Page 191 of Mountain Men Heroes

God, was that just this morning?

Just the thought of him, of what we’d shared the last two days, made tears prickle behind my eyes, hot and stinging.

I squared my shoulders and slid my key into the lock. I couldn’t think about the time I’d spent with Sawyer. I should have known better. I did know better. That was the reason I’d started thinking about moving sooner when I heard the news he was coming home.

I knew Sawyer Becker had the power to destroy me. One way or another.

But after years of my life spent avoiding anything but the most casual relationships with the locals, feeling looked down upon, or worse, pitied by them, felt like a waking nightmare.

I marched over to the bed and slid my large, wheeled suitcase out from underneath. I also grabbed some folded boxes I had under there. I’d been dreaming and preparing for the day I got to leave for Syn City for a long time. I had my plans in place for quite some time now, ready to go at a moment’s notice.

Looked like that moment had come. If I had my way, I’d be putting Wild Ridge and the rugged mountain man who had somehow managed to break my heart in two short days behind me.

Time to put my plan into motion. Funny how the elation I’d expected to feel when this day came never hit me.

Twelve

Trinity

Half an hour into my frantic packing, a car door slammed outside followed quickly by heavy footsteps pounding up my stairs.

I froze like the prey of any large predator would do. I’d mostly convinced myself that Sawyer wouldn’t bother coming after me. That what happened between us was all some kind of game.

A fist hammered on my door. “Trinity, you have about two seconds to open this door before I bust it down.”

He sounded more like the big, bad wolf than any man I’d ever heard.

My head dropped forward and my eyes squeezed shut. Guess I’d figured wrong.

“I mean it, Trinity Douglas.”

I picked my head up and a quick glance around the room reminded me the only way out was through the door currently being blocked by Sawyer. Might as well let him in.

I stepped over to the door and turned the lock on the knob and the deadbolt. Before I’d done more than twisted the knob, Sawyer pushed his way inside.

And suddenly my apartment was filled with one big, pissed-off beast. He paced down the length of the room and I swear I heard a growl escape him. For the first time, Sawyer seemed more animal than man.

I stood stock-still by the door, my hand still on the doorknob.

“For fuck’s sake, Trinity, I’m not going to hurt you. You can close the door.”

I glanced outside and saw the street around my apartment was empty. Not that too many of the locals would come to my rescue should I start screaming bloody murder. Let’s face it. I hadn’t done a lot of fostering of friendships over the last few years.

I shrugged and closed the door, taking my time in turning to face the angry man in my apartment.

When I finally did, I almost whirled back around and tried to escape. Sawyer’s eyes blazed through me like he could see my soul. His jaw clenched.

“What the fuck, Trinity? I spent the last half hour searching every corner of my house for you. Most of my relatives spent that time searching the woods around the house. If Dyson hadn’t gotten there and told us he passed you on the road, loaded into Krista Phelp’s car, we would all still be there looking for you. Because for some reason it never occurred to me that you left.” His voice rose from rumbling to something just below a roar as he spit the last two words at me.

It took every ounce of courage I possessed to respond to him. “I didn’t realize I had to disclose that information to you since you didn’t feel the need to explain things to me.”

He rubbed a hand over his short hair. “What didn’t I explain to you, Trinity? Because I think I made it pretty clear that you’re mine. If my telling you right out didn’t make it sink in, making you scream my name over and over again with my dick pounding into you should have done the trick. And the fact I introduced you to my entire family today as the woman I’m with should have clued you the fuck in.”

I shook my head and felt my own temper rising. He wasn’t going to stand there and act like the wounded party here. “Maybe it’s better this way. Just go before any more damage can be done, alright.”

“What are you talking about?”

“How about the fact the entire town is talking about you taking pity on me? I’m no charity case, Sawyer. How about that?”