Page 10 of Her Remarkable Protector
“Does your husband know your son is missing?”
Her gaze drops. “What do you think?”
He doesn’t. The question is whether Damon’s unaware out of indifference—or because Mira’s too afraid of his wrath to tell him.
“Does your husband know you’re here?” I press.
She smirks. “Why are you so concerned about him, Chase?”
“I need to talk to him,” I say.
“Is it true his father favored you over him? Your name comes up often—but never in a flattering way.”
I give her a small smile, letting her know those details don’t matter.
She adds, “I mean, he’s an only child, right? You’re not some bastard brother or hidden family secret, are you?”
Hell no. Damon might’ve treated me like a little brother back when we were close, but since Kalispell, everything’s changed.
“Does he know you’re here, Mrs. Stone?”
“Not yet,” she admits with a casual shrug. “And maybe he never needs to, if you work fast enough. He’s away. You find Oakley, I bring him home, and no one else has to know.”
My first case as head of Red Mark Bozeman, and it’s already a knotted web of pasts I’d rather avoid.
At Red Mark, the ethos is to lead with compassion. We deal with people—innocent children and the parents who love them. They’re not just cases, and we’re not law enforcement. Letting your heart get involved isn’t forbidden. It’s inevitable. But the trick is knowing how far to let it in before it clouds your judgment.
At the end of the day, a mother has lost her son. Whatever Mira’s motives or Damon’s darkness, there’s a boy out there who needs to be found.
But before I can help him, I need to figure out where Honor Deveraux is.
3
HONOR
The woods come alive as if welcoming the end of the day—the chirr of cicadas rising like a pulse, the whisper of leaves stirred by the wind, and the distant calls of waterfowl echoing from the lake. I stoop to gather a fallen branch and toss it onto the pile in my arms. The fading light urges me to move faster.
Pregnancy doesn’t slow me down. If anything, it drives me harder. This isn’t just about me anymore. I have to keep us safe—both of us.
“Easy, baby, easy,” I murmur, feeling the determined kick of tiny feet as I reach the tent.
Motel-hopping had seemed like a solid plan at first, but it only left my heart battered. Nerves, anxiety, paranoia—none of it good for me or my baby. Thank goodness for this island. It’s been a haven for three nights. Maybe it will be for a few more, at least until I’m sure it’s safe to return to civilization.
Wild Horse Island felt like the only place I could disappear. Nestled in the vast expanse of Flathead Lake, I can still remember the quiet mornings, the sound of water lapping against the boat. And the way Dad would smile when I caught something—like I’d just reeled in the moon. It’s a place so far removed, so tied to the quiet corners of my memory, that no one—not even Damon Stone—could reach me here.
My search for Junior has been shoved to the sidelines, sealed in yet another box. Twelve years is a long time to wait. Between growing up, navigating the confusion and anger, and now preparing for my baby’s arrival, it has to wait a little longer.
Breaking into the Circle was my only shot at getting to Junior, and it had cost me more than I care to admit.
I started circling the name once I was sure Damon believed I was under his thumb, testing the waters with differently phrased questions and poorly timed conversations that led nowhere.
Damon had been an impenetrable wall—until that night, the last time I said ‘of course’ to him. I must have struck the right nerve because he finally gave me what I needed. I’ll never forget the way he scoffed, almost amused, when I asked who topped his list.
“Chase Samson,” Damon said then. “The best in the Circle—or at least he was. Let’s be real, though. He didn’t walk away on his own. They let him.”
Then, like he was spinning a campfire tale, Damon unraveled Chase’s story—how his last hurrah as a Stoneborn was busting into some thief’s house in Kalispell.
“It’s gonna be a damn show seeing him strung up at the Chapel,” he said with a low chuckle.
