My heart races at hearing the pounding at the door. Quickly, Dean and I move to get our clothes on.
"Go sit with the kids. I'll get the door." Dean grabs a shotgun from a shelf above his bedroom door.
I go into the kids’ room, closing the door behind me.
"Mommy, who is at the door? Is it Grandma?" Gracie asks.
"No, it's not Grandma. I'm not sure who it is, but Dean is going to go check. Let's stay here until we know who it is.”
As I sit with the kids, my mind races with possibilities of who could be at the door. Dean says only his mom, dad, and brother know where the cabin is. But what are the chances the guys from Savage Bones found it?
No, that can't be. They wouldn't be knocking on the door. They’d just bust in, not caring about anyone or anything.
The door opens, and there is some muffled talking before Dean calls out. "Holly, sweetheart, it’s my brother."
Instant relief fills me. I hear the sound of boots stomping on the wooden floor as Dean and Six make their way to the living room. Trying to make myself more presentable, I run my fingers through my hair before the kids and I go out to greet him.
"Why don't you and the kids get dressed? There is plenty of snow for the kids to build a snowman while we talk," Six says.
His meaning is clear. What he has to say isn't meant for the kids to hear. In my heart, I know it's an update on Savage Bones, and judging by the fact there isn't even a hint of a smile on his face, it's not good news.
"Okay, kids, let's get your clothes on so we can make a snowman while the weather is nice!"
My heart sinks as I watch the kids pull their coats on while Dean and Six huddle in the living room. I know what this means. It means the danger is closer than we thought.
But I can't think about that right now. I have to focus on keeping the kids happy and calm. Grabbing a few granola bars, I hand one to each of them before they run out into the snow.
Dean, Six, and I stay back on the porch, watching them for a moment when Six speaks.
"We found your stepdad. Not so much as found him as he made his presence known,” Six says, making my heart sink.
Dean steps up behind me and wraps his arms around me.
“What does that mean?” I ask, my voice shaky.
Six turns to me, his eyes hard. “It means he showed up back at your mom’s house. Our best guess is when she didn’t know where you were, things turned ugly.”
I feel sick to my stomach. “Ugly how?” I’m almost too scared to ask.
Six looks over me to Dean, who pulls me tight against him.
"He beat your mom up pretty bad. She's in the hospital unconscious," Six says.
When my knees give out, Dean slowly lowers me to the ground.
"We won't let him anywhere near you," Dean vows, but I barely hear him.
The tears are streaming down my face as my mind tries to process the news. My mom, the one person who has always been there for me, is lying in a hospital bed because of that monster, because of me. Rage and sadness fill my heart, making it hard to breathe.
"Your stepdad got away before the police arrived. We don't know where he is now, but we're trying to track him down." Six's voice is calm, but I can hear the underlying anger and determination.
"It should be me in the hospital bed." I speak the truth because he was after me, but found my mom instead.
"Don't you dare say that! This is your stepdad's fault. Also, your mom knew what kind of guy he was and chose to stay. You knew what kind of guy he was and chose to protect your kids. Even though I know it doesn't feel like it, you made the right choice," Six says.
"Holly, this is not your fault," Dean says firmly, as if he can sense my thoughts. "You couldn't have known this was going to happen."
Though I nod my head in agreement, my mind feels muddled with thoughts and emotions.
Six chimes in, "We're going to find him. And we're going to make sure he pays for what he did to your mom. We won't stop until he's behind bars."
Dean squeezes me tighter, his warmth providing a small sense of comfort amidst the chaos. "We'll keep you safe, Holly. That's a promise."
Taking a deep breath, I wipe my tears with the sleeve of my jacket. "Thank you," I say quietly, grateful for the support of these two men who have become my family.
But despite their promises, I know that the danger is still out there. My stepdad, a man who has always been abusive, is now more dangerous than ever.
"I need to be there. I need to be with my mom. I need to be there if she..." I get choked up and can't find the words to say if she doesn't make it, but they seem to get what I'm trying to say.
"You can't right now. It's not safe. We’ll take you to your mom as soon as we catch your stepdad. Some of the guys think he did this to try to flush you out, thinking you’ll rush to your mom's side," Six says.
I nod in understanding, feeling a mix of guilt and fear for not being able to be there for my mom.
"Then use me as bait. Let me go see my mom and flush him out," I say the moment the idea pops into my head.
"Absolutely not," Six and Dean say at the same time.
At their protective instincts, I can feel my frustration rising.
"I just want to see her," I whisper, more to myself than anyone else.
Dean cups my face in his hands, forcing me to look at him. "We'll find him, Holly. And we'll make sure you get to see your mother. But we need to be smart about this. We have to work together and stay safe."
"Right now, we don't know if Savage Bones is in on this, too, or if your stepdad is working alone. We haven't been able to figure it out. If Savage Bones is involved, then this is a bigger trap than we thought. If they’re trying to make sure you don't talk, you won't make it inside the hospital alive," Six says.
"But I have you guys to protect me."
"Using yourself as bait is not an option," Dean says firmly.
While I understand where they're coming from, the thought of my mom lying in the hospital alone, fighting for her life, is too much to bear. I want to be there for her and tell her that I love her, and that everything will be okay.
I can't help feeling as if I'm trapped, helpless in this situation. The thought of not being able to see my mother is tearing me apart.
"This is my fault, so it's up to me to make it right. It's not right to put this all on your shoulders," I try again.
"Holly. You just agreed to marry me. That means yes, what you are dealing with is the club’s problem," Dean says.
"Damn, brother. You could have opened with that when I got here. Congratulations to you two," Six says, resting a hand on my shoulder. "Dean is right. Even more so now. It's not just that he was threatening someone who lives in Mustang Mountain. He's now threatening a member of the Riders, our family. We don't allow that."
"Plus, you have to protect your children. You’re all they have until we are married, and I can legally adopt them. What happens to them if something happens to you?" Dean asks.
Six intervenes. "The guys are meeting now to come up with a plan, but I knew as soon as I heard about your mom, I needed to come tell you since there is no phone service out here. I’ll be back once we have a plan in place. For now, stay here. This is where you are safest. Do you need me to bring back anything?"
"Some more groceries. We are good for now, but those kids eat a lot when they are burning energy out in the snow like this."
Dean is speaking, and I hear him, but I feel like I'm somewhere else completely.
When Six leaves, Dean takes my hand and leads me to the couch. Before we call for the kids to come inside, Dean’s arms hold me close, and I try to calm my racing thoughts.
"I'm scared, Dean," I confess. "What if we can't find him? What if he comes after us?"
"We won't let that happen," he says firmly. "We're going to find him, Holly. And we're going to make sure he can never hurt you or our family again."
Leaning my head against his chest, I listen to the steady thump of his heartbeat. For a moment, it's enough to forget about the danger lurking outside, the uncertainty of our future, and the fear consuming me.
As my mind races, I wonder if The Mustang Mountain Riders know how strong and how brutal the Savage Bones really are. How will a bunch of nice guys take them down and protect me and my kids?