Page 29 of Protective Assignment (Warrior Peak Sanctuary #1)

“Morning,” Lawson greeted as Cade stepped through the door to his office.

Cade had no idea how Lawson was even standing upright at that moment.

He had been on his feet for days on end now, catching the last of the Shepards who were still on the run out in the woods.

Finally, all of the members of that twisted gang had officially been accounted for.

“Morning,” Cade replied, handing Lawson a coffee. He figured he would need it. Lawson took a long, grateful sip, and then slumped into the chair on the other side of the desk.

“How’s it going?” Cade asked, carefully.

There was so much he wanted to ask about, but he didn’t even know where to start.

He had spent the last several days taking care of River and shutting out the world, at Lawson’s suggestion, though he doubted he would have been able to spend much more than an hour or so away from her side.

The thought of how close he’d come to losing her made his stomach turn.

He wished they could stay in their little bubble in their cabin forever.

“Well, the Shepards are officially done for,” Lawson replied.

“With Ryker dead, the rest of them don’t have any reason to keep going, and they’ve turned themselves in.

Most of the lower-level ones in the ranks are turning on each other to try and keep out of jail.

I have no idea what the courts are going to decide for them, but that’s not our problem. ”

“What about River?” Cade asked. She was always the first thing on his mind these days, and he would have done anything to make sure that she was safe and happy.

Lawson nodded. “I don’t think she’s going to have to deal with them any longer,” he replied.

“The worst it will probably come to is testifying against some of the higher-ranking members in court. I’ve also requested she be kept out of it all, if possible, since there will be plenty of other ex-Shepards to call on.

However, since she did witness her father’s murder and kill their leader, she might not have a choice.

But again, with the others, she won’t be testifying alone. ”

“Good.” Cade sighed. He didn’t want her to have to go up against those people again, not if he could keep her from it. She had only just gotten out of it all and he hoped it would be a long time before she was called to testify, if she was at all.

“But we’re going to have to figure out what we’re going to do with her now,” Lawson remarked.

Cade stiffened and furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, she’s going to be sticking around here for a while, isn’t she?” he asked.

“I don’t know about that.”

“I’ve seen the way she looks at you, Cade.” Lawson chuckled. “I don’t think she has any intentions of being anywhere else if she can help it.”

Cade grinned. He loved being with her, and the thought of being able to spend time with her without having to worry about her past or what she was hiding from him sounded seriously good.

“Exactly,” Lawson replied, seeing the look on Cade’s face. “And if she’s going to continue to stay here, she’s going to need real work. She’ll need to provide identification and do paperwork like all the other employees. No more under-the-table stuff.”

Cade nodded. “Got it. What did you have in mind?”

“I’ve been talking to Sarah, and she seems to think that with some training, River could help with counseling some of the residents here.” he suggested. “But first, she’s going to have a whole lot to work through herself.”

“I know.” Cade sighed.

Sometimes when he looked at her, he wondered how she could be carrying the monstrous weight of everything she had been through inside her.

How someone who seemed so fragile could endure what she had without breaking.

But she had. He was confident that with the help of the resources at the lodge, she would be able to heal from the trauma of her past and use it to help others. And she would be great at it.

“Let her know that we’re interested in hiring her,” Lawson told him.

“I will, but I don’t want her to feel pressured. Whether she decides to stay or not is up to her.” Cade stated.

“I get it,” he agreed. “She needs to make her own calls from here on out. Guess she’s had enough of other people doing that for her.”

“Exactly,” Cade replied.

“And what about you, Cade?” Lawson asked, leaning forward with interest.

“What about me?”

“Are you going to stay here?”

Cade parted his lips in surprise. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you’ve got a full-time place on the team if you want it,” he continued. “But I’m not going to try to make you stay. If you’ve got other things you want to be doing, we’ll see you off—”

“You want me to stay and work for the team?” Cade asked in surprise.

“You helped us take down one of the most dangerous groups in the country,” Lawson pointed out. “We’re not letting you go anywhere if we can help it. You’re a huge asset to us. I’m sure your brother would be thrilled to have you on board, as well.”

Cade grinned. There was no way he was going anywhere.

Being at the lodge had given him purpose he hadn’t had in so long.

Not just being with River, but seeing his brother and working with the guys too.

He might not be up to the same action he had seen before, but he didn’t want to miss out on the chance to find his place here.

It was different than his past life and job, but no less rewarding.

“I would love to stay,” he replied. “I know my brother’s going to try and keep me out of anything too tough, but surveillance, recon, anything like that, you know I can handle it.”

“I know you can,” Lawson confirmed. “And we’d be glad to have you.”

“Consider me a permanent resident,” Cade told him with a laugh. “You’re not getting rid of me now.”

Lawson chuckled in return, rising to his feet, and extended his hand to Cade.

“Welcome aboard, Cade. For real this time.”

Cade took his hand. “Thanks, Lawson. Happy to be here.”

* * *

After the meeting with Lawson, Cade stopped by the cafeteria to pick up some coffee and a pastry for River before heading back to the cabin.

Though she had physically recuperated from the ordeal after several days of rest, she was still struggling with her appetite, and he had to keep an eye on her to make sure she ate properly.

He didn’t mind, though. Taking care of her gave him a sense of purpose like nothing else did, as though this was what he had been made for.

When he got back to the cabin, he found her sitting on the couch, several pages laid out around her, with tears streaming down her face.

His eyes widened and his stomach clenched at the sight of her upset. He quickly headed over to the couch and sat down next to her. “Hey,” he murmured gently. “Is everything okay?”

She blinked, as though she had almost forgotten where she was, but then she nodded.

“Yes. It’s fine,” she replied, wiping the tears away from her eyes. “Better than fine, actually. I got an email from my sister. Xavier called in a favor with someone he knows and got me her email address. I think I’ve already read it a dozen times.”

“I just can’t believe how well she’s doing,” River smiled. “She’s married now and has a baby. I have a niece, Cade. I can’t wrap my head around that. And my mom’s there with them too. So they’re all together.”

“That’s amazing news,” Cade told her, grabbing a box of tissues and handing her one. He sat back down beside her, draped an arm along the back of the couch and brushed his fingers through her hair.

“It is,” she replied. “I can’t wait to go and see them now that I don’t have to worry about anyone following me or tracking me down. I can actually visit and just spend some time with them. We’ve got so much to catch up on—it’s been nearly ten years!”

She leaned back against his hand, gathering the pages of the letter together again. There was a look on her face he couldn’t quite read, a mixture of sadness and hope. She took a deep breath before she said anything else.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I’m just…it’s so strange,” she confessed.

“I’ve spent the last few years thinking about my family every single day.

Thinking that when I got to them, everything was going to be okay.

Everything was going to be different. I wasn’t going to have to run and hide anymore or look over my shoulder.

I could leave everything else behind. But now… ” She trailed off, shaking her head.

He rubbed her back softly and waited for her to continue.

She smiled gratefully at him. “Now that Ryker’s gone, and the Shepards are disbanded, I don’t have to get to them to be safe anymore,” she explained.

“I want to see my family, of course, but I don’t feel as though New York is my endgame.

I can have any kind of life I want for myself, and I don’t have to try and get to this certain place to make it happen. ”

She smiled, a smile so huge it seemed to light up her entire face. Cade couldn’t help but return it. Seeing the weight lift from her shoulders like this was a gift he didn’t even know he had needed until now.

“Whatever you want, I’m here for you,” he told her, and he meant it.

He would do anything to help her achieve her dreams. She deserved it, even if it meant she couldn’t stay here. She deserved to chase down everything she had always wanted, without the fear of some monster on her tail ready to take it all away.

“I… I think I want to stay here,” she confessed, biting her lip as she looked over at him. “Do you think I could do that? I could keep mending up all the clothes to pay my way, I wouldn’t—”

A wide grin spread over his face. “Actually, I was just talking to Lawson, and he said that Sarah wants you to work with her. You’d need some training, but she can help with that, and then you can help other people who’ve been through hardships too. I know you would be amazing at it.”

Her eyebrows shot up, and her eyes widened. “Really?” she gasped. “Not under-the-table work, you mean?”

“No, real work,” he assured her. “If that’s something you want to do, of course.”

“I would love to,” she exclaimed. “Oh my gosh, I would love to! I really want to help people, Cade. I know there are so many people out there who’ve been through worse than I have, and I want to help them.

I know what it feels like to be afraid…and now I know how it feels to finally be free of it too.

” She clasped her hands to her chest in excitement.

“And it could help you work through your own stuff,” he pointed out. “I’m sure there’s still plenty you need to figure out.”

“I’m sure there is,” she admitted. “I just try not to think about it, if I can help it. But I don’t want to run from it anymore.

I want to face it, and I want to put it behind me for good.

And I… I want to make a life for myself.

I want to get my GED, I want a real job, and I want to stay here. With you, Cade.”

She gazed at him, biting her lip and smiling. Her eyes shone with happy tears.

“I love you, Cade,” she breathed to him.

He didn’t even have to think before he said it back. “I love you too, River,” he replied, and he leaned across to kiss her.

As he pulled her into his arms, he realized that his mind wasn’t reeling like he expected it to be the first time he said those words to someone. Loving her was easy. He loved her, she loved him, and she wanted to stay here, with him. It couldn’t have made more sense. Or be more perfect.

When he pulled back, she gazed into his eyes for a moment, staring at him like she was trying to figure out if all of this was real. He planted another kiss on her lips, and she smiled, snuggling into him.

“Let’s make this place our home, Cade,” she whispered to him. “Me and you. Just the two of us.”

“Just the two of us,” he replied with a chuckle. “Well, and everyone else at the lodge.”

She laughed. “I meant in this cabin.”

He grinned. “In that case, yeah, just the two of us,” he agreed, and he lowered his mouth to hers to kiss her again.

He couldn’t get enough of her lips on his, the way it made him feel.

The way she made him feel as though he was truly whole for the first time.

He’d finally found his place and purpose after being sidelined with his injury.

He finally felt like he belonged and he was truly happy.

But he would have gone through it all again, and more, if it meant ending up here with her. Where he belonged.

Once and for all.