Epilogue

EPILOGUE

Paige sat at the dinner table in Jane and Bridger's house, surrounded by the warmth and love of her found-family on Christmas Eve. The twinkling lights, the delighted laughter of little Kellen as he opened his secret Santa gift, and the mouthwatering aroma of cookies and pie filled the air, creating a cozy, festive atmosphere she adored.

As Kellen sat next to her, his eyes were wide with excitement, his little body vibrating with energy as he chattered about the presents he hoped to see under the tree in the morning. "Uncle Tai promised me a drone that can fly up to a thousand feet!" he exclaimed, bouncing in his seat. "And I think Uncle Mason's getting me a robot that can do my math homework!"

Paige laughed, ruffling the boy's hair. "I'm not sure your mom and dad will be too thrilled about that last one, buddy."

"But it's so cool!" Kellen insisted, his grin threatening to split his face. "I can't wait to see Uncle Jason's face when he sees his Mustang. Dad got the new paint color exactly right. Uncle Jay's gonna flip. Do you think he'll take me up for a ride?"

Paige laughed. "Try and stop him."

Kellen beamed even harder, if such a thing was possible, and forked up a massive bite of mashed potatoes. He stopped, fork hovering near his lips. "Did you hear about Aunt Kate and Uncle Fenn? They called Dad from the Arctic. They're getting married!"

"I did hear that," Paige smiled, her heart warming at the thought of her two friends finally finding happiness together. "Are you excited about the wedding?"

Kellen nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! Well, except for the kissing part. Yuk." He wrinkled his nose, and Paige had to stifle a giggle at his disgusted expression.

From across the table, Tai shook his big head, a grin spreading across his face. "Hackett and Scarborough, coupled up. Finally. Am I the only one that wondered if those two would ever get their act together?"

"Seriously." Bridger sat at the head of the table, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "It's only been ten years. I was beginning to have my doubts."

Despite the swell of holiday cheer that surrounded her, Paige couldn't shake the melancholy that lingered around the edges of her consciousness. She was thrilled for Fenn and Kate, but for her, the dread would only build…

She turned her gaze to the window, staring out at the familiar stars that blazed above the jagged ridges of the Sierra. Even with the dusting of snow in Redemption Creek, she was glad to see the last of the endless Arctic night. The landscape was too…everything. Too cold. Too barren. Too devoid of life.

She craved the noise and light and the vibrations of millions of living things around her.

Her distaste for the Arctic had nothing to do with wanting to be far away from anything to do with Cody Lassiter. A name she'd long prayed she'd never hear again from a time in her life she'd love to forget.

That was its own special form of torture.

If Lassiter was after Jason, he'd have to go through her first.

Beating Cody would require her absolute best. Her A-game.

And every dirty trick she could throw his way.

"Merry Christmas," she muttered quietly, her fingers tightening around her mug of hot cocoa.

Whatever else her Savior's birth brought, the Lord was certainly bringing the challenges.

She'd have to hope they weren't more than she could handle.

Continue the series!

In LETHAL SINS, Paige trades her comfort zone of computers for the dangerous world of espionage. When Cody Lassiter, the man who once betrayed her, reaches out with a cryptic message, Paige is forced to confront her painful past and step into a role she never imagined.

As the team races against time to stop the release of a deadly computer virus,, she'll discover that the deadliest sins might be the ones closest to home.