his arms. Gemma went willingly, curling against his side, her head finding its natural place on his chest where she could hear the gradual slowing of his heartbeat.
“I meant it,” he said into the comfortable silence that had settled between them. “I love you. Have since you showed up on my mountain with that twisted ankle and that stubborn look in your eyes.”
Gemma smiled against his skin. “I think I fell for you when you were patching me up, trying so hard to be gentle with those big, calloused hands.”
His chest rumbled with quiet laughter. “Not my finest medical work. Ty would’ve done a better job.”
“I’m glad it was you,” she said, suddenly serious. “I’m glad it’s you now.”
Case’s arms tightened around her. “Get some sleep,” he said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “I’ll be right here when you wake up.”
The promise, simple as it was, filled Gemma with a peace she hadn’t felt in months. Even with Darren—Michael—still out there, she felt protected. Not just by the men patrolling outside, or the dog keeping watch, but by the knowledge that she wasn’t alone anymore. That she was loved.
Too bad she had to leave that safety.
C ase woke before dawn, his body attuned to the rhythms of the mountain and years of military discipline. Gemma slept peacefully beside him, her hair spread across the pillow, face softened in sleep. The sight of her there, in his bed, in his life, filled him with a fierce protectiveness that bordered on painful.
He slipped from beneath the covers, careful not to disturb her. She needed the rest after everything they’d been through. After everything she’d survived.
He dressed quietly, strapping his sidearm to his hip as he’d done every morning since the shooting. The weight of it was both familiar and unwelcome—a reminder that the peace he’d found on this mountain was fragile, temporary.
Something nagged at the back of his mind as he moved through the cabin’s main room. A feeling he couldn’t quite place, like the air pressure dropping before a storm. Nothing seemed out of place, yet something felt... off.
Case checked the locks, peered out the windows at the clearing now bathed in pre-dawn gray. Nothing moving. He’d learned long ago to trust his instincts, but there was nothing concrete to act on. Just unease, skittering along his nerves like electricity.
He returned to the bedroom doorway, watching Gemma sleep for a moment longer. The confession they’d shared last night still echoed in his mind. I love you. Three words he’d never expected to say to anyone, least of all a stubborn, brave woman who’d stumbled onto his mountain less than two weeks ago.
Crossing to the bed, he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. She stirred slightly but didn’t wake, murmuring something unintelligible before settling deeper into the pillow. Case smiled, tracing a finger lightly along her cheek before forcing himself to leave. He needed to check in with Ty and Jake, to plan their next move in hunting down Reynolds.
The morning air was crisp and cool as he stepped onto the porch, scanning the tree line with practiced vigilance. The sun hadn’t yet crested the mountain, leaving the clearing in shadows that could hide any manner of threat.
He started toward the small outbuilding where Ty and Jake had set up their command center—a grandiose term for the folding table covered in maps, the comm equipment, and the coffee maker Jake insisted was “tactical necessity.” They’d been rotating watch shifts through the night, and he knew they’d both be awake by now, analyzing the data from their motion sensors, planning the day’s search grid.
He found them huddled over a map, mugs of steaming coffee in hand. Ty looked up as he entered, his expression grim.
“Nothing on the sensors all night,” he reported. “Not a damn thing.”
“Which means what?” Case asked, accepting the mug Jake wordlessly handed him.
“Either he’s gone,” Jake replied, “or he’s smarter than our tech.”
The second option was the one none of them wanted to contemplate. A man who could evade their security measures was a man who could get to Gemma, even with their precautions.
“We need to expand the search perimeter,” Case decided, leaning over the map. “He can’t have gone far without transport, and Nathan has every road in the county under surveillance.”
Ty nodded in agreement. “I was thinking we could?—“
A sharp bark cut through the air, followed by a series of more urgent ones. Caesar’s alert. All three men reacted instantly, hands moving to weapons as they burst from the outbuilding.
The dog was racing across the clearing toward the cabin, his body language broadcasting alarm. Behind him, the cabin door stood open.
“Gemma,” Case breathed, breaking into a run.
He was halfway across the clearing when he heard the distinctive sound of his truck’s engine turning over. The vehicle appeared from behind the cabin, tires kicking up dirt as it accelerated down the mountain road.
“No,” he growled, increasing his pace despite knowing he couldn’t catch a vehicle on foot. “NO!”
Caesar reached the cabin first, disappearing inside the open door. Case followed seconds later, heart hammering against his ribs, a sick feeling of betrayal and fear twisting in his gut.
“Gemma!” he shouted, scanning the main room.
Nothing. The bedroom was empty, the bathroom unoccupied. Her bag was gone. So were her clothes, her phone. She hadn’t been taken. She’d left.
“Case.” Ty’s voice came from behind him, unusually gentle.
He turned to find his friend holding a piece of paper, his expression somber. Case snatched it from his hand, recognizing Gemma’s handwriting immediately.
Case,
By the time you read this, I’ll be gone. I’m sorry for taking your truck, but I need to finish this myself. I won’t let anyone else get hurt because of me. Not you, not Ty, not Jake. You’ve all risked too much already.
Michael wants me. It’s always been me. If I give him what he wants, maybe he’ll leave everyone else alone.
I know what you’re thinking right now, and I’m sorry for the pain I’m causing. But I’ve spent my life running, and I’m tired. So tired. This ends today, one way or another.
I meant what I said last night. I love you. More than I thought possible. That’s why I have to do this. To keep you safe.
Forgive me, Gemma
“Fuck,” Case breathed, the paper crumpling in his fist. The betrayal he’d felt at seeing his truck drive away was nothing compared to the terror that now gripped him. She’d gone to confront Reynolds alone. Deliberately put herself in the hands of a man who’d been hunting her like prey.
“What’s it say?” Jake asked, appearing in the doorway, Caesar at his side.
“She’s giving herself up to him,” Case replied, his voice deadly calm despite the storm raging inside him. “She thinks she can end this by sacrificing herself.”
Ty and Jake exchanged a look that spoke volumes. They knew, as Case did, exactly what Reynolds would do to Gemma if he got his hands on her. The discharge, the pattern of behavior— this wasn’t a man who merely wanted to possess her. This was a man who would destroy what he couldn’t control.
“How long ago did she leave?” Case demanded, already moving toward the door.
“Can’t have been more than five, ten minutes,” Ty estimated. “She must have slipped out while we were reviewing the maps.”
Case nodded, mind racing. “She’s headed for town. Has to be. Reynolds would have left some way to contact him, some meeting place for when she was ready to surrender.”
“Jake, call Nathan,” Ty instructed. “Tell him to set up roadblocks, but do not, under any circumstances, engage. Reynolds is armed and Gemma will be in the crossfire.”
Jake was already pulling out his satellite phone, stepping outside for better reception.
“She took my truck,” Case said, processing aloud. “But she can’t have gotten far yet. The mountain road is too winding for speed.”
“We can catch up to her in my truck,” Ty confirmed. “But we need a plan, Case. If we spook Reynolds, he might hurt her just to spite us.”
Case knew his friend was right, but every fiber of his being screamed to move, to act, to find Gemma before it was too late. He forced himself to take a deep breath, to think tactically rather than emotionally.
“Jake stays here with Caesar as backup,” he decided. “You and I go after her in your truck. We track her GPS signal from her phone—she doesn’t know I installed a tracker on it after the shooting.”
Ty nodded, already gathering his gear. “And when we find them?”
“We take him out,” Case replied, no hesitation in his voice. “Clean and quick. Before he can hurt her.”
“Nathan won’t like that,” Ty warned, though his expression made it clear he was fully on board.
“Nathan doesn’t need to know the details,” Case replied, checking his weapon with practiced efficiency. “Reynolds is armed and dangerous. Shots were fired. We defended ourselves and civilians. End of story.”
He didn’t wait for a response, already moving toward the door. Every second they delayed was another second Reynolds had to get to Gemma, to hurt her. The mere thought made his blood run cold.
“She thinks she’s protecting us,” he said as they headed for Ty’s truck, Jake returning from his call with a nod indicating Nathan was on alert. “She has no idea what she’s walking into.”
“We’ll find her,” Ty promised, his voice holding the absolute certainty that had made him such an effective team leader in Afghanistan. “We’ll bring her home.”
Case nodded once, sharply, as he climbed into the passenger seat of Ty’s truck. He would bring Gemma home. Or he would burn the world down trying.
As they roared down the mountain road, dust billowing behind them, Case mentally recited Gemma’s note word for word, looking for clues, for anything that might tell him where she was headed. One phrase kept repeating in his mind: This ends today, one way or another .
She was right about that, at least. One way or another, this would end today. But not the way she planned. Not with her sacrifice.
Case would make damn sure of that.