Page 49 of Montana Memory

Lucas frowned. “What do you mean?”

I rubbed the back of my neck, every muscle in my body tight. “Normally, there’s a trigger. You know what I’m talking about—something that sets me on edge. But not this time. I wasn’t in a crowded place. I wasn’t cornered. It had been a good day. A fucking fantastic day. We worked over at Pawsitive, we got kittens, we had—” I stopped short, shaking my head. I didn’t need to kiss-and-tell. “Doesn’t matter. Point is, there was nothing that should’ve set me off.”

If I could snap like that, completely out of nowhere, I was a ticking bomb.

“If I can’t trust myself when things are fine, how the hell am I supposed to be around her?” I continued, my voice rough, jagged. “Around anyone?”

Lucas leaned forward, bracing his forearms on his knees. “You think running fixes that? I’ve been trying to get you to stay here at Resting Warrior Ranch since you got out of the Army. To slow down and let yourself heal a little bit. Hell, we created this place exactly for people like you.”

I shook my head. “We both know I’m not a sit-around-and-heal sort of guy. I have todostuff. Animals are fine, and I like them and all, but that’s not for me full time. You know that.”

Lucas nodded like he’d been expecting this. Like he’d known I was going to show up here this morning, ready to leave.

“Interestingly, that very thing is what Lachlan and I were just talking about. Something I’ve had in mind for a while now,” he said. “Warrior Security.”

I frowned. “What?”

Lucas shot a glance at Lachlan, then back to me. “Me and the guys—our old SEAL team—feel like it’s time to start an official tactical unit here at Resting Warrior. A mix of security and private contracts. Part of Resting Warrior and our mission, but separate from the ranch itself.”

I sat back, brow furrowing.

He kept going. “Personal protection jobs, helping law enforcement as needed when they can’t handle it.” He tipped his head toward Lachlan. “No offense.”

Lachlan huffed out a quiet laugh. “None taken.”

“You know the drill,” Lucas continued. “We’ve had enough shit go down around here that it makes sense to have a team trained to handle it and be on ready.”

I nodded. That did make sense.

Lucas’s gaze stayed locked on mine. “It’s like the stuff you do when you contract out to Citadel Solutions, but on a less international scale. Close to home. A team available as we need it for stuff like Kenzie’s kidnapping and all the other things that’ve happened here on the ranch over the years.”

I ran a hand down my face. I could see the appeal. “It’s not a terrible idea, but what’s it got to do with me?”

“We’d like you to consider heading it up,” Lucas said.

I blinked. Of all the things I expected him to say, that wasn’t one of them.

Lucas shrugged. “You’re a protector, Hunter, and a leader. You always have been, regardless of whether you want to accept it or not. Warrior Security would give you a reason for being here. A reason to stop running and a chance to take advantage of what we have to offer and start to heal. But most importantly, Warrior Security would give you an outlet.”

An outlet.

I stared down at my hands, the same ones that had bruised Jada’s arms, the same ones that had ended lives, saved lives. The same ones that had held her carefully hours earlier, like she was something breakable.

Part of me felt a pull—a sharp, almost instinctiveyesto Lucas’s offer. This was what I knew. Tactical work. Combat. Protecting people. But another part of me—the part that had spent years avoiding any kind of roots—was already shifting into retreat.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. My voice was rough, the edges raw. “I’ve spent a long time running.”

Lucas nodded once, like that answer didn’t surprise him either. “Maybe it’s time you stopped. Stay and think about it. That’s all I’m asking. If you still want to go in a few days, you can. But do it right—not sneaking off. However much you think a bruise might’ve hurt Jada, this will hurt her much worse.”

Silence stretched between us. My cousin was right—fucker usually was. Finally, I nodded. “Okay. I’ll stay. No promises, but I’ll think about the Warrior Security thing.”

Lucas finished his coffee. “Good. That’s all I ask.”

Finally, I felt like my stomach could handle the coffee Lucas had set in front of me when I’d first sat down. I sipped it, ignoring that it had already gone cold.

“I’m glad you’re staying.” Lachlan was the one who finally broke the quiet. “But just so you know, Jensen and Kenzie will be back in the next couple days.”

I rolled my shoulders, forcing myself to relax. Jensen and Kenzie coming back wasn’t a surprise. They had lives here. Jensen had a business to run. Kenzie was part of this town.

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