Page 55 of Mountain Grump Protector

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

Ronnie spits out a string of nasty words and tries to wrench himself free, but Cal has a seriously strong hold.

“Let go of me.”

Cal’s expression shifts into something dangerous as he narrows his gaze. “I suggest you start making better decisions,” he says, tightening his grip enough to make Ronnie’s face twist. “Because that was a particularly bad one.”

Beside us, Luke crosses his arms across his chest and watches the exchange unfold with the relaxed expression of a man who already knows how it ends.

“Can’t say I disagree,” Luke says with a shake of his head. “Personally, I think you’re getting off easy.”

Everyone standing there, especially Ronnie, knows without a doubt that Cal’s perfectly capable of snapping Ronnie’s wrist, and I’m not sure that he won’t.

Finally, Cal releases him with a shove backwards. Ronnie works to keep his feet under him as he stumbles back toward the truck. “You’re going to⁠—”

Whatever threat he’s still stupid enough to utter is cut off with the roaring of truck engines making their way down the gravel forestry roads.

“Fuck, Ronnie,” Dale yells behind him. “Someone’s coming.”

“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” someone else hollers.

There’s a flurry of activity as the men scramble for their vehicles. Ronnie hesitates, but only for a second before he spits one last time and says, “This ain’t over.”

Cal wraps an arm around me, tugging me close. “It sure as hell is.”

Cal

By the time the dust settles, literally, Hatch and his men are halfway down the mountain running like the scared little boys they truly are.

Good riddance. Although their issues are far from over. As far as I’m concerned, I’m done with them. And if I ever see any of their faces on my mountain again, it’ll be too soon.

Despite Willow sending the recording to the authorities, which was a brilliant idea, even if it was risky, it wasn’t the cops coming up the mountain the way those idiots thought.

Just as dangerous, if not more so, it was Holt and Beck. We served together more than twenty years ago, and they’ve never failed to have my back. Then and now.

We might not spend a lot of time together since moving out to the mountain, all of us battling our own demons, but we’re there for each other when it counts. And I’m glad to see their faces.

Beck is the first one to walk over, joining us in front of the porch. “Can’t remember the last time I’ve seen a couple of assholes run that fast,” he says with a chuckle. “Wouldn’t be surprised if they drive themselves right off the road the way they were driving.”

I tighten my grip on Willow, happy they’re gone. I don’t even want to think about how that could have gone. The danger she was in. The danger she put herself in.

“The message got through?” I ask Beck. He’s worked closely with local and federal law enforcement authorities on various cases over the years since leaving the military. He always had exceptional skills and a unique talent for having no fear when it came to putting himself into situations most men would be terrified of.

“It did.” He nods. “It was a good idea to send that so quickly,” he addresses Willow, who straightens in my hold. “Risky,” he adds. “But smart.”

“It was Lilly’s idea to call you,” she says, surprising me. “She said you’d know who to send it to.”

Luke laughs as Lilly appears on the porch. He waves her over, and she runs to join us. “I guess filling you in on the details of my friends paid off, hey?” He kisses her on the top of her head and pulls her close.

“What can I say?” she shrugs. “I pay attention. But it was Willow's idea to taunt him into admitting everything.”

“It was reckless,” I growl, not wanting to think about what could have happened if I hadn’t been there and Hatch got his hands on her.

“But it worked.” Willow presses her lips together, ready to defend her irresponsible actions with her usual fiery attitude. “And I’d do it again.”

I’m about to protest, but Holt steps in. “Relax, Cal. She’s right. It worked. And if there’s one thing I know about these women of ours, it’s that once they have their minds set on something, there’s no stopping them.” He shakes his head with a chuckle. No doubt thinking about Tessa, his new wife, who also happens to be Luke’s daughter. “No point fighting it.”

Women of ours?