19. Boyd
NINETEEN
BOYD
Mason hangs up the phone and looks straight at me. “We move.”
The words hit me like a punch to the chest. I stand frozen for half a second, processing.
Then it clicks. This was never about Piper really going back.
This was a plan. A calculated move to get her close enough to her father to record him.
To gather the evidence they needed to take Viktor Lane down for good.
My heart starts pounding so hard I can feel it in my throat.
I grab my rifle and head for the door without another word.
Silas, Rafe, Gavin, and the rest of the men fall in behind me.
We move fast, loading into the trucks with practiced efficiency.
No one speaks much. We all know what’s at stake.
Piper is down there at that gas station, alone with the man who tried to kill her.
The man who’s been hunting her for weeks.
I climb into the passenger seat of Silas’s truck.
He starts the engine and we tear down the mountain road, tires kicking up gravel.
The other vehicles follow close behind. My hands grip the rifle across my lap so tightly my knuckles turn white.
All I can think about is getting to her.
Holding her. Making sure she’s really okay.
The road twists and turns, but Silas drives like the mountain is part of him.
I stare out the window, jaw clenched, replaying every moment I had with Piper in my mind.
The way she smiled when she spotted a new bird.
The way she looked at me when I fed her soup those first few days.
The way she whispered my name when I made love to her.
She’s everything to me. I can’t lose her.
Not now. Not after everything we’ve been through. I fucking love her.
Silas glances over at me. “She’s strong, Boyd. She got the recording. She did her part. Now we do ours.” Silas grabs his phone to call the local PD to meet us there as well for backup.
I nod, but the worry doesn’t ease. Viktor Lane’s dangerous. If he suspects anything, if he hurts her before we get there…
I push the thought away. I have to believe she’s okay. I have to believe we’ll get there in time.
The drive down the mountain feels endless even though we’re moving fast. Every curve, every straight stretch, I scan for threats. My mind’s already planning. If Viktor’s men are still with him, we take them down. If he tries to run, we stop him. I won’t let him take her away from me again.
When we finally reach the base of the mountain, several US Marshals vehicles are already parked at the gas station. Mason’s team has moved fast. I jump out of the truck before Silas even stops completely. My boots hit the pavement and I run toward the store.
Viktor Lane is standing beside the black SUV, hands cuffed behind his back, face twisted in rage.
Two marshals have him secured. Several other men, clearly his hired muscle, are already on the ground in cuffs.
The scene is controlled chaos. Red and blue lights flash across the pumps and the small building.
I don’t stop to look at any of them. I head straight inside the store.
The clerk points toward the bathroom at the back. “She’s in there. Has not come out since she called.”
I cross the store in long strides and stop outside the bathroom door. My heart hammers in my chest. I knock gently.
“Piper,” I say, voice rough but soft. “It’s Boyd. You’re safe. It’s over. Come out, baby girl.”
There’s a long pause. Then the lock clicks. The door opens slowly.
Piper stands there, tears streaming down her face, eyes wide with a mix of fear and relief.
She looks at me like I’m the only real thing left in her world.
I step forward and pull her into my arms, lifting her off the ground.
She wraps her legs around my waist and buries her face in my neck, sobbing.
I hold her tight, one hand cradling the back of her head, the other supporting her. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you, Piper. It’s over. He can’t hurt you anymore.”
She clings to me, crying harder. “I was so scared. I didn’t want to leave you. But I had to. I had to try.”
“I know,” I whisper, pressing kisses to her hair, her temple, her cheek. “You were so brave. So damn brave. I’m so proud of you. You did it. You got him. He’s done.”
She pulls back just enough to look at me. Her eyes are red and puffy, but they’re full of love. “I love you, Boyd. I love you so much. I want to stay with you. I want the cabin and the mountain and the family dinners and everything. I want forever with you.”
I kiss her then, deep and slow and full of every promise I have. She kisses me back with the same need, the same relief, the same love. When we finally pull apart, I rest my forehead against hers.
“I love you too,” I say, voice thick. “More than I ever thought I could love anyone. You’re my home, Piper. You’re my everything. Stay with me. Build a life with me here. Marry me. Have children with me. Grow old with me on this mountain. I want all of it with you.”
Tears slip down her cheeks again, but this time they are happy tears. She smiles, bright and real. “Yes. A thousand times yes.”
I kiss her again, softer this time, pouring every ounce of love I feel into it. Around us the marshals are finishing up. Viktor Lane’s being loaded into a vehicle, face still twisted in anger. His men are in cuffs. It’s really over.
I carry Piper outside. The other men from Haven 7 are waiting. Harlan gives me a nod. Wyatt claps me on the shoulder. The women are already gathering, ready to welcome her back with open arms.
I set Piper down gently but keep her tucked against my side. She leans into me, exhausted but happy. The mountain stands tall and quiet around us, like it always has. Like it always will.
Piper looks up at me, eyes shining. “Take me home, Boyd.”
I kiss the top of her head. “Home is right here with me. Always.”
We climb into the truck together. As we drive back up the mountain, her hand stays in mine the entire way. The future stretches out in front of us, bright and full of promise. No more running. No more fear. Just us. Just love. Just the life we both fought so hard for.
She’s mine.
And I’m never letting her go.