Prologue

PROLOGUE

HARLEY

The best part about living in New York City was that there was always somewhere you could go to get your mind off things—clubs, restaurants, theaters. It was all here, damn near everything was open twenty-four hours, too. Of all the spots I could have chosen, this bar was the only one that appealed to me. It wasn't exactly a dive, but it wasn't a trendy hipster spot either. It was caught somewhere in-between––the perfect place to have a few drinks and wallow in my misery.

A couple of hours ago, I found out my boyfriend of six months had been cheating on me. Just to rub a little salt in the wound, he had been cheating with multiple women. I still wasn't sure how to feel about the whole situation. Luis was the first man I'd dated or slept with since I'd lost Sam three years ago. It ashamed me that I hadn't waited longer after his death, but the loneliness had started to eat at me. Luis had come along right at my lowest point and filled that empty space inside me. Even then, it had been forced, like I was trying too hard to move forward. So desperate to put the most painful part of my life behind me.

I should have felt rage, shame, sadness—that entire range of emotions people felt when they had been betrayed. But all I could feel was humiliation. That was the one emotion that seemed to be trying to tear its way out of my brain every ten minutes or so. Knowing that I'd been fooled so completely and thoroughly overwhelmed me. The drinks were helping with that, though.

I smiled to myself and lifted the glass to my lips. Jack and Coke—just what the doctor ordered. I'd decided not to hang out with any of my friends. They would have supported me, called Luis a douchebag and bashed his character, talked about setting me up with guys they knew, and all the other things friends were supposed to do in these situations. But all I really wanted was to be alone. At least, that was the case until I set eyes on the man across the bar.

The guy was gorgeous. He'd caught my eye, and he seemed to have noticed me, too. When his eyes locked on mine, he didn't look away—he continued to look straight at me. Most men, even the overly confident ones, would look away for at least a second if they'd been caught staring. A nervous, thrilling heat built in my stomach, and my cheeks went red. He smiled and nodded to me, raising his glass in my direction. Despite myself, I smiled back and raised my own glass in greeting.

Finally looking away, the stranger glanced down at the bar, the smile still playing on his lips. He looked like he'd made a decision. He stood, grabbed his drink, and walked toward me. My eyes widened in surprise. Was he actually coming over to sit with me? Oh shit. I hadn't anticipated having to make small talk. My whole plan for the night had been to have a couple of hours of lonely drinking, maybe a long hot shower, some crying, and sleep. But it seemed things had rapidly taken a new and interesting turn.

As I watched him move around the bar, I could see that his body was ripped, even with the tailored dress shirt he was wearing. One word leaped to the front of my mind. Intimidating . He practically oozed confidence as he took a seat next to me.

He took another sip of his drink before he spoke. "You look like you could use a friend."

I grinned and quirked an eyebrow. "Well, that's pretty bold of you to assume."

He shrugged. "Fortune favors the bold. Isn't that what they say?"

Who was this guy? It was like he'd walked out of a movie or something. So fucking smooth. The ball of heat in my stomach moved lower. I already knew what I wanted. I wasn't sure how it was possible, but I suddenly needed more than a few drinks tonight.

"I won't ask why a pretty lady like you is drinking alone. I think I can figure it out for myself."

I downed my drink and waved to the bartender for another. "I'm a walking cliché. Is that what you're saying?"

"Not at all. I just recognize the signs." His gaze swept lazily over my body before locking on my eyes again. "Looks like he's a fucking idiot to me. Dude didn't know what he had."

My cheeks were on fire, and I had to look away. The intensity of his gaze was too much for me to handle. We spent the next forty-five minutes chatting and flirting back and forth. After a while, his hand was on my lower back, my leg, then brushing a hair from my face. It was all I could do to hide that I was hornier than I'd been in forever. Each time he touched me, the wetness between my legs grew until I was almost dripping. I knew exactly where this was going, and as much as the logical side of my mind protested, the rest of me was already thinking about the feel of his sweaty, muscled body above me, the way I'd groan when the pleasure surged through me.

I forced myself to stop imagining and took another drink to calm my nerves. The stranger was pursuing me, and I hadn't realized how much I wanted that. Luis and I had sort of fallen in together, without any romance or courting per se. This? This was what I craved. To be desired, to be chased, to be wanted. The lust in the stranger's eyes lit a fire inside me that I thought had died with Sam.

There was a slight pang of sadness in my heart when I thought of him. Was this a betrayal? Those words always flashed through my mind when I looked at another man, when Luis had taken me to bed, when I downloaded dating apps. It wasn't a betrayal. If things had been swapped and I had died, I would have wanted nothing more than for Sam to find a lovely woman to spend his life with. I would have never wanted him to mourn and pine for me the rest of his life and live like a celibate monk. No, this wasn't a betrayal. This was life, and life was worth living.

The stranger pushed his glass away and said, "I'm only in town for one night."

I knew what he was saying, and I was fine with it. I wanted a night, a single night, to forget all the shit going on in my life. To forget what Luis did, to feel free and desired. Just one night. "That works for me."

Glancing sideways at me, he smiled faintly. "If it works for you, it works for me."

He stood, pulled two hundred dollar bills out of his wallet, and handed them to the bartender. "Keep the change."

The young man behind the bar took the bills, his eyes wide. "Sir, it was only five or six drinks."

"Have a great night." With that, he took my hand and pulled me toward the door.

I followed. His hand was warm and strong in mine. I felt like I was in a dream until the cool air outside hit me, and I realized what we were doing. Butterflies started fluttering in my stomach as he waved for a cab. If I'd rehearsed this a day ago, I would have told myself to come to my senses, give a gracious apology, then head home alone. Instead, I found myself growing ever more excited.

Fifteen minutes later, I was walking down the hallway of his hotel, toward his room. As he bent over his lock and slid the key in, my gaze drifted over his broad, muscled back. The second the door swung inward, we were all over each other. To my shock and surprise, I was the aggressor. Pulling him in close, I locked my lips to his. Arms wrapped around me, hands cupped my ass, and lifted me. Our breaths came in sharp, desperate gasps as he laid me on the bed. I unbuttoned my blouse as he pulled my skirt and panties down my legs, then threw them across the room.

Without warning, he buried his tongue in my pussy. My mouth dropped open in a gasp as his tongue flicked back and forth, making the blood rush to my head. Already, I was on the verge of a climax. I wrapped my legs around his head, pulling him closer as I unhooked my bra and freed my breasts. His hand slid up and palmed my breast, gently pinching my nipple. An explosion of pleasure rocked me as the orgasm rippled through my body, stronger than any I could ever remember.

He rose from between my legs, quickly shed his own clothes, and then kneeled above me as I tried to catch my breath. I couldn't even speak when he kissed me again. Slowly, I regained my composure as I ran my hands through his hair, my desire already building again.

Gaze intent on mine, he slid into me. My eyes rolled back as his massive length filled me, and I came again. I bit into his shoulder, trying not to scream. My hips involuntarily thrust up to meet him, desperate for him to keep going.

He rested his weight on his hands and ground himself into me. I ran my fingers over his muscled chest, my fingertips gliding through the sheen of sweat. This man was gorgeous, and he didn't seem to be even close to finishing. The idea thrilled and terrified me at the same time. I wasn't sure how much I could take, but I was ready to find out.

Nearing another orgasm, I hissed out a breath when he pulled out and flipped me over. He plunged into me, his heavy breath on my ear sending goosebumps along my shoulders. A hand snaked under me and clutched at my breast, another wound gently into my hair. He fucked me, and I loved every minute of it. All my sadness, depression, and shame evaporated beneath him.

Finally, he started moving faster, deeper, groaning into my hair. I went over the edge at the same moment he shuddered and gasped. We came together, and I collapsed on the bed, gasping—literally gasping—for air. It was like I'd run a marathon. The room was spinning, and a satisfied warmth filled me, almost like a thick heavy blanket covered me. I didn't even remember falling asleep, but I did.

When I woke up in the morning, my head throbbed from the hangover. My body ached, in a not unpleasant way, from the activity of the previous night. I sat up and looked around the room. The stranger was gone. Christ, I didn't even know his name. A quick search of the room showed he was truly gone. No luggage, toiletries, phone charger. Nothing.

I sat, naked, on the edge of the bed. The night before played back through my mind. Some of it was fuzzy; I'd been more drunk than I thought. One thing slammed home in my mind and sent a shock of distress through me. We hadn't used a condom. A cold sweat sprang out over my body as I covered my face with my hands. How could I have been so stupid?

After freaking out for twenty minutes, I pulled out my phone. I found an STD clinic near my home and booked an appointment on their website. That done, I gathered up my clothes and went to the bathroom. There was a note stuck to the shower door.

Had a great time last night. Early flight. Stay as long as you want, but check out is at noon.

Still no name. I sighed and rubbed a hand over my face. At least he'd left a note, so he wasn't a total dick. I glanced up at myself in the mirror and almost laughed. I looked like a strung-out hooker. My hair was a rat's nest, my make-up smeared and faded, and my face was slightly puffy from drinking too much.

I gave my reflection a stern look. "You can't do this again, Harley, you can't be reckless. You have to think about your daughters."

I made myself a promise to be more careful. The girls would probably be worried sick about me. Fuck, what a mother I was. Even though they weren't little kids—Mariah was sixteen and Jordyn was fourteen—and could take care of themselves because they grew up in New York, they would be worried if they woke up and I still wasn't home. With a shake of my head, I got dressed, then rushed out the door and hurried home.

Thankfully, it was Saturday morning, and I was relieved to find that my two teenagers lived up to the cliché. It was almost eleven a.m., and both were still asleep. For all they knew, I came home after they went to bed. Sighing in relief, I took a shower. By the time I was dressed, Mariah was awake.

She was eating a bagel and cream cheese in the living room when my phone rang, Luis's name lighting up my screen. Shit. I was in no mood to answer, but it was best to get it over with. I went to my room, and closed the door before hitting the green button.

"Hello?"

"Harley? Where the hell were you last night? I texted you like ten times and called twice," Luis snapped.

I sighed and rubbed my temple with my free hand. "Luis, I told you yesterday, we're done. I don't have to answer your calls or messages."

"That's bullshit. You know it is."

Doing everything I could to control the volume of my voice, I hissed, "No, Luis. What's bullshit is that you've been fucking every woman you can find, and I was too stupid to realize it."

Luis barked out a laugh. "Harley, I'm the best thing that has ever happened to you. I pulled strings and got your girls into that private school you liked, and I paid off your credit card. I think that grants me a little leeway."

I sucked in a breath and gritted my teeth. Luis had money–– lots of money ––even though he didn't seem to have a steady job and was always cagey about what he did for work. I always felt guilty whenever he gave me anything. The police life insurance policy from Sam's death and my salary as a web designer was enough, but he would offered and wouldn't take no for an answer. Now he was holding it over my head? Rage boiled inside me.

"Luis, just because you gifted me something doesn't give you the right to cheat on me. You understand that, right?"

"Listen, Harley, you are mine. Nothing is going to change that. You understand that, right?"

I bit back a scream as I hung up on him and blocked his number. Fuck him and his money. I squeezed my eyelids shut and held back the tears threatening to escape. When they didn't spill, I composed myself enough to go about the rest of my weekend with the girls. I managed to slip away for an hour for my STD test, which, thankfully, came out clean after an agonizing wait of a couple of days. Other than that, the weekend ended up being very plain and lazy.

All that ended Monday morning. When I walked the girls to their school, I saw Luis standing at the corner in front of the school gate. The look on his face was one of anger and petulance.

Jordyn pointed and said, "Hey, it's Luis."

He smiled and waved. "Hello, ladies."

Clenching my jaw, I handed Jordyn her lunch box and pushed her and Mariah along. "Go on, girls. Have a good day."

I waited until they were through the gate before turning around and walking toward Luis. "Why are you here?"

Several seconds ticked by as he chewed at the inside of his cheek and looked me up and down. Finally, he said, "Have you had a chance to think about your little temper tantrum?"

I put a hand to my head. "Oh, my God. Are you serious? You're out of your mind. You know that, right?"

The look on his face went from irritated humor to… something more sinister. I'd never seen that look on his face before. It made me take an involuntary step back.

He pointed a shaking finger at me. "This is your last chance. When I'm done with you, I'll tell you I'm done. No one, no woman , dumps me. I refuse to let that happen."

The words came out as a hiss. He sounded like a snake. I glanced around, suddenly scared to be around him. Luis had always been intimidating, which I'd found kind of sexy and attractive. But this was different. I could finally see what I'd been blind to all these months. Luis was dangerous. I was terrified to learn what it was he did for money.

I backed toward a cluster of parents seeing their kids off. "Leave us alone, Luis. I'm sure you can find someone much better than me."

I spun on my heel and walked away as quickly as I could without running. My breath was ragged and harsh, and I kept looking over my shoulder until I got to my townhouse. I locked every door and called the super to schedule getting the locks changed. I never gave Luis a key, but the rage I'd seen on his face made me paranoid.

Instead of letting the girls walk home on their own after school, I was there to meet them. They both seemed surprised to see me. Surprised, but happy. I put on a good show, and didn't let my face show the panic when I saw Luis was still near the school. He was sitting at an outdoor café and waved nonchalantly at me as I walked away with Jordyn and Mariah.

The next several days were torture. I kept getting text messages from unknown numbers, but the content told me it was Luis.

I watched you sleep last night.

Are you ever going to respond to me? I'm getting pissed. You really don't want to see me angry.

You know, Harley, all the times we fucked, we never did any rough stuff. I'd like to try choking you the next time I have you. Maybe I'll squeeze extra hard. AND extra long.

Maybe I need to talk to the girls? Get them to talk some sense into their mother.

That last text made me hurl my phone across the room. Thankfully, the floor was carpeted, and the screen was only slightly cracked. I called Sam's old partner, Maddox. I needed some advice. Luis could threaten me all he wanted to, but going after my girls was too much.

Maddox answered after the third ring. "Hello? Harley?"

Letting out a breath, I said, "Maddox? I need you. I need advice, cop advice. Can I meet you somewhere?"

The panic in my voice must have been evident. I could hear him talking to someone, probably his wife, Julie, before he spoke into the phone again. "Yeah, Harley, name the place and time. I'll do whatever I can."

We met at a coffee shop off East 37 th Street. It only took about ten minutes to explain everything. At first, he seemed confused, then shocked, then angry. I sucked down the coffee that had gone cold.

Maddox sighed. "First things first. Restraining order. The texts alone should be enough to get one. They're obviously threatening."

"But he's using burner phones. There's no way to know who sent them."

He chewed at his lip and glanced around before whispering, "Yeah, but… I can pull some strings. The right lawyer, the right judge? It's not by the book, but I'll do it for Sam."

I knew he was going out on a limb for me from how he was talking. "Maddox, please don't get yourself into trouble for me."

He held up a hand. "Sam saved my ass multiple times, and… well… I wasn't there to save him. It's the least I can do."

Acquiescing, I nodded in gratitude as Maddox started calling in favors and pulling strings. While he worked on helping me, Luis continued his stalking. It got to the point that I didn't leave the house except for school runs––I had groceries delivered and canceled dentist and doctor's appointments. It was like we were in prison. Jordyn was confused, but I was positive Mariah had figured it out. She hushed Jordyn whenever she asked about Luis and why we had broken up. I was grateful to her for that.

Maddox called me four days after we'd met up. "Harley, it's done."

Confused, I asked, "Don't I have to go somewhere? Talk to a judge? Something like that?"

"Like I said, I did it via back channels, had some people who owed me… big time. Luis was served with the paperwork this morning. He's aware that if he gets within a thousand feet of you or contacts you in any way, he'll be in deep shit."

I sagged against the door and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Maybe this will get Luis off my back. Hopefully. "Thank you so much, Maddox. You have no idea how much I appreciate this."

"Like I said, it's the least I could do for Sam's memory. If you have any more trouble, don't hesitate to call me. If… if things get worse, I may have another option for you. I don't want to get into it unless things get really bad."

"Thanks," I said before disconnecting the call.

Life went on as normal for a few days, but at the end of the week, I found a copy of the restraining order taped to my apartment door. The word BITCH had been scrawled across it in red Sharpie. Luis hadn't been at my apartment that morning when I took the girls to school, but another man stood on the sidewalk.

The man was thick and burly, like a walking brick wall. He smiled at me, and I knew, instinctively, that Luis had sent him.

"Mrs. King? I think you know what you need to do. Don't you? It would be a shame if…" He glanced at Jordyn and Mariah, both shrinking under his gaze. "…you know… something was to happen. Just think about it, okay?"

He smiled again and nodded at us. I grabbed the girls and immediately led them back inside. "You aren't going to school today."

I let them sit in the living room and watch TV while I went into my bedroom to call Maddox. I was barely holding back my sobs when he answered.

"What happened?" he asked immediately.

"It didn't work. I think it's getting worse."

The panic was unlike anything else I'd ever felt. The only thing that had ever surpassed this was the day the captain had knocked on my door to tell me Sam had been killed in the line of duty.

"Okay, Harley, calm down, okay. Remember I told you I had another option?"

"Yes. Yes, that's why I called."

"So, I know you and the kids are born and raised New Yorkers, but how about getting away from the city? Away from Luis?"

I wiped tears from my eyes. "What do you mean? Like going Upstate?"

He chuckled. "I was thinking farther than that. Someplace he'll never find you."

"All right, I'm listening."

"I'm not a big city kid. I moved here with Julie after we finished college. I grew up in Colorado."

"Colorado? Like Colorado River, Colorado? Bison and trout and stuff?"

He laughed. "Right, Rocky Mountain High and all that jazz. I grew up in a little place called Lilly Valley."

The name was like a breath of fresh air. I smiled when I heard it. "That sounds like the name of a fairytale village."

"Not wrong, it's pretty gorgeous."

I couldn't get the name out of my mind. It sounded… perfect. I felt almost drawn to it, a cross between excitement and urgency. It was the way I'd felt as a child on Christmas Eve. Maddox hadn't even told me about the town, and I was already desperate to go there. It was a strange feeling.

"I still own my parents' place, the house I grew up in. My parents left it to me when they died. I thought I would be visiting all the time, but we've only been there once in the last six years. I thought maybe you and the girls could stay there for a while. I know it would be a massive change for you guys, but?—"

"I'd love it," I blurted.

"Wow." He chuckled. "That was easier than I thought. I figured you could rent it from me for the summer, and if it suits you, I will sell it to you."

I sank onto the bed and smiled for the first time that week. A huge weight seemed to be lifting off me. It was like we were already on the right path. I would never be able to thank Maddox enough for this new, fresh start. After we worked out the logistics and that he would bring me a set of keys the next day, Maddox promised to have a patrol car stationed outside the house until we left.

The girls took the news of the move in stride, to my surprise. My main fear was that the girls would be devastated to leave their school and friends, but that wasn't the case. If they'd been younger, I believed it would have been a different story. Mariah had deduced what the problem was, and Jordyn had gleaned some of it from her sister. They wanted to be safe and not have to stay locked up all the time. If I were being honest, they probably wanted me to be happy, too, and I wanted to cry for being blessed with such amazing girls.

The movers arrived two days later, and within three hours, everything that had made our house a home had been packed and loaded. The girls were packing up the things they wanted to have with them in the car for the trip to Colorado. This move would be expensive, but it was worth it.

I was grabbing the last of my things from the bathroom when I noticed the box of pads beside the toilet. I frowned. In all the chaos of Luis stalking and threatening me, I couldn't remember the last time I'd needed those pads. My eyes widened as my brain did quick math, and I realized I'd missed two periods. Oh fuck.

I stood up so fast that my sunglasses flew off the top of my head and clattered to the floor. I did not need this right now. Making a split-second decision, I decided I needed to know right away. God, we were supposed to leave in an hour. I grabbed the keys and walked to the door.

"Be right back, need to get something at the corner store before we leave," I called to the girls.

"Okay, Mom," they called in unison.

I was back home and in the bathroom within fifteen minutes. I peed on the little stick and stared at the floor for another fifteen minutes. I didn't pray or wish for or against anything. So much had happened in the last couple of months that my brain was completely fried.

The timer went off on my phone, and without any hesitation, I stood and looked at the stick––ripping the Band-Aid off per se. And there was the little blue plus sign that said I was positive. There was no doubt––it was in sharp contrast to the white background. I was pregnant. And I had no idea who the father was. A jackass psycho? Or was it a smooth-talking one-night stand?