Page 81 of Mountain Protector

“I tried hacking into Vinnetti’s laptop before, but it’s been powered off,” Alec explains. “And without it even being plugged in, I wasn’t able to remotely access it. But now… I’m hoping I can find something.”

“I can’t wait.” Yanking my car keys from my pocket, I take a few steps toward the door. “It’s going to take me forty minutes to get to Montpelier already.”

“Of course.” Enzo gives me a chin lift. “I’ll call you the second I hear anything.”

“I’ll come with you.” Ronan meets my gaze. “I can drive while you call Lark. Explain what’s going on.”

“Okay.” Fear is beating at me, a silent but insistent voice urging me to move faster. To get to Lark’s office right away. Faster than that.Now.

Forget walking, I break into a jog as we leave the house. I throw my keys at Ronan and say, “Go as fast as you can without getting pulled over.”

“Will do.” He hops into my truck and turns it on. His eyes are dark and determined. “We’ll get to your girl, Knox. She’ll be fine.”

I wish it was that easy to believe. But the same thought keeps repeating.Lark’s alone and I’m not there to protect her.

Lark’s alone and I’m not there to protect her.

Fuck. I promised.

As Ronan accelerates down Knox’s driveway and takes a sharp turn onto the road, I call Lark, hoping likeanything that she’s still in her office and that she answers right away.

But she doesn’t. The call goes to voicemail.

Shit.

I call again.

The same thing happens.

I’m about to text her when a message blinks onto my screen.Lark.

Sorry I couldn’t answer. I have someone in my office. I saw Ronan’s message. What’s wrong?

Relief rushes through me so quickly I’m breathless for a second. Then I quickly send a reply.

Can you ask them to leave? I need to talk to you. It’s important. And please, stay in your office.

The three dots on the screen blink for a second.

Yes. Just give me a minute.

Ronan glances over. “Can you put Lark’s office in the GPS? I know Montpelier, but I’m not exactly sure where she is.”

“Yes.” I reach to the dashboard and punch in her company’s address. “She’s in her office, still. Just in a meeting, but she’s going to call me right back.”

He nods, approval in his eyes. “Good. So she’ll be safe until we get there. And then—you’re bringing her back to GMG again?”

Shit. Of course, Lark’s safety is my priority, but there’s less than a week until Christmas. Her cabin is all decorated. We have plans to see her dad. She’s going to be crushed if we have to cancel.

Dammit.

This is the part no one tells you about love. That when you love someone, you take their pain as yourown. And nothing hurts more than seeing their pain and knowing there’s nothing you can do to take it away.

“Yeah,” I reply. “Even with the new security at her place, it’ll be safer at GMG. It’s just?—”

My phone rings, and for just a millisecond, my brain thinks it’s Lark.

Then I realize,no. It’s Enzo. Which means he has news.

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