Page 22 of Comforted By The Mountain Man
"But it wasn't."
"No." She finally looks up at me. "It was a prison. I was Oscar's property, Ryder was a burden they tolerated, and I was always one wrong move away from being discarded or worse."
Tony appears with a basket of warm bread and small plates of olive oil and vinegar, setting them down quietly before retreating. The interruption gives me a moment to process what she's telling me, and the rage building in my chest.
The urge to reach across the table and take her hand is overwhelming. This time, I don't hold back. I cover her trembling fingers with mine, and she doesn't pull away.
"What changed?" I ask gently.
"Oscar got greedy. Started skimming money from the club's operations. I helped him with the books, so I knew what he was doing but I couldn't stop him. When they found out..." She swallows hard, her hand tightening under mine. "They killed him. And they decided I knew too much to be trusted."
"So you ran."
"A woman called me in the middle of the night, no doubt one of Oscar’s mistresses, warned me they were coming for me. I had maybe two hours to get out with Ryder." She's looking at our joined hands now, like she can't quite believe she's letting me touch her. "We barely made it to the safety deposit box Oscar had set up. The cabin deed was inside, along with keys to that old truck."
"Sierra," I say softly, and she finally meets my eyes. "You saved your son. You saved yourself. That takes incredible courage."
A tear slips down her cheek. "I was so scared. I'm still scared. Every day I wonder if today's the day they find us."
Tony returns with steaming plates of osso buco, the rich smell of braised meat and wine sauce filling our little alcove. He sets them down with practiced quiet and disappears again, giving us our privacy.
"You're not paranoid," I tell her, my thumb stroking across her knuckles. "Your instincts kept you and Ryder alive for four years. If you felt like you were being watched, you probably were."
"What am I supposed to do, Asher? Run again? Keep running until they give up or find us?" Her voice breaks slightly. "I'm so tired of being afraid. So tired of Ryder never having a real home."
Every protective instinct I have roars to life at the thought of her running again. Of losing her just when she's starting to trust me, starting to let me in. But I can see the fear in her eyes, theway she's already mentally planning escape routes, and I know I have to be careful here. The last thing Sierra needs is another man trying to control her choices.
"No," I say firmly, but keep my voice gentle. "You're not running anymore. But Sierra, that cabin isn't safe right now. Not with a broken door and the structural issues from the water damage."
She blinks, like she hadn't even thought about that. "I can get a new lock..."
"It's not just the lock." I lean forward, making sure she's hearing me. "The door frame is compromised. Some of the floorboards are warped from the flooding. And if someone is watching, they know exactly where you are."
I can see her starting to panic again, so I squeeze her hands gently. "Hey, look at me. I'm not saying this to scare you. I'm saying it because I have a solution."
"What kind of solution?"
"Stay with me. At my place." The words come out in a rush, and I see her eyes widen. "I have plenty of room. Three bedrooms, and it's secure. Better locks, alarm system, and it's far enough up the mountain that no one can approach without me knowing about it."
She's shaking her head before I finish. "Asher, I can't. That's too much to ask."
"You're not asking. I'm offering." I gently squeeze her hands again. "Sierra, I broke your door trying to help you. I'm partially responsible for you not feeling safe there. Let me fix this."
"It's not about the door..."
"Then what is it about?"
She looks down at our joined hands. "I've never lived with a man who wasn't... who didn't expect things from me. I don't know how to do this without losing myself again."
My heart breaks a little at the quiet admission. "What if I told you that you'd have your own space? Your own room, your own bathroom. You and Ryder would have complete privacy whenever you want it. I'm not asking you to be anything other than exactly who you are."
"And if I need to leave?"
"Then you leave. No questions asked. Your truck will be in my driveway, keys in your hand. You're not a prisoner, Sierra. You're a woman I'm starting to care about who deserves to feel safe."
She searches my face, and I can see her weighing her options. "What about your brothers? What will they think?"
"They'll think I'm doing the right thing. And honestly? I don't care what anyone else thinks. This is about keeping you and Ryder safe."
