Take a Mountain Man Home for Christmas: A Mountain Man Romance Christmas Collection

by Crowne, K. C.

  Except, I knew it wasn’t.

  Jack handed Owen to me. “He finished his bottle,” he stated. “And I changed him, so he should be clean. You can go back to bed after I leave.”

  “You’re leaving already?” I asked. My voice cracked.

  “I have to,” he said softly. “I need to leave with Teddy again.”

  “And then what?”

  “Well, I do the job later this afternoon,” he said with a shrug. I could tell he was trying to downplay it all.

  I wasn’t buying it. I didn’t want my emotions to get the best of me and upset Owen, so I placed him in his crib carefully. Jack wrapped his arms around and buried his face in my neck and hair, inhaling deeply as if trying to remember my scent. Neither of us said anything for a long while.

  “This feels like goodbye,” I whimpered.

  “It’s not,” Jack said. “At least I hope not.”

  I knew he couldn’t promise me.

  He let out a long sigh and took my face in his hands, staring into my eyes. “Cassie, listen to me. I have no idea what’s gonna happen today, but I promise I’ll do everything I can to get back to you and Owen. You’re my priority now. Nothing else matters except getting back to the two of you.”

  Tears stung at my eyes. “Please don’t go, Jack.”

  “I have to, Cassie. I have to do this so I can be sure everyone I love is safe. Including you.”

  My breath caught in my throat just as a knock sounded at my door.

  “I’m coming,” Jack said.

  I knew it was Teddy, who had no idea what was going on. He just needed to get to work, but I didn’t want Jack to leave. Not yet. Not ever.

  Jack kissed me on the lips as tears spilled down my cheeks, wetting his face along with mine. When he pulled away, I tried to hold onto him. I grabbed his hand, but his fingers slipped through mine.

  “I have to go, Cassie. I’m sorry,” he murmured. “But no matter what happens, I know Owen and you will be safer if I do this. If something happens to me, I know you’ll take care of our son. You’re an amazing mother.”

  “Jack, please…”

  He opened the door, and with a quick glance back, stepped out into the hallway. He closed the door quietly behind him.

  My legs felt too weak to chase after him - not that it would have done any good anyway. It would just alert Teddy that something was going on. And if Teddy knew, it could put everyone in more danger, including his own wife and child.

  I fell into the bed, my face buried in a pillow to drown out the sobs. I’d never been a religious person, but I found myself praying to God for his safe return.

  All I wanted was everything to be okay and for us to be a family.

  And for Owen to have his father.

  Jack

  After the last pickup, I expected trouble. This time, I met the guy in the afternoon. Hank’s instructions were clear. I’d park in a bar parking lot and wait, and a black car would pull up next to mine.

  I waited for about five minutes before I saw the car. He pulled up to the driver’s side, and the passenger side window opened. In the passenger’s side was an older man with dark glasses and a hat covering what appeared to be a bald head. There were two people in the car, though I couldn’t really see the other guy. I was outnumbered if all hell broke loose.

  “Give me the cash first,” I ordered. I expected a fight honestly, but the man handed me a bag. “I have instructions to count it before you go.”

  The man in the passenger’s seat didn’t speak, only nodded.

  I counted the money; it was all there. I passed the goods to them. As soon as they had them in hand, they rolled the window up and pulled out of the spot without a word.

  I re-counted the money, thinking this was way too fucking easy. I hadn’t counted wrong. Maybe some jobs are easier than others, I thought to myself. Then again, the hard part wasn’t over.

  Instead of meeting Richard at our normal pickup spot, I was given another address outside Liberty a ways. It took me about forty-five minutes to get there. I drove down a very narrow, dark road surrounded by trees that blocked out the sunlight almost entirely.

  It was getting late in the day, and the sun was going down. The road ended just as I was told it would. I parked my truck and waited.

  Out of the darkness, I saw a shadow. Then another.

  Two men walked toward my truck.

  Richard was one of them. I didn’t recognize the other. He was middle-aged and looked like a candidate for World’s Strongest Man. I was carrying a couple of big guns, but that man rivaled me, not something I saw every day.

  I waited in the truck until they gave me the go-ahead - Richard just motioned for me to get out. I opened the door slowly and got out, bag in hand. I held my hands up instinctively, letting them see I had no weapons.

  The big guy grabbed the bag and handed it to Richard, who started counting the money. Big man grabbed me and threw me against the truck. He began frisking me, checking me for weapons. I had been told to bring none, not even to the pickup. I wasn’t allowed anything to protect myself if the meet had gone badly, but thankfully it didn’t.

  But I sure wished I had a gun or a knife on me for the drop-off.

  I did, of course, have something I was trying to hide. A wire. Tucked under my arm, taped so that if I moved my arms a certain way it couldn’t be seen. I wasn’t stupid enough to wear it openly on my chest in case they went looking.

  And they did.

  The big guy pulled up my shirt and patted my chest. I switched positions, thankful I had enough body hair to help conceal it. I’d checked myself in the mirror over and over again, finding just the right position in which to stand to hide it.

  “He’s clear,” the man said in a thick, Russian accent.

  I almost let out a sigh of relief. He let me pull my shirt back down, and I got comfortable again, moving my arm so the wire wouldn’t be obstructed. I wanted to record everything I could.

  “Alright, follow me,” Richard said.

  I followed Richard and the big Russian followed me. I felt his eyes on me the entire time, waiting for me to make one wrong move.

  We walked for about five minutes until we reached the back of a large house.

  “Is this where the boss lives?” I asked.

  Neither man answered me.

  We walked toward a back entrance, and Richard knocked on the door. Someone opened it from the inside, and we walked into what appeared to be a basement.

  Or maybe a dungeon.

  The walls were concrete, as was the floor. There were drains in the middle of the floor for easy cleaning. Knowing the type of guys I was dealing with, I had a pretty good idea of what they had to clean up in there.

  In the middle of the room was a desk that seemed out of place.

  At the desk was Hank Gillespie himself, with two men on either side of him, each with a semi-automatic gun in their hands. They wore masks on the bottom half of their faces, but their eyes were fixed on me.

  My eyes were fixed on Hank.

  He wasn’t a big man - in fact, some in the media mocked him for being short. He was even shorter in real life than I expected - coming in at maybe 5’5” or 5’6” with some thick soles on his shoes. He was slim with a belly showing through his tight suit. His hair was thinning, but he tried to hide it by brushing it over the bald spots. The hair he did have was more grey than brown. There was nothing remarkable about his face except for the fact that it reminded me of a rat. Then again, I might be biased - I thought most politicians looked like rats.

  Hank rose, the chair scraping against the floor like nails on a chalkboard.

  “Jack Wiley. We meet, at last,” Hank said, coming from around the desk and shaking my hand. “I expected to see a little more surprise on your face when we finally met. Do you know who I am?”

  I shrugged. “Not much surprises me anymore, but should I know who you are?”

  I feigned ignorance. I knew my face wouldn’t give away my lack of surpr
ise, but I could act like I had no idea that Hank Gillespie was a powerful politician. That he was known for running on a platform that was harsh against crime and all about family values. That he was eyeing a presidential role in the future. But I knew all that. I just needed him to say it, to give me the proof I needed to take him down.

  Hank waved me off, however. “It doesn’t matter who I am, Jack. In fact, I invited you here to talk about you. Have a seat.”

  I took a seat across from him. Richard was on one side, and he dropped the bag of cash on the desk. “It’s all there.”

  “Good, good. Jack’s always trustworthy, isn’t he? Unlike his dad, of course. It really is a shame about your old man, Jack.”

  “Is it? I mean, he wasn’t that good of a person, and he wasn’t loyal.”

  “No, he wasn’t loyal, but believe it or not, Jack, your father was once one of my top runners. I knew he would get the job done no matter what.”

  I shrugged. I had nothing to really add to that.

  “He just liked to run his mouth, didn’t he?” Hank’s lips curled into a snarl.

  “I guess so. He never really talked to me, so I wouldn’t know.” That was a lie. He did talk to me. He did run his mouth. That’s why I wasn’t surprised by the man running the operation. Every time Hank Gillespie came on the TV, my dad would go off on how he was a hypocrite, profiting off the very drugs he was pretending to be against. I heard how he bought elections, how he ran on a platform of securing the borders, all while working with cartels.

  I knew way more about Hank than I ought to but had to make him believe I didn’t know shit.

  Hank leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers in front of his face while studying me. His eyes narrowed, and his face scrunched up as if he was deep in thought.

  “I always liked you, Jack,” he began. “Now, I’ve never met you, but your father used to talk about you - what a good kid you were, how you were going to grow up to be just like him, but you were smarter than him. He said you were one hell of a smart kid. Good with bending the truth to your will too, he said. He told me you could fool the cops and lie straight to their face about anything.”

  “Did he now?” I feigned a chuckle, running a hand over my beard.

  “He did. But I have to say; he was wrong about something.”

  The Russian stepped closer to me, as did Richard. They both put their hands on my shoulder. I swallowed a lump in my throat.

  Hank let out a deep, dramatic sigh. “You’re not really that good of a liar.”

  The Russian yanked me up from the chair, and I wasn’t prepared for it. “On your knees, rat.”

  Before I could decide if I wanted to obey or disobey, the Russian kicked the backs of my legs, causing my knees to crumple. He shoved me to the ground, and I scrambled to keep myself upright. I could fight back, but I was outnumbered.

  I’d known this was a possibility. I knew I wouldn’t stand a chance if things went badly. But if I died, it would mean Cassie and Owen were safe. I didn’t want to die - I wanted to watch my son grow up - but I wanted to be sure he had the opportunity to grow up as well.

  I stayed on my knees, staring at the concrete floor. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I spat.

  Richard and the Russian held onto me, making sure I couldn’t move. I could have fought it, but fighting would have been useless. They had guns, and I had none. I’d walked into this knowing it could be a suicide mission, so I was prepared for it.

  I was prepared to die to protect my family.

  Hank stood up and walked around the desk. He stood in front of me and lifted my face with the butt of a revolver, forcing me to stare into those stone-cold eyes.

  “I have too much to lose, Jack. I wanted to trust you, but it’s clear you’re working with someone else. And I can’t have anyone ruin my Senate run,” he stated, staring down his nose at me. “There’s rumors I might be considered for vice president in the future. Why would I risk that on the son of a traitor?”

  “I’m not like my dad,” I defended. “I’m no traitor.”

  “Maybe. Maybe not. But I’m all about mitigating risks,” he said.

  He moved the gun, and my head fell forward. I was once again staring at the concrete. In my head, I was no longer there. I was reliving the night before with Cassie and Owen, cherishing the last moments I’d had with them.

  I loved them more than life itself.

  And if they were safe, this would be worth it.

  Images of Owen kept flashing in my head. I pictured what he would be like growing up. What he might look like. A lump formed in my throat.

  “And after we’re done with you, we can go after your sweet sister too. I could have some fun with her,” Hank said coldly.

  Those words struck something in me, and my protective instincts kicked in. I yanked free from the Russian’s grasp and was on my feet. I took the big man by surprise, slamming my fist into his face. It was like brick hitting concrete, and his face was smashed in, blood flowing from his nose. With him distracted, I grabbed the gun from his hand.

  I didn’t hesitate. I turned and pointed it directly at Hank.

  Hank’s face was still deadly serious. Not a single emotion passed through his eyes as he pointed his gun toward me.

  In the distance, I heard a door opening. Footsteps coming toward us, but I didn’t dare turn away or look anywhere but at Hank.

  Hank’s lips pulled back in a snarl. “If you thought you were outnumbered before, Jack, wait until you meet the rest of my team.”

  My heart sank as four men walked into the room. They wore the same masks as the other two men covering the bottom half of their faces.

  Four more men. A total of nine people against one.

  One of the men lifted his gun, and I prepared for the worst.

  But at the last second, he turned the gun toward the Russian and shot him in the arm. One of the others went for Richard. The other two went for the men who stood by Hank.

  Hank dropped his hand, seemingly as shocked as I was at the turn of events. I used this to my advantage. I took aim and shot at Hank. He moved just as I took my shot, running toward the back door. I chased him amongst the chaos. He slammed the heavy door behind him, and the handle wouldn’t turn. He’d locked it from the outside somehow.

  I turned on my heels and ran for the stairs in the other corner of the basement, figuring there had to be another way out of this house. As I turned, I saw the bloodbath before me. All four of the other men were on the ground, bleeding. It was hard to tell if they were dead or alive. The four new guys blocked my way. They were all as big as me, if not bigger.

  “I need to catch him,” I said.

  “Jack, we need to talk—”

  “Let me pass. I have to catch him.”

  “Jack!” one yelled, catching my full attention. “He’s gone already. He had a car right outside. We’re not gonna catch him.”

  “You don’t understand. I have to.” I pushed past them, but one of the men grabbed my arm.

  “You’re just going to get yourself killed. You have no idea what you’re up against.”

  “And you do? I’ve been dealing with these men for most of my life. Who the fuck are you?”

  “We’re your brothers,” the man holding my arm said.

  With his other free hand, he pulled down his mask.

  I stared into a face that looked a lot like my own. Just older. Rougher. He was one of the men who’d followed me, but I’d never had a clear look at him before. Now that I had, it was like looking into a mirror that showed the future.

  “Bullshit. I don’t have any brothers.”

  The man cocked an eyebrow. “Well, you do now.”

  Cassie

  “Come on, Jack,” I muttered to myself, nibbling my fingernail as I paced the room.

  Owen was asleep, but I couldn’t sleep without knowing what had happened with Jack. I was expecting a call or a text, anything to let me know he was alright.

  But so f
ar, nothing, and it was after midnight.

  The meeting should have happened by now. He didn’t give me too many details, just that it was at night and it was out of town. Beyond that, I had nothing.

  I collapsed onto the bed, curled up in a fetal position. I’d cried so much, and I wasn’t sure my eyes could produce any more tears. But I was quickly proven wrong. Tears flowed down my cheeks, and I began sobbing into the pillow, not wanting to wake up Owen.

  I wished I’d told Jack how I felt about him - that I loved him. That I’d always loved him. In middle school, I’d crushed hard on my best friend’s older brother, and that crush only grew stronger as I grew older and saw how much he cared about Madison and everything he was willing to do for her. I saw a side of him no one else besides Madison got to see. He was a good person with a big heart, and I loved him for it.

  I might not ever get a chance to tell him that now.

  “Dammit,” I cursed myself. “Why didn’t I tell him earlier?”

  Teddy had knocked just as I was about to tell him, but I should have said it anyway. I had been at a loss for words, my emotions getting the best of me.

  Please just let him be okay, I prayed.

  My phone was sitting next to me on the bed, and even though it was on silent to avoid waking the baby, I heard the faintest buzz. I sat upright instantly, grabbing at the phone. I answered without even looking to see who the call was from. He used so many different burner phones, and it was hard to tell which number he’d call from.

  “Jack?”

  “Yes, Cassie, it’s me.”

  I let out a deep breath now that it felt like I could breathe for the first time in years. “Oh God, Jack. I was so scared.”

  “I can’t talk long. Things are bad right now,” he said.

  My heart dropped. “What do you mean, bad?”

  “Things didn’t go as well as I would have hoped, and there may be a target on my back,” he told me. “We’re working out the details still. Is Teddy home?”

  “Yes, he is.”

  “Go to him. Don’t tell him too much, but tell him you believe you might be in danger. I trust him.”