Page 81 of Mountain Defender

Enzo rushes over and snatches the discarded gun off the ground. Then he says in a low, controlled tone, “Gage. I can take care of him from here.”

Gage’s head raises, his features contorted in anger. His arm jerks back, poised to slam into Wade’s face again.

Then he looks up at me.

Everything in his expression shifts.

His anger dissolves.

Worry and fear take over.

Springing up, he practically shoves Wade at Enzo.

As soon as Enzo takes over, Gage rushes to me, pulling me into his arms. He buries his face in my hair, his breath coming hot and heavy against it. “Shit, Ror. Ah, shit.” He’s shaking all over. His heart is racing, beating hard enough for me to feel it. A trembling hand cups the back of my head. “Ah, shit, baby. Fuck. I was so scared. I?—”

Then he jerks back, his gaze moving across my face. The instant he sees the spot where I hit my head, he grimaces. “Oh, baby. You’re hurt. How bad is it?” He carefully touches my forehead, worry darkening his eyes. “Are you dizzy? Nauseous? Shit. You might?—”

He looks over at Enzo. “Rory’s hurt!” Desperation laces his voice. “Where’s Ronan? I need him now!”

“Almost here,” Enzo replies. He finishes zip tying Wade, giving the ties an extra tight yank for good measure as a grim smile spreads across his face. “Any minute now.”

“Ronan’s right behind me,” Knox announces as he runs towards us. He’s holding a gun, but he lowers it as he takes in the scene in front of him. “Well. I guess you didn’t need my help for this.” He glances at me, concern written all over his face. “Are you okay, Rory? The accident?—”

“Her head,” Gage interjects. He hugs me to him again. “Rory hit her head. She needs to go to the hospital. She could have a—” He cuts himself off. Touches my chin, tilting my head up to look at him. “Baby. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have let you go alone.”

My head hurts. Fear and adrenaline are coursing through my body. Just like Gage, I can’t stop shaking. And the shock of Wade’s betrayal doesn’t feel real.

But Gage came.

He protected me.

He’s here.

“I’m okay,” I whisper. “I think it might be a concussion, but that’s all. He didn’t?—”

“Your neck,” Gage groans. Guilt ravages his face. “Oh, baby. He hurt you. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay.” I hug him back, squeezing as hard as I can. “I’ll be okay. You came. Just like I knew you would.”

Gage’s gaze meets mine, emotion working in his eyes. “Ror, baby. I will always come for you. But I should have gotten here sooner. You shouldn’t have been hurt.”

“It’s not your fault.” I touch his cheek. “And it’s going to be alright. Let’s just—” My voice cracks. “I just want to go home.”

“Oh, baby.” His eyes close. When they reopen, they’re damp. “Hospital first. And then we’ll go home. WatchToo Cute. Cuddle all day on the couch with the dogs. Anything you want.”

A lump rises in my throat. “I just want to be with you.”

Lips press to the top of my head. His arms tighten around me. “That’s all I want, too.”

CHAPTER 16

GAGE

My heart is doingthat odd flip-flopping thing again.

Rory hasn’t noticed me yet, her attention still on her Kindle, so I give myself a few extra seconds to just watch her. Not in a creepy, stalker-ish way, but taking the time to catalog everything.

She’s sitting in bed—ourbed, I’ve come to think of it as—with her hair falling in loose tendrils around her face. The sun coming in through the window casts a golden glow on her face, and her lips are tilted up in a half-smile as she reads. Her tank top falls forward just enough to reveal a hint of cleavage and her bare shoulders are pink and freckled from sitting out in the sun yesterday afternoon.