She’d thought everyone lived as she did.

She met children who’d never been in an airplane and never swum with dolphins. At first she’d talked about her experiences, until her teacher had pulled her aside and asked her not to brag, because not everyone had the money that her family did and she was hurting other children’s feelings.

Gianna hadn’t realized her family was rich. Nor had she realized she was bragging. Humiliated, she’d kept her mouth closed.

Soon it’d no longer mattered.

Overcome with a soul-deep need to connect to her daughter, she reached out for Violet, pulled her close, and touched her forehead to Violet’s. The teen held the familiar pose for a long second. “We’re gonna be okay now, right, Mom?”

“Yes.”

Chris told the 911 operator about the deaths. She’d wanted him to stay on the line longer, but he’d told her they needed to get to shelter and would be at the closest ranger station. Next he called his brother, and the sound of Michael’s voice was as heartening as making it to the highway.

He relayed a condensed version of their situation.

“I can be there in less than a half hour. I’m on the far east side of the metro area looking into a story,” said Michael.

“What if the highway is closed?” Chris asked.

“It is closed,” answered Michael. “All the mountain passes are closed. They’ve been closed since last night, because there were wrecks all over the place.”

Chris knew that wouldn’t stop his brother. The investigative reporter had a way of getting whatever he wanted.

“What about in the city?”

“Portland is fine. We warmed up and now there’s just nasty slush everywhere. It’s the Cascades that are still trapped in low temperatures and snowfall. You say these women don’t know how the fire started?”

He heard the interest in his brother’s voice. There was nothing Michael liked better than nosing into odd situations. He pushed and prodded until he found answers that satisfied him.

“And she didn’t see who shot the ranger?” Michael asked. “Did they keep shooting at her?”

“She took off.”

“They didn’t follow her?”

“We didn’t wait around to find out. Once we figured out how to get out of there, we left. But they could have been as trapped by the snow as we were. If they were on foot, and if they knew where they were going, they could have made it to my place before we left. I didn’t want to wait any longer to find out.”

“Are you armed?”

“What do you think?”

Chris imagined the gears turning in Michael’s head.

“I’ll reach out to the state police, but I know they’re stretched thin right now.”

“Somebody needs to get to those bodies,” Chris muttered.

“They’re not going anywhere,” Michael stated.

“I can’t stand the thought of them left behind.” Despite the cold, sweat formed on his forehead.

“It’s all right,” Michael said quietly. “You’re not leaving anyone behind. It was totally out of your control.”

Chris’s vision started to tunnel slightly. “It’s not right. Somewhere someone is wondering about them.”

“They’ll be taken care of. We know exactly where they’re at and in this weather, nothing is going to disturb them. You did everything you could.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t—”

“Chris. Listen to me. Sit tight. The police will investigate. You did the right thing getting out of the forest. Remember that someone shot at her—what’s her name?”

“Gianna. Gianna Trask, and her daughter is Violet.” He turned to see Gianna watching him from several yards away. Her arms were wrapped around her daughter, but her focus was on Chris’s phone call. His vision cleared and he recognized the familiar drain he’d started to circle.

Violet turned her head to look at him.

These two are safe.

“Thirty minutes,” said Michael. “Start driving down to the ranger station. You’ll probably get there before me. Keep an eye out for my vehicle.”

Chris looked up and down the deserted white highway. “Not a problem.”

He needed to clean up the loose ends.

He hadn’t found the device his father wanted. His father had been convinced the subject would make contact with the woman, but it’d never happened. He’d kept his distance and simply watched, monitoring all electronics, wondering if the subject was communicating with the woman in a way they hadn’t foreseen, but everyone involved had believed the subject would talk to her in person.

How could he not?

It’d come down to time. And the cold. It’d been fucking cold and miserable and the subject still hadn’t approached the woman. He’d grown tired of waiting and launched an interrogation. He’d been ordered to keep his distance, but who would have expected several feet of snow and then a damned ice storm? The interrogation was the right move.

And his father was far, far away.

Right now he was running rogue, changing the plan, and the freedom was exhilarating. He needed to feed his own fascination first and then he’d implement his father’s plan and make everything right. He could make both happen.

Gianna had been a welcome surprise in this assignment. Surveillance was typically tedious, but from the first moment he’d spotted her, he’d wanted her. She’d become an object, one he wanted to own. Usually his wealth could buy him anything, but she hovered out of his reach. Flashing his cash wouldn’t turn her eye. Plus his father had ordered her death.