Page 17 of My Ruthless Mountain Man

There’s only one way I can see out of this. “I’ll call a friend in New Orleans. He should be able to get me the money in a few hours.”

Kendall sits up. “You plan to pay the debt?”

“If that’s what it takes to keep you safe, then yeah.”

“No. That’s not right. Ryan made this mess. He can’t keep blaming you for all his problems. You shouldn’t pay guilt money to fix it. Even if you had stayed in the same unit or whatever, who’s to say he wouldn’t have continued to make bad choices and still end up here? How many people would have died if you weren’t with your SEAL team to save them?”

Too many.

“None of his actions are your fault, Stone. You can’t carry that guilt.”

“Maybe I wouldn’t have lost his friendship.”

Tears well in her eyes. She blinks them away and says, “He’s so twisted up inside. I think you probably still would have.”

I cup her cheek and place a soft kiss on her lips. “Maybe you’re right. But paying the debt is no longer about Ryan. It’s about you. If I have to drop Petrova’s ass in the middle of Fort Knox to keep him away from you, I’ll fucking do it.”

Kendall climbs into my lap and wraps her arms around my neck, holding me close. I feel the bonds between us growing deeper with every breath. Every confession. I will forever beindebted to Ryan for the friendship we had. Through it, I found Kendall. The woman I’m in love with.

The difference in our age doesn’t matter. All it means is that we can learn different things about each other. What matters is how I feel, and just the thought of losing her scares me like nothing ever has. I need her with me. Now and always.

“You don’t have to clean up after him, Kendall. I admire your loyalty and the love you have for him. But he has to learn to face his own actions. You heard him out there. He still believes all this is someone else’s fault. That he’s the victim.”

“I know he’s responsible for his choices.”

“Then you have to let him face the consequences, or he won’t change.”

“I’m so afraid to lose him, Stone. That he’ll go so far out on that limb, it will snap, and he’ll fall to his death.”

“I know, baby girl.” I can’t tell her not to worry. Even if he does fall, he’ll have to catch himself for once. Her brother has been her hero her whole life. Seeing him fall without trying to help would break her. “We’ll do what we can. At some point though, it’s up to him. I won’t let you keep getting hurt every time he needs someone to mop up his mess.”

She tangles her fingers with mine. “I’ll help you stop feeling guilty if you will help me stop trying to fix him.”

I bring her hand up to my lips for a soft kiss. “Deal.”

She smiles like the sun breaking through the dark storm clouds.

I pull her in for another, tender kiss, letting it linger.

Right as the heat begins to build, my radio crackles across the room.

...accident. ...on foot. Be advised of road blockage, and possible...

The hair prickles on the back of my neck, and my muscles tense. I set Kendall on the cushion beside me and shoot to myfeet, grabbing the radio. “Hollow Point One, this is Colter. Please repeat.”

Kendall is by my side in seconds, barely breathing. The worry flashing through her eyes confirms she’s feeling this sense of foreboding too.

“Acknowledged Colter. This is Bishop. Two miles south of you, a truck slid into a tree and is blocking the road.”

Shit. Ryan tore out of here full of fire and fury, too angry to drive reasonably in the pouring rain. “The make?”

“Old Ford truck, probably from the ‘70s.”

Kendall’s hand covers her mouth.

“The driver?” I ask, jaw clenched.

“On foot. He and the other group are unaccounted for at this time. The storm is clearing. Hale will have the thermal drone up in the next few minutes.”

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