Chapter 17
SEVENTEEN
THORNE
The gunfire cracks through the night like endless thunder.
I stay low behind the overturned table near the shattered front window of the lodge, rifle steady against my shoulder.
My breathing is controlled, each shot deliberate.
Every time I squeeze the trigger, another one of Magnus’s men drops or dives for cover.
The air is thick with the smell of gunpowder and burning rubber from the crashed trucks outside.
My shoulder aches from the recoil, but the pain is distant.
All that matters is keeping these bastards from reaching the bunker door downstairs.
Silas fires from his position behind the stone fireplace, voice steady as he calls out targets.
Rafe moves like a shadow along the side wall, picking off anyone who tries to flank us.
Boyd and Wyatt have taken up positions near the east windows, their shots precise and unrelenting.
The rest of the men cover every angle, working together like the well-oiled unit we became years ago.
Magnus’s crew fights hard, but they’re starting to falter. Their numbers are thinning. The gate hangs crooked on its hinges, twisted metal screaming every time another truck tries to ram through. I drop another attacker who tries to sprint toward the porch. He crumples before he makes it halfway.
Then the tide turns.
Distant sirens cut through the chaos, growing louder by the second. Red and blue lights flash through the trees as police cruisers and SWAT vehicles tear up the mountain road. Backup has arrived. Thank fucking god.
The attackers notice too. Panic ripples through their ranks.
Some try to retreat toward the broken gate, but it’s too late.
Sheriff’s deputies and state troopers pour out of their vehicles, shouting commands and returning fire.
The fight becomes a coordinated takedown.
Magnus’s men are outnumbered and outmaneuvered now.
One by one they drop their weapons or fall.
I keep firing until Silas yells, “Hold! Let the police handle the rest!”
I lower my rifle but stay ready, eyes scanning the darkness. Then I see him. Magnus. He stands near the mangled gate, rifle raised, screaming orders at his remaining men. His face is twisted with rage. He spots me through the broken window and levels his weapon in my direction.
Before he can pull the trigger, multiple shots ring out from the police line. Magnus jerks backward, body convulsing as bullets strike him. He collapses in a heap near the wrecked truck, motionless. Dead.
The remaining attackers throw down their weapons and drop to their knees as deputies swarm in, cuffing them one by one. The gunfire finally stops. The night falls into an eerie quiet broken only by the crackle of police radios and the low hum of engines.
No one from Haven 7 is hurt. A few minor grazes, nothing serious.
Eli already moves among the men, checking everyone quickly.
Silas steps out onto the porch, badge visible, and begins coordinating with the arriving officers.
Rafe lowers his rifle and exhales slowly.
Boyd claps Wyatt on the back. The relief in the room is palpable.
I set my rifle down and run.
My boots pound across the lodge floor toward the back hallway. I reach the bunker door and slam my fist against the heavy steel. “It’s over! Open up! It’s safe!”
The locks disengage with a series of heavy clunks. The door swings open. Harper stands there first, Poppi still in her arms. Kayley follows with Aidan. The other women file out behind them. Then I see Sadie.
She flies up the stairs and straight into my arms. I catch her, lifting her off the ground as she wraps her legs around my waist and buries her face in my neck. Her whole body trembles. I hold her tight, one hand cradling the back of her head, the other supporting her weight.
“You’re safe,” I murmur against her hair. “It’s over. Magnus’s dead. His men are in custody. No one here got hurt. You’re safe, baby girl.”
She pulls back just enough to look at me, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her hands frame my face, fingers tracing my jaw as if she needs to convince herself I’m real. “I was so scared for you. I kept thinking about you up here fighting and I couldn’t do anything.”
“I know,” I say softly. “But I had to keep you safe. That was all I could think about the whole time. Keep Sadie safe. Nothing else mattered.”
I carry her out of the bunker and into the main room of the lodge.
The police are already securing the scene outside.
Silas walks in, looking tired but steady, and gives me a nod.
“We got them all. Magnus is gone. The rest are being processed. I’ll need statements, but that can wait until the morning. ”
I set Sadie down but keep her tucked against my side. “Here’s the evidence.” I hand him the USB. “It should wrap this up cleanly.”
Silas claps me on the shoulder. “Good work tonight. All of you. Go be with your woman. We’ll handle the rest.”
The other men gather their families. Harper and Rafe disappear into a quiet corner with Poppi. Kayley and Gavin take Aidan upstairs. The lodge slowly empties as couples and families head back to their cabins, the weight of the night beginning to lift.
Sadie and I walk outside together. The mountain air feels different now.
Cleaner. The flashing lights of the police cars paint the trees in red and blue, but the gunfire is gone.
The threat is gone. I lead her along the path toward our cabin, my arm around her shoulders.
She leans into me the whole way, her steps steady but still a little shaky.
Inside the cabin I lock the door behind us and turn on the lamp. The familiar space wraps around us. The navy quilt on the bed. The smell of cedar and woodsmoke. Sadie stands in the middle of the room and looks at me, eyes still bright with unshed tears.
“I love you,” I say, the words coming out raw and certain.
“I should have said it sooner. I love you, Sadie. Not because you needed saving. Not because you’re here.
I love you because you’re you. Strong and kind and the woman who makes this mountain feel like home.
I want forever with you. Right here. Every Sunday dinner.
Every quiet morning. Every hard day and every good one. I’m all in.”
She steps forward and wraps her arms around my waist, pressing her cheek to my chest.
“I love you too,” she whispers. “So much it scares me sometimes. But I’m not scared anymore. Not of this. Not of us. I want the same thing. I want to stay here forever with you. I want to build that life we talked about. The pancakes and the stories and the family we choose every day.”
I tilt her chin up and kiss her. The kiss starts soft, full of relief and gratitude, but quickly deepens into something hotter, more urgent. All the fear and adrenaline from the fight pours into it. She kisses me back just as fiercely, fingers digging into my shoulders.
We stumble toward the bed, shedding clothes as we go. My jacket hits the floor. Her flannel shirt follows. Boots are kicked off. When we fall onto the mattress I take my time, kissing every inch of her skin like I need to remind myself she’s real and safe and mine.
“You’re so beautiful,” I murmur against her neck. “So strong. I can’t believe you’re mine.”
She arches into my touch, hands roaming over my back. “I’m yours. Always.”
We make love slowly at first, savoring every moment.
I move inside her with deep, steady strokes, whispering how much I love her between kisses.
She wraps her legs around me and holds on tight, meeting every thrust with the same need.
The pleasure builds gradually, sweet and overwhelming, until we both shatter together, clinging to each other as the last of the night’s tension finally breaks.
Afterward we lie tangled in the sheets, her head on my chest, my fingers tracing lazy patterns on her back. The cabin is quiet except for our breathing and the distant murmur of police activity outside.
“It’s really over?” she asks softly.
“It’s over,” I confirm. “Magnus is gone. The evidence will put the rest away for a long time. Silas will handle the official side. We can finally breathe.”
She lifts her head and looks at me, eyes shining. “I want to stay here forever, Thorne. With you. With the Sunday dinners and the garden and the children running around someday. I want all of it.”
I smile and pull her closer. “Then that’s exactly what we’ll have. You and me. Your sister once we get everything settled. This cabin. This mountain. This family we found. I love you, Sadie. And I’m never letting you go.”
“I love you too,” she whispers, settling back against my chest. “Forever.”
We fall asleep like that, wrapped in each other, the weight of the past finally lifted. The mountain stands guard outside our window, silent and strong, just like the life we’re building together.
Tomorrow there’ll be statements and cleanup and the slow return to normal. But tonight there is only peace. Only love. Only the future we both chose.
And it’s more than enough.
Thank you so much for reading Thorne and Sadie’s love story!!