24. MASON

24

MASON

T he air was crisp when we stepped out of Cami’s cottage again.

“Oh, wow,” she said, rubbing her hands together, blowing a cloud of hot breath into her gloved hands. “Is it just me or did the temperature drop while we were in there?”

“I think we just got really hot,” I said with a grin.

She looked up at me with mischievous eyes. “Yeah, it did get pretty hot.”

I pulled her closer and planted a kiss on her lips.

“It’s one way to get through winter, you know,” I added.

“We’ll just have to test that theory another time. You know… make sure you know what you’re talking about.”

I growled at the back of my throat, already ready for round two with her. But we were going to join the parade first, enjoy the festivities and really lean into this whole Christmas thing.

Never thought I’d say it, but I wasn’t against the idea. But with Cami, nothing was the way it used to be. Everything looked brighter, better, more tantalizing. I didn’t just want to get through every day, survive. I wanted to live .

We stepped back onto Main Street. The snow from earlier had left a thin, powdery layer on the ground, making the whole town look like a postcard for a white Christmas. Twinkling lights strung above the streets flickered in and out, and the distant sound of carolers singing by the giant Christmas tree filled the air making it feel like the scene from a movie. Everything was peaceful now that the hell was over.

It was a far cry from the tension and danger that had gripped us just hours ago.

Cami slipped her hand into mine, and I squeezed it, drinking her warmth. I never thought I’d be someone who cared about Christmas—hell, I never thought I’d care about much of anything anymore. But being here, with her, seeing the joy on people’s faces as they celebrated, made me realize something I hadn’t in a while: there was still goodness in the world. It hadn’t all been snuffed out. I’d just been focused on the wrong stuff for so long, looking at the bad when there was still a shit ton of good around.

Cami was someone who only looked at the good, and it was a good thing to take a page out of her playbook.

We walked through the crowd, surrounded by families bundled up in scarves and hats, kids running around with red cheeks and bright eyes. Floats rolled down the street, covered in snow—both fake and real—and glittering ornaments, and I took a deep breath. For the first time in years, a weight had lifted off my chest.

Tanner and Rae stood off to the side near one of the stands, with little Hunter bouncing in Rae’s arms, his tiny fist wrapped around a candy cane that was already sticky and half-eaten.

“There they are,” Cami said, and she tugged on my hand, dragging us closer.

Rae saw us a moment later, and relief flooded her features.

“Cami!” Rae called, and when we joined them, Cami hugged Rae, squashing Hunter between the two of them. The little tyke just squealed with delight, being surrounded by so much love.

Yeah, this was the kind of life a kid ought to grow up in, I realized. One with only safety and love and nothing horrible.

Maybe one day, with Cami…

“Are you okay?” Rae breathed, letting go of Cami and studying her carefully. “I was so worried. I knew the guys could handle it, but God, that was no joke.”

“It was wild,” Cami breathed, not knowing what other words to use. Shit like that just couldn’t be explained to someone who wouldn’t get it. “But I’m okay. We all are.” She reached for me, taking my hand again.

Rae nodded. There weren’t a lot of people around these parts who would understand, but Rae would.

“I’m so glad you’re safe,” Rae said. “Tanner says it’s been taken care of.” Rae turned her eyes to me, a question. She wanted to be sure that Tanner was right and that the worst really was over—for Cami’s sake, more than anything.

“Yeah, it’s over,” I said firmly.

Cami glanced up at me, her eyes filled with emotion. It would take a while for her to deal with the aftermath. That kind of trauma didn’t just blow over. But we would get through it together.

Rae nodded, finally satisfied. “This little town seems to be a magnet for drama.”

Cami laughed. “You can say that again. Good thing we have the guys to protect us, right?”

“Oh, you bet,” Rae said, and she nudged me. “I know there’s still some healing ahead. And it’s okay to not be okay. Okay? But you’ll be fine. You’re stronger than you know, and you’ve got us. Always.”

Cami smiled warmly and squeezed Rae’s hand. When Hunter kicked, wanting to be a part of the affection, Cami pinched his cheeks.

“And little Hunter, of course,” she added.

“Exactly,” Rae said.

I was glad Cami had a friend like Rae on her side. Shit like this was tough to process and having no one who understood it made life so much harder. But Rae got it—she and Tanner had been through their fair share of hell, and Rae would be there for Cami to lean on when she needed it.

I was grateful for Tanner, too. I didn’t know how I would have taken out the assholes—Viktor and Wallace had been a thorn in my side for a long time—and even though I would have tried to figure something out, it really helped to have someone like Tanner have my back.

Rae and Cami continued talking, fussing over Hunter when he started to squeal and look for attention.

Tanner stepped up beside me, his arms crossed as he watched the two women. “Glad to see you two made it out of that mess,” he said, a twinkle in his eye.

I nodded, glancing over at him. “Thanks for having my back, man. I don’t know that I could have done it without you.”

He shrugged, a small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Anytime. You would have done the same for me. In fact…” He glanced at me, thinking back to when Rae had been kidnapped. “You did.”

I nodded. When you had people who meant everything, you sacrificed it all to keep them safe and keep them close.

I leaned in closer, lowering my voice so the girls wouldn’t hear any of it.

“What did Sheriff Johnson say? How’d it go down after we left?”

Tanner let out a slow breath, his gaze shifting toward the street as one of the floats rolled by, kids waving from the top. His eyes were still sharp, and he kept an eye out for danger but we both knew it was well and truly over.

“Called him right after we took care of Viktor and Wallace,” Tanner said. “He was shocked about the danger right under his nose, and he was pissed they fucked with the Christmas parade, but I told him we’d taken care of it. He was a bit surprised when he saw the state of them, but when I told him they’d threatened Cami, he turned a blind eye. Everyone around here loves her.”

“There’s a lot to love,” I agreed. “The town really does love her and I can understand why.”

Tanner nodded with an agreeing grunt before he continued. “He rounded up the rest of Viktor’s men—they’re all in custody now. Viktor and Wallace are getting shipped out to a higher security facility. Sheriff said there’s gonna be an investigation, but from what it sounds like, they won’t be a problem for a long time. If ever again.”

I nodded, and the relief that washed over me was unexpected. I’d carried this burden for so fucking long it had become a part of me, and now it was over, it was tough to imagine a life without it. But I was so damn ready to find out what it would be like to live without looking over my shoulder.

Knowing Viktor and his crew were locked up for good brought the closure I needed. Knowing they wouldn’t be a threat anymore—not to me, not to Cami, not to anyone in Silver Ridge.

After all, I might have been keeping to myself but this place was still my home.

“Good,” I said, my voice gruff. “That’s good.”

Tanner glanced over at me, a knowing look in his eyes. “So, you and Cami?”

I glanced toward her, watching as she laughed with Rae, her face lit up with a carefree kind of joy now that the nightmare was done.

“Yeah,” I said quietly. “Me and Cami.”

Tanner grinned, clapping me on the shoulder. “Glad to hear it. You deserve this, Mason. If anyone does, it’s you.”

I shrugged, not sure what to say.

“Don’t fuck it up,” Tanner added.

I chuckled, shaking my head. “I’ll do my best.”

Tanner nodded, then turned his attention back to the parade. We stood there in comfortable silence, shoulder to shoulder, here to look after our women no matter what it took. We watched the floats roll by, the sound of Christmas music filling the air. It was strange how quickly things had changed—how everything had gone from life-or-death danger to this quiet, peaceful moment. But I wasn’t complaining.

After years of looking over my shoulder this was the kind of peace I wanted.

I had Cami now, and she had me. We’d face whatever came our way, but right now, I was just going to enjoy this.

I looked over at her again, my heart swelling with love. Real, honest-to-God love. And for the first time, I wasn’t afraid of it, either. Funny to think that a brute like me could be scared of something, but I guess we all had something we feared.

I wasn’t afraid of the future or what it might bring with her, though. As long as I had Cami by my side, I knew I could handle whatever came next.

Rae turned to us, holding Hunter up in the air with a grin. “Look at this little guy, Mason. He’s already obsessed with Christmas. Maybe next year you’ll be playing Santa for him again.”

I grimaced, shaking my head. “Don’t get used to it. This year might be a onetime deal.” I hadn’t even put the suit back on after I’d been with Cami earlier. There were more than enough Santas to go around and take photos with the kids. I’d done my duty.

Cami slid her hand into my palm, her fingers lacing through mine as she looked up at me. Her eyes twinkled with mischief. “I don’t know,” she said teasingly. “I think you make a pretty good Santa.”

I laughed, pulling her closer. “Maybe. But don’t push your luck.”

She stood on her toes and purred in my ear, “I really liked getting you out of that suit, though, so there’s that.”

I growled, my body responding to her, but I would show her what I felt about that statement later tonight.

We were in public now.

She giggled, knowing what she was doing to me. I offered her a warning look—she clearly knew what she was getting herself into, and she blushed.

We turned our attention back to the parade, the floats passing by one by one, each more festive than the last. It was simple, but it was good. After everything that had happened, I knew this was what I wanted. The simple moments. The quiet, peaceful ones.

I looked down at Cami, watching as her face lit up with a smile as she waved to the kids passing by on the floats. She was my spark—my light. The one who had brought me back to life after years of darkness.

For so long, I’d lived in survival mode, always waiting for the next hit, the next threat. But now, with her by my side, I wanted more than that. I was done with the past. I wanted a future, the kind that I never thought was possible for me.

But what was it they said? Anything was fucking possible, right? It was Christmas, after all. And wasn’t this the season for dreams and wishes and other shit like that to come true?