Page 16 of Comforted By The Mountain Man (Eden Ridge: Hunter Brothers #1)

SIERRA

P acing, I keep checking both the phone I arrived with and the new one. I convinced Viper that I was searching for the contact information they wanted but I needed a little time.

They sent a picture of my son at a window, inside what looked like an office. If it weren’t for Grace, I would have fallen apart. The last update I received was from Beckett, informing Gracie and me that they had arrived and would be back with Ryder. To stand by.

Well, I’ve been standing by for an hour now and I keep hitting waves of emotional despair, fear, holding back tears, anger, then numbness. Rinse. Repeat.

None of this feels real. My mind wants to protect me by pretending Asher and Ryder went to get cupcakes and are about to walk through that door any minute now, laughing while Ryder bounces high on sugar.

Oh, God, please tell me I get to see my baby again.

Burning a hole in the living room floor where I have a better view of the front windows, I wring my fingers, no longer able to hold back the tears.

“Grace,” I whisper, choking on a sob.

She crosses the room and holds me as every scenario rapidly catalogs like a nightmare reel in my mind.

At the time, when they assembled and left, I felt confident, but now, I have to ask, what qualifies the Hunter brothers to take on a vicious MC who doesn't believe in rules?

They play dirty. What if something happens to one of the brothers because of me?

I could be responsible for bringing more pain and loss to this family.

They’ve already lost so much.

Oh, Asher. Please come back to me.

A roar of engines rumble down the path. Grace and I momentarily freeze before running to exit the front door.

“Mama!” Ryder’s voice breaks as he jumps out of Beckett’s arms and runs to me.

My world stops. Tripping down Asher’s front steps, I leap off the last one, fall to my knees, and catch my everything, holding his small body as he trembles.

Into my neck, he breathlessly rambles, “I was so brave, Mama. Even though I was scared. I was thinking of all the Hunter-vengers coming to save me. And then,” he hiccups, “Daddy came for me.”

Crying into his curls, I look up, taking in each of them individually. They look battered. Some with splatters of blood but no one seems hurt.

Wait.

“He stayed to save us,” Ryder keeps telling me his story. “I’m so scared. He’s not back yet, Mama. Is Daddy almost here?”

Pulling away, I brush his curls off his face as what he’s saying registers. The men are distracted. Nash and Grayson are on their phones barking orders, Beckett holds Grace, quietly updating her, Ezra watches me and Ryder with a thunderous expression. Holden is texting.

“Where’s?” My breath hitches as my eyes dart around. “Where’s Asher?”

All the men stand still, eyes bouncing back and forth from each other. I pick Ryder up but Grace gestures to give him to her. Her eyes communicate strength. She knows something I don’t.

“Where’s Asher?” I whisper.

Taking Ryder, he instantly lays his head on her shoulder. I stare, confirming he isn’t injured. I ran my hands under his clothes.

“He’s okay,” Grace says gently. “I’m going to help him take a bath.”

My head shakes frantically. “No. I can’t lose sight of him.” Keeping my hands against Ryder’s back, I look Beckett in the eye. “Tell me.”

Beckett steps closer, running his hand over my son’s head. “We were pinned down. Needed a clear out. Asher demanded we get Ryder back.”

“Where is he, Beckett?” I demand, tears streaming down my face.

“We wouldn’t have gotten out without him holding them back.”

“Where is he?” I scream, losing composure.

“Ryder, honey, Daddy’s on his way but your mama needs to speak grown-up things with the brothers. Okay?” Grace waits for Ryder to nod. “We’re right inside, Sierra. He needs to rest.”

I stare into her bright green eyes, knowing my outburst is only going to distress Ryder more. Logically, I know they’ll be safe inside.

“I’ll go inside with them,” West offers.

West, the more charismatic of the seven brothers. He’ll distract Ryder. I nod.

Grace, my son, and West head inside. My lungs aren’t working properly. I stare at the remaining Hunters, waiting for someone to tell me what the hell is happening.

“His phone is still at the location,” Grayson informs. “That doesn’t mean anything. During the fight, it probably fell.” My body starts shaking.

“Asher isn’t reckless by nature,” Ezra says, his voice quiet, his presence carrying the usual heavy darkness. “He’s probably on his way back now.”

“What if he got hurt?” I ask. “Or worse?” I slap a hand over my mouth. “I haven’t told him,” I cry. “He told me but I didn’t get to say it back.”

Nash takes me in his arms as I lose it. “I didn’t get to say it back!” My knees buckle. Only Nash’s arms are holding me up and I keep chanting the same thing over and over.

I knew I loved him. Even when I thought I was simply falling, the truth was, I was already in love. I was just scared to admit it to myself. Just when I believed in love and happy endings for me and my son, life rips it away before I get to cherish it?

It doesn’t make sense. Not with how little time we’ve had together but I can’t picture my days without him in them. I’m so lost in already grieving, I miss the sound of an incoming vehicle.

“Thank fuck,” I hear grunted.

“Hey,” Nash says softly, nudging me to look up.

Looking over my shoulder, my heart stops, then flares back to life.

Limping out of the passenger seat of a police vehicle, Asher holds his side. Grayson reaches him first, checking his injuries as Nash and Holden speak to the officer who drove.

I’m frozen on the spot, staring, scared to believe he’s really here, scared he’s injured and should be at a hospital.

Then his eyes find mine and lock in. Those eyes release the hold fear has on my body and I sprint toward this man, not bothering to hold back the sob when I crash into his arms, which tighten around me.

“Baby, I’m here. I’m so sorry for making you worry,” he whispers into my hair. “I’m okay, Brown Eyes. Don’t cry.”

Pulling my face back, I take his bearded jaw in my hands. He’s got dirt, cuts, and sweat everywhere, and yet, he’s the most beautiful man in the world. Pulling my body closer, if that’s even possible, he drops his forehead on mine.

“I’m in love with you, Asher Hunter,” I finally confess.

His eyes close, exhaling.

“I’m sorry I didn’t say it sooner,” I whisper through tears.

“I love you,” he says, opening his eyes, looking deeply into mine. “Brown Eyes, I promise to always come home to you. You and our boy, both.”

I try to respond but choke up. Asher’s lips take mine and passionately, I lean in, letting my relief, joy, and love pour into my kiss.

I wrap my arms around his neck. Asher bends, then lifts me off the ground.

I don’t even care that we have an audience.

I’m never taking any moment with Asher for granted.

The rest of the day, we fought with a stubborn Asher who refused to get checked by a doctor even though he had bruised ribs and a cut on his left leg.

Grayson’s military training gave him enough medical experience to patch him up.

The rest of the night, Ryder never left our side, especially Asher’s.

It wasn’t until late at night, with Ryder asleep between us, that Asher tells me everything. As the other MC members fled, a few stayed. One of them being Sulfer, who couldn’t resist sticking around to taunt Asher. Just as the police came, they started fighting.

I knew he wasn’t giving me the gory details but that didn’t keep me from worrying. The cops took three MC members down who shot back and two are in custody. Thankfully, for now, one of them is Sulfer.

A dark part inside me won’t admit it out loud but I was hoping he was one of the fallen members.

Deputy Murphy, who drove Asher home, apparently is one of the good ones. He saved Asher from being marked as one of the perpetrators and got him out of going to the station. He’ll still have to come in, as will I, regarding Ryder’s kidnapping.

“We’re not out of danger,” I whisper, hand tucked under the pillow.

His hand gently combs through my hair. Ryder's face is tucked into Asher’s chest, his little butt pushed up against me.

“The MC knows the Eden PD will have their eye out for them. They won’t be risking coming here anytime soon. Murphy told me they have enough on the two in custody. They won’t be getting out anytime soon. They’re transferring them eventually to a precinct in California.”

That should give me some relief but it doesn’t. I’m already thinking of ways to live here without ever needing to go back to town. Irrational, I know. But I can’t risk Ryder’s life again.

“Hey,” Asher cups my face. “I will wage war with hell before I let anything happen to you or Ryder again.”

“You can’t promise that.”

“Do you love me?” he asks.

It still feels surreal. In the best way. “Yes,” I whisper.

The soft evening glow from the moon through the window lights up the grin on his face. “I love that boy, with my soul,” he tells me. “And I have been in love with you, Sierra. You two are my family now.”

I hiccup as heat radiates in my eyes, slowly blurring my vision of Asher’s handsome face.

“If it were up to me, I’d move you both in immediately.” My heart races. “But, I don’t want you to feel like you don’t have your own space or independence. We can finish renovating the cabin in your name. You are just down the hill. I can sleepover there and sometimes, you two can?—,”

I place my fingertips over his mouth.

“I love you for giving me a choice,” I say quietly. “I love you for so many reasons. And the last thing I want is to be apart from you.”

His nose flares, holding back, letting me finish.

“That place isn’t home. It was Oscar’s half-assed attempt at doing right by me and Ryder. If your offer is genuine?”

“It is,” he rushes to say.

I catch myself lowering my laugh so Ryder doesn’t wake up.