Page 13 of Rescued By the Major

I step out from behind Anders, my fingers finding the steady strength of his forearm. Linking my arm with his, I stare at the man who haunted me these past months, and since I heard he was released out of prison early. Who’d made me so afraid of life that I’d run to somewhere remote; to hide myself away and hope he wouldn’t find me.

Gary gapes at me, his eyes dropping to where Anders and I are connected. His mouth curves in a smirk, that scary light I remembered so well sparking in his eyes. I know the words he wants to say before his mouth even opens.

“No, Gary.” I’m impressed by how strong my voice is now, and I let that carry me forward. “You don't get to call me names and try to trash me. I know who I am, what I’ve lived through to this point, and most of all, I know what you are. You’renothing.”

I spot the man who drove Gary up here on a phone, similar in style to the one Anders has inside. His lips are moving, but I can’t hear his words. I’m too focused on what more I have to say.

“Never come near me again. Never.”

Anders shifts his stance, and Gary flinches back a step. “He won't be coming around anymore. Won’t be tracking your phone. Won’t try to contact you at all. Isn’t that right, Gary?”

I wait, my eyes darting back and forth between the two men, and ice settles in the pit of my stomach. “Tracking my phone?”

“That’s how Max and Livvy knew where you were stranded. I’m guessing Livvy has your permission to access that information.” Anders frowns, his eyes returning to Gary, and I see his fist clench with anger. “But this guy, he didn’t bother with anything like that. Naw, he felt entitled to that information. After all, you belonged to him.”

The fear from earlier has cleared now, replaced by a rising tide of anger. “I never belonged to him.”

Anders smiles down at me, the warmth I’m used to seeing when his gaze meets mine is back. “Oh, I know that, honey. The difference is, now he knows it too.”

Gary turns around, his skin the color of soured milk, and he jerks his head at Mickey. “Take me back to town.”

Mickey shakes his head, that pompom on his head bobbing with the motion. “Not happening. In fact, the sheriff has a vehicle on its way here now. Special order. Just for you.” Then he crosses his arm over his chest, and I’m struck by how big he actually is. Maybe it was the ridiculous winter hat, but he’s a true mountain man.

I see the moment that defeat settles over Gary and all the bravado leaves him. He looks back at me, a plea in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Eva. I didn’t mean to hurt you. You know that, right? It was just an accident.”

I think back to that night, the fury and violence on his face still so clear in my memory. As are the thoughtless, cruel words he said to me leading up to that night. The fact that even after everything that’s gone on, he still thinks he had the right to find me, track me down, come claim me like property he was owed. It’s another moment of clarity.

“No, it wasn’t, Gary. Whether you'll admit it or not, you wanted to hurt me that night.” I take a deep breath and tack on the information I only learned from the attorney who prosecuted him. “Just like the other women you hurt before me. And I’ll say for all of us that we should never have to see you again.”

With that, I spin on my heel, only pausing as Anders squeezes my fingers. He gives me an approving smile and my stomach flips with excitement. I strut back into the cabin and shut the door.

And when I lean back against it, I close my eyes and laugh.

I’m finally…free.

12

ANDERS

Seeingthe fear on Eve’s face when she saw her ex show up almost tore me in half. Every protective instinct I had rushed to the forefront in that moment, and I won’t deny the temptation to knock him out was there. But that’s not what my Eva needed. She needed to see she could face him and that she didn’t have to do it alone.

When the deputies arrived, we were all questioned, and Eva answered all their inquiries without faltering. We learned Mickey ran into the guy in town at the local diner, where they’d both been eating breakfast. Mick’s the kind of guy who’ll talk to anyone and when Gary mentioned he was worried about his girlfriend being stranded up on the mountain, Mickey offered to give him a ride. He had no idea Gary wasn’t supposed to go anywhere near Eva.

I felt bad for him. This whole experience had shaken his faith in his fellow man and he confessed he felt guilty for putting Eva through it all. She hugged him, and told him he did nothing wrong, then invited him into the cabin for coffee. Mickey left an hour later with a smile on his face and a promise to bring hersome of the pie from the diner, because it was the best she’d ever have.

“You did great,” I say to her as she snuggles against my chest. Holding her tight, all the tension still running through me uncoils and I can finally take a deep breath.

“I was so scared when I saw him, Anders. It was like I was right back there again, that night.” She sighs, and her arms tighten around me. “I felt like a coward.”

“That was the bravest thing I’ve ever seen,” I tell her, guiding her head up until her eyes meet mine. “You were afraid, and you faced him. That’s courage, not cowardice.”

Her eyes go glassy with moisture, and I wipe away the tears as they start to spill free.

“Aw, don’t cry, sweetheart.”

She laughs and shakes her head. “I’m crying because that has to be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

“Well don’t tell Max and Livvy that or you’ll ruin my reputation as the biggest grump they know.”

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