Page 20 of Sniper Daddy
Silas stands on the porch, face grim. “We need to talk.”
I step outside and close the door behind me, keeping my voice low. “What happened?”
“Viktor Lane has been sniffing around. He filed a missing persons report on his daughter, Piper Lane, three days ago. Made it official. A gas station clerk two towns over near Steel Mountain says he saw a woman matching her description last month. Viktor has hired private investigators. Three of them so far. They’re asking questions in Timber Creek and the surrounding areas. Showing her picture. Offering money for information.”
I feel my jaw tighten. “How close are they?”
“Close enough that it’s only a matter of time before they hear about the wreck and start looking at Haven 7. I’ve been throwing off their scent best I can. Redirecting leads. But these guys are professionals. They’ll get here eventually.”
I stare out at the tree line, mind already running through defensive options. “What do we do?”
Silas exhales. “We keep her hidden. We tighten security. But the call is yours. She’s in your cabin. She’s your responsibility now. If she wants to run again, we can help her disappear. New name. New place. But I don’t think that’s what you want.”
“No,” I say immediately. “She’s done running.”
The door behind me creaks open. Piper stands there in one of my shirts, crutches under her arms, face pale. She must have heard everything.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers. Her voice shakes. “This is all my fault. I never should have come here. I brought this to your doorstep. To all of you. My father’s dangerous…”
I cross to her in two strides and pull her against my chest. “Stop.”
She shakes her head, eyes filling with tears. “Maybe I should just go home. If I go back, maybe he’ll leave everyone else alone. I can’t let him destroy what you’ve built here.”
I cup her face with both hands, forcing her to look at me. My voice comes out low, rough, and absolute.
“Over my dead body.”
The words hang between us. She stares at me, lips parted, fresh tears slipping down her cheeks.
“I’m not letting you go back to that man,” I say. “Not now. Not ever. You’re safe here. You’re home here. And I’ll put a bullet in anyone who tries to take you away from me. Do you understand?”
She nods slowly, but the fear is still there.
Silas clears his throat. “We’ll handle the investigators if they show up. You two focus on getting her strong again. We have your back, Piper. All of us.”
He leaves after a few more quiet words. I close the door and lock it, then guide Piper back to the couch. I sit down and pull her carefully into my lap, careful of her healing leg. She curls into me, face pressed against my neck.
“I’m scared,” she whispers. “What if he finds me? What if he hurts you or the others because of me?”
“He won’t,” I say firmly. “This mountain has kept people safe for years. It’ll keep you safe too. I’ll keep you safe.”
She’s quiet for a long time. I stroke her back, letting her think. When she finally speaks again, her voice is small.
“I don’t want to leave. I like it here. With you. With the Sunday dinners and the women and the quiet mornings. I’ve never had anything like this before. I have always wanted a big family. Not blood. But this. People who choose each other. I want that so much it hurts.”
I press a kiss to the top of her head. “Then stay. Choose us. Choose me. I already chose you the night I carried you up that ridge.”
She lifts her head and looks at me. Her eyes are bright with unshed tears and something warmer. Hope.
“I’m falling in love with you, Boyd,” she says softly. “I think I fell the moment you told me I was safe. I just… I’m terrified that when my father finds me, you’ll decide I’m too much trouble.”
I cup her face again, thumbs brushing away her tears.
“You could never be too much trouble,” I tell her. “Not for me. I’ve waited my whole life for someone worth protecting like this. You’re that someone. I love you, Piper. I’m not saying it because the moment feels right. I’m saying it because it’s true. I love you. And I’ll fight for you. Every single day if I have to.”
A tear slips down her cheek. She leans in and kisses me, slow and deep and full of everything she’s been holding back. I kiss her back, pouring every promise I have into it.
When we pull apart, she rests her forehead against mine. “I love you too. I want to stay. I want to build a life here with you. I want the family dinners and the garden and someday… maybe children. I want all of it. With you.”
