Page 56 of Mountain Hero

I tuck that away for the future—add clock to pantry slash panic room—and swallow back a snort at the ridiculous thought. As if I’ll be hiding in here again?

God. I hope not.

In the absence of a clock to watch, I start counting. My tears are still coming, but they’re leaking instead of flowing in torrents. I try to match my breathing to the counts—four, eight, twelve, sixteen…

One plea keeps repeating in my head. Please be okay.

I’ve just broken five hundred when a knock sounds on the other side of the door.

My lungs seize. My heart pounds so hard I fear a heart attack.

“Winter. It’s okay. It’s over.”

Oh, God.

At first, I’m afraid to let myself believe it. In a tremulous voice, I ask, “Enzo? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, hun.” His voice wraps around me like a comforting blanket. “I’m okay. Everyone is. Ronan and Gage have him. It’s safe to come out.”

Like a jack-in-the-box bursting free, I leap into action. Jumping up, lunging at the door, fumbling at the locks—why are they so complicated?—and finally, flinging the door open.

He’s here.

While I want to throw myself in his arms, I take a moment to assess him. My gaze moves from his feet to the top of his head, searching for any sign of injury. But there’s nothing. Just Enzo, looking very intense and intimidating, tension still vibrating through his body, but visibly unharmed.

“Enzo,” I whisper. “You’re okay.”

“Ah, hun.” His expression softens. He gathers me to him, one hand rubbing up and down my back, the other brushing the dampness from my cheeks. “I’m so sorry you were scared.”

There’s no point in denying it. “I was scared you might get hurt,” I admit quietly. “Even though I knew… I was scared.”

Enzo dips his head and kisses each cheek, then my lips, before meeting my gaze steadily. “I promised I’d be back.”

“I know.” My arms tighten around him. “I know you did. I just… if something happened to you…”

“It’s okay, hun.” Enzo lifts me in his arms, one beneath my legs, the other behind my back. He cradles me to his chest and walks through the kitchen, which I now realize is fully-lit, and into the living room.

Part of me wants to insist I can walk. I may have had a panic attack in the pantry, but my legs are still in working order.

Then again, being held feels really nice. So I ignore the little voice telling me to be independent and rest my head on Enzo’s shoulder instead.

He presses his lips to the top of my head for a moment before crooning, “It’s okay, hun. I’ve got you.”

When he lowers me to the couch, I almost beg him not to let go. But I swallow it back.

“I have to talk to the police,” he says, frowning. He cups my cheek as a regretful expression moves across his face. “It shouldn’t take long. Alec just got here, so he’ll come sit with you until I’m done.”

“Okay.” Even though I want to beg him to stay, I know that’s ridiculous. “But… what happened?”

“Do you want to know now?” Enzo eyes me with an assessing gaze. “Maybe later would be better.”

“No. I want to know. At least the basics. Please?”

After a moment’s hesitation, Enzo nods. He sits beside me and takes my hand. “We spotted him as he breached the fence line, just beyond the shed where Ronan was stationed. We got into position, but didn’t approach until he got close to the house.”

“Then what?”

“We watched him break in,” Enzo replies. “I wanted to get him on breaking and entering, too. And the second he got inside, we grabbed him.”

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