Page 2 of Liberated Mountain Man

“Jax! Where the hell are you?”

I look up and see him standing at the top of the garden, his face twisted in frustration. He’s been on edge lately—moneyproblems, business deals gone bad. I don’t know the details, but I know that look. It’s not a good time to cross him.

Cassie’s eyes go wide with panic, and before I can move, she grabs my hand, her small fingers gripping mine tightly.

“Don’t go,” she pleads, her voice tiny and desperate. “Please don’t go.”

Her words hit me in the chest like a knife. I don’t want to leave. God, I don’t want to leave her here. But my dad’s already striding down the path, and I know better than to disobey him.

Before I can stand, another voice cuts through the air—cold, sharp.

Cassie’s father.

He steps out of the shadows, his suit crisp, his eyes as hard as stone. There’s something about him that makes my skin crawl. He looks at me like I’m nothing, like I don’t belong here—like I don’t deserve to even be near his daughter.

“Get away from my daughter,” he says, his voice low and threatening.

My dad’s face darkens, and he storms over, fists clenched. “You think you can talk to my son like that? You think you can treat people like they’re beneath you?”

Cassie’s father barely reacts. He just stands there, cold and indifferent. “Leave,” he says again, his voice like ice. “Before I have you both thrown out.”

“You’re nothing but a crook,” my dad growls, stepping closer, his fists still tight. “You think you can cheat me? I’m not some piece of trash you can just toss out.”

Cassie’s father doesn’t even blink. His lips curl into a cruel smile. “Get out. Now.”

I can see the tension in my dad’s eyes. He wants to hit him, to do something, but I know he’s thinking of the consequences. Finally, he grabs me by the arm and pulls me to my feet.

“We’re done here, Jax,” he says through gritted teeth. “Never trust a crook. They’ll swindle you, too.”

Cassie’s grip tightens on my hand, and her eyes fill with tears again, more desperate than before. “Please don’t go,” she whispers, her voice cracking. “Please.”

“I’ll come back,” I promise, my voice hoarse, as my dad drags me away. “I swear, Cassie, I’ll come back for you.”

The gate slams shut behind us, cutting me off, leaving her behind in that cold, lifeless house. The scent of cedar lingers in the air, grounding me, reminding me of the promise I just made.

I’ll come back for her. I’ll find her again, and when I do, I’ll take her away from this place. She’s mine now. She just doesn’t know it yet.

Chapter 1

Cassie

12 years later…

“You’re being married off. The deal’s done.”

My father’s voice booms through the room, sharp as a whip, the words making my heart stutter.

I stare at him, trying to grasp the meaning. “What?”

His expression doesn’t falter. Cold. Calculated. He stands behind his desk like some kind of god, hands braced on the wooden surface as he levels me with a look that sends ice trickling down my spine. “You heard me. The Russians want you. You’re part of the package.”

I stagger back, bile rising in my throat.This can’t be happening. Not this. He wouldn’t…

But I know better. My father always does what benefits him most. I was never more than a pawn to him. A doll kept in a gilded cage. I glance toward the window, the garden where I spent my entire life. A prison disguised as luxury, where my only escape was through the flowers and the sky, never allowed beyond the estate walls.

“No,” I whisper, more to myself than to him. My voice cracks. “No.”

It’s the first time I have the courage to utter the word no.

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