Page 58 of Her Remarkable Protector

Good question. One I’ve already answered in my mind.

The attack at my house wasn’t just about Honor; it was aimed at me too. I haven’t forgotten the rift between Damon and me. We started out close, but as the Circle grew more violent and Stone Senior worked to pit us against each other, the cracks deepened. Walking away from the Circle unchallenged, I left Damon stranded in the middle of a crucial drop. I’m not naïve—this is more than just a vendetta. Damon has every reason to come after me.

Honor and I need to get out, lie low, and regroup.

“Santa Sophia,” I say simply.

Honor shoots me a quizzical look, like I’ve just suggested a vacation in Turkey.

“Huh,” Huxley grunts, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. He knows exactly what I mean.

“Don’t ruin the surprise, Comet,” I say, pointing at him like a teacher catching a kid mid-prank.

He mimes zipping his lips.

“Chase, are you taking me to disappear this time?” Honor asks.

“Well, let’s call it a getaway. The ‘where’ doesn’t bother you, does it?”

“No. As long as Laramie can do her baby things and I can do the mama things,” she says clearly, like everyone in the room is already her family. Well, they are.

“Of course,” I reply.

“So, what happens to our office in Bozeman?” Ethan chimes in over the speaker. “Does that mean I get to play boss?”

Mark says, “I’ll hold the fort in Bozeman.”

Bubble, officially burst. Ethan groans dramatically. “Killjoy.”

“Appreciate that, Mark,” I say with a nod.

He claps me on the back. “We’ve got your back, Chase.”

I glance around at the team, gratitude tightening in my chest. “With all of us here, in short, Damon Stone can suck his own ass!”

The room dissolves into scattered chuckles, and we break to handle our next steps. Honor tugs me aside as the others disperse.

“I need to talk to Oakley,” she says, her voice steady but determined. “I don’t want him thinking I’m abandoning him.”

“You want him to come with us?” I ask, meeting her gaze. If that’s what she wants, I’ll move mountains to make it happen. But given how well things are going at the farm, I genuinely believe it’s the best place for him right now.

“Tell me Damon doesn’t know—doesn’t even have a whiff of a clue—that Oakley’s there?”

“He doesn’t. And the farm is secure. We’ve got men on-site, some of them ex-military. He’s in solid hands.”

Honor exhales, her nod slow. “I miss him, but I can’t risk leading anyone to him.”

I see the resolve in her expression. She understands the stakes, but I also know how hard this is for her—and how Oakley might feel about it. “Call him,” I say simply.

She dials right then and there, putting the phone on speaker. I stay rooted beside her, silent but ready, as she faces the moment head-on.

“Oak,” she begins, her voice steady yet threaded with warmth, “I’m going to be gone for a while. I can’t come near you—I won’t risk leading anyone to you.”

The line goes quiet, the weight of her words hanging there.

“You know how dangerous your parents are,” she presses when he doesn’t respond.

“I could’ve protected you!” Oakley’s voice bursts through the speaker. There’s no mistaking it—he’s still rattled by what happened at my house.

---