Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27809 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27809 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Determined to do whatever it took to keep Karina safe from the mess her father had created, he brought her back to the Silver Saints compound. Where she found the family she’d always wanted.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
1
Karina
“I can’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.