Page 23 of Sniper Daddy
FIFTEEN
BOYD
Two days pass since the men came to Haven 7 looking for Piper. The morning’s quiet, almost too quiet.
A knock sounds at the door. Low. Familiar. I open it to find Silas standing on the porch.
“Mason’s here,” he says. “He drove up early. We’re setting up in the lodge. You ready?”
I nod once. “Give us five minutes.”
I close the door and turn back to the bed. Piper’s awake now, watching me with wide eyes. She sits up slowly, the blanket pooling around her waist.
“It’s time?” she asks, voice still rough with sleep.
“Yeah.” I cross to her and sit on the edge of the mattress. “You don’t have to do this if you’re not ready.”
She takes a deep breath and nods. “I’m ready. I have to be.”
I help her dress in a soft sweater and comfortable leggings. She moves carefully, still favoring her left leg, but she’s gettingstronger every day. I stay close as we walk the gravel path to the main lodge, one hand resting on her lower back. The mountain air is crisp and clean. Sunlight filters through the trees, but I can feel the tension in her shoulders. She’s scared. I hate that she has to do this, but I know she needs to.
The lodge is quieter than usual when we step inside. Silas, Gavin, Harlan, and a tall, serious-looking man I recognize as Mason are already seated around the big wooden table. They all stand when they see us.
Mason steps forward first. He’s built like Harlan but carries the quiet authority of a man who has spent years in federal service. He offers Piper a kind but professional smile and extends his hand. “Piper. I’m Mason Cole. Harlan’s brother. Thank you for agreeing to talk to me. I know this cannot be easy.”
Piper shakes his hand. Her voice is steady. “Thank you for coming.”
I pull out a chair for her and sit right beside her, my thigh pressed against hers under the table. I want her to feel me there. Solid. Present. Not going anywhere.
She takes a deep breath and begins.
She tells them everything.
She starts with how she worked as a bookkeeper for one of her father’s legitimate import-export companies. How she was good at her job. How she accidentally discovered the second set of books hidden behind the legitimate ones. The offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands. The shell companies in Panama and Delaware. The large cash movements tied to names that made her skin crawl—known criminals, corrupt officials, men whoshould never have had that kind of money flowing through their hands.
She describes the night she confronted her father in his home office. The way he leaned back in his leather chair with that cold, polite smile and told her that accidents happen to curious girls every day. The black SUV that tried to run her off the road two days later on a rainy night. The pure terror that made her pack a single bag, withdraw as much cash as she could, and run with nothing but a fake name and the clothes on her back.
The men listen without interrupting. I keep my hand on hers under the table, thumb stroking slow circles over her knuckles. When she finishes, the room is silent for a long moment. I can hear the fire crackling and her own heartbeat thundering in my ears.
Mason leans forward, his expression focused but encouraging. “What you have is more than enough to build a real case. Financial trails, witness testimony from you, the attempt on your life. We can get a field agent from the FBI involved for the financial crimes. This goes way beyond local jurisdiction. With your statement and the evidence we can pull together, we have a strong shot at taking Viktor Lane down for good.”
Relief washes over me in a warm wave. This could end it. Really end it. But when I glance at Piper, I can tell the relief is not complete for her. There is still a hard knot of fear in her eyes. Her father is powerful. He has escaped consequences before. She knows how deep his reach goes.
After the meeting ends and the others start to leave, giving us privacy, I pull her into my arms in a quiet corner of the lodge. I hold her close, one big hand stroking soothing circles on her back.
“You’ll be okay,” I murmur against her hair. “We’ll get through this. I promise you that.”
She nods against my chest, but I can feel the fear still clinging to her.
Before we can say anything more, the peace shatters.
A loud crack echoes from outside. Gunfire. Then another. Shouts rise up. The gate alarm starts blaring, sharp and urgent.
Not again.
My entire body goes rigid. I grab Piper’s hand and pull her toward the back hallway where the women are already gathering, moving with practiced efficiency.
“Basement,” I order, voice hard and commanding. “Now. Everyone.”
