Chapter 1

"Ican't believe we're really going to spend Christmas in Aspen with Dad." I hummed in pleasure as I took a sip of my hot chocolate. "And in such an awesome cabin with a fireplace in practically every room."

Curled up on the opposite side of the couch, my mom beamed a soft smile at me. "You know how much he loves his creature comforts."

I'd taken plenty of vacations during my eighteen years, but this was the first over Christmas. We usually stuck close to home during the holidays since my dad's travel schedule for work was so hectic. It wasn't unusual for him to be called away after dinner on Christmas Eve or not to make it home until after my mom and I had already had breakfast on the big day.

His clients were demanding, but he always told me that was why they paid him the big bucks. Not that his explanation helped soothe the pain of missing him when he was gone. But I refused to think about all the holidays he'd missed when he would be joining us in a few days for Christmas.

"Well, he's outdone himself this time."

My mom raised her mug toward me, her smile widening. "Of course, he did. We only get one chance to celebrate your graduation from high school. And since you finished a semester early, this trip is even more special because we're spending the holiday together as a family in such a beautiful place."

"Yeah, I wasn't too sure about Aspen when Dad suggested it since skiing isn't exactly my idea of fun, but the view is gorgeous, and there's other stuff to do like ice skating and sledding."

My mom nudged my e-reader toward me with her foot. "And reading in front of the fireplace."

"Definitely," I agreed.

Writing, too. But my mom didn't know that my journaling had transitioned to fictional stories in recent months. I wasn't ready to share that secret with anyone yet. Not until I finished the story I was working on. Maybe not even then since I didn't want to hurt her, which was bound to happen since the heroine of my mystery novel had serious daddy issues. And there was no denying that they'd been inspired by my own.

Almost as though my dad could hear me thinking about him halfway across the country, my mom's phone rang. I knew it was him calling because he was the only person who'd ever filled her eyes with the particular mix of passion and love shining from them as she tapped her finger against the screen. "Happy Christmas Eve Eve! Besides wishing you were here already, you'll never guess what Karina and I are doing right now."

"I need you to take me off speaker, Stephanie."

My mom's eyes widened at my dad's tone, and stark disappointment crashed over me. I'd never heard him sound like that, and I figured he didn't want me to hear his excuses for canceling on us when he knew how special this trip was to me. My shoulders slumped while my mom did as he demanded, but I stayed where I was instead of heading into the bedroom my best friend and I had claimed when we arrived yesterday. Between the ski lesson she'd had yesterday morning and jet lag, Lorelei was exhausted. I didn't want to disturb her nap even though I had a strong feeling I would need one of her comforting hugs soon.

A few minutes later, my prediction came true. Just for a reason much worse than I expected.

My mom's cheeks were pale as she switched back to speaker mode. Her voice shook as she said, "Karina, honey. Your father needs to tell you something."

"Let me guess…you're not coming?" I whispered.

"Sorry, sweetheart, but being close to me isn't safe for you right now."

My head jerked back. "What? Why?"

"I…shit, I don't know how to tell you this even though I've already done it once."

"Done what once?" I echoed, my brows drawing together as I tried to guess what could be happening. The way he sounded, my mom's reaction, him swearing when he rarely did…meant something big was happening. "Just tell me."

"Someone wants to use you to hurt me."

I twisted to the left and stretched out my arm to set my hot chocolate on the end table, my stomach turning at the thought of taking another sip. "A client? Or someone who isn't happy that you're a better lawyer than the one they hired?"

"No, sweetheart. A man who offered me money to make sure his son remained free after doing the unthinkable."

I felt as though I had entered an alternate universe as my dad explained that he'd gotten involved in a judicial bribery scheme and how a ruthless man wanted revenge against him after he hadn't held up his end of the bargain. The man's son had received a death sentence when my dad had been unable to intervene after he'd been removed from the bench, and the guy apparently thought the only fitting way to make my dad pay was through me. A daughter's life in exchange for a son's.

So many things were wrong with what he'd told me that it was hard to know where to begin. "I don't understand. How can you be a judge and a lawyer at the same time?"

"I'm not. I took a seat on the bench five years ago."

My mom's hands trembled too much for her to hold the phone, so she set it on the cushion between us before she asked, "You've been lying to us this whole time?"

"I'm sorry." He heaved a deep sigh. "For much longer than that."

My mom couldn't have been aware of anything he was telling us. She looked as shocked as I felt. "What did you mean when you said you've already done this once?"

"He went after Kiara first, but a local motorcycle club, the Silver Saints, got involved and they were able to negotiate a deal with him to protect her. If I'd had any idea that Bickle knew about you, I swear I would have let them know sooner. They never would have agreed to his deal to leave her alone if they'd known he'd go after my other daughter."

"Kiara? You have another daughter?" my mom gasped.

I moved closer to her and wrapped my arms around her shoulders. Her whole body was shaking as tears streamed down her cheeks, but she was silent as she cried.

"I have a sister?" I whispered, biting my lip to hold back my tears.

"Yes, she's a year older than you and just finished her first semester of college."

I'd always wondered why they'd never gotten married after being together for so long. But my mom had never seemed bothered by it, so I'd stopped asking questions about it years ago. Now I wished I had kept pushing. Maybe if I had, his secrets would have come out sooner.

Pressing her knuckles against her lips, she mumbled, "Her mom?"

My dad's voice cracked as he answered, "She's my wife, but I swear to you that we haven't lived as a married couple since you came into my life all those years ago."

"Then why is she still your wife?" I hissed.

"Because I couldn't leave Kiara behind with her, and that was the only way she was ever going to let me out of our marriage. Marsha doesn't care about anything except appearances, not even our daughter. And by the time Kiara turned eighteen, it was too late for me to get out because I was already wrapped up in this damn mess. I couldn't afford to have my life ripped into without exposing what I"d gotten myself into. But as soon as my house of cards started falling apart—before Bickle threatened Kiara—I talked to a divorce lawyer."

Mom sagged against the back of the couch at his confession. "I guess that's something, at least."

"I'm sorry, Stephanie. I never wanted you to find out this way," he apologized.

"Over the phone? Before you were divorced? Or after you had to tell me that you've put our daughter's life in danger?" she snarled.

"I'm so fucking sorry I'm not there to hold you while you cry. I'd be there in a heartbeat if it wouldn't make it easier for Bickle to find Karina. Even with the Silver Saints already headed your way, it's too dangerous for me to be near her until they've tracked him down again."

All I could do was hold my mom as her shoulders shook while she cried, "I shouldn't ever want to see you again, but I can't help wishing you were here."

"Who are the Silver Saints?" I asked.

"They're the ones who figured out what I was doing when I…" He paused and muttered, "Shit," then sighed again before continuing. "I was going to imprison one of their men for a crime he didn't commit."

I didn't even want to ask how he'd gotten them to help after what he'd done to one of the members. I couldn't take another revelation about him today. Or anytime soon, most likely. He'd already destroyed everything I'd ever thought about him.

"And Mom's not at risk?"

"No, he's only interested in hurting my daughters, and he's given up on going after Kiara because he knows the Silver Saints will never stop hunting him if he does anything to her. So that only leaves you."

"As hurt as I am by all of this, you have a lot more explaining to do to Mom. You've betrayed her more than me." I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"I know." He sounded genuinely broken, and it tugged at my heartstrings, but I was madder than I'd ever been, and I shoved those feelings away.

"You have protection for Karina?" my mom asked quietly, her tone strained.

"Yes. They're on their way there now."

"I don't want anything from you," I insisted, my voice shaking with anger. "I can take care of myself."

"Please, Karina?" My mom took my hands and met my gaze with pleading eyes. "I need to know you are safe, and your dad and I need to talk about this face-to-face. I can't leave you unprotected."

"Fine," I muttered. They better be prepared to protect me here for the full length of the reservation because I had no intention of leaving with strangers to go who the heck knew where. I did want them to answer some questions for me, though.

The relief in his voice was impossible to miss, but it didn't soften the anger I was feeling. "I'm not doing this for you."

"I know, but I'll take it just the same because your safety means the world to me."

I nearly snorted in derision at that, except deep down, I still loved my dad and wanted to know that despite everything, he loved me.

My dad offered to arrange everything for my mom's flight, then we hung up, and I focused on what Mom needed to do to get ready to go to the airport. That included urging Lorelei to hit the slopes when she woke up from her nap because I couldn't handle her questions about what was happening. I refused to think about my dad or what he'd confessed to doing. Or the danger I was in. My dad called back once he'd worked out my mom's flight details. He also told me that the guys the Silver Saints had sent to protect me had already landed in Aspen and would be here soon. Not that I had any intention of letting them take over my life when there were no signs that the guy who wanted me dead had any idea I was in Aspen.

However, I was curious to know why these guys were willing to protect me after what my dad did. And my dad had mentioned that they were protecting…my…my sister—that felt so weird to think—and I was confused as to why they were willing to risk their necks for us.

When my dad had called the second time, I'd tried to ask him about it, but he would only tell me that we'd talk about it later. Well, if he wouldn"t do it, then I would get these Silver Saints guys to answer my queries.

After dropping off my mom, I returned to the cabin and found a note from Lorelei. She'd taken me up on my suggestion and gone to the slopes. I'd told her that something had come up with my dad and my mom had to fly back without going into any details, so she was oblivious to the drama unfolding. At least for now.

I glanced around, and the idea of leaving this beautiful place where I was supposed to have spent the perfect holiday broke something inside me. It was yet another thing my dad's secrets had stolen from me.

I sat and stared at the fire until there was a knock on the door. Swinging it open, I found two men on the snowy doorstep…at least until the one closest to me shoved the second into a snowdrift. I couldn't seem to tear my eyes away from him to check if the other guy was okay. He was more than a full foot taller than me, with thick, dark hair, a short-trimmed beard and mustache, deep brown eyes, and enough muscles that his winter clothing couldn't hide them. And I had to wonder if I was more broken by what had happened than I realized because I wanted to throw myself into his arms so he could make it all better.