CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER

1

DECEMBER 25, RIVERS END

P

eople talk about hitting bottom, but Eli Murphy had never considered what that might look like for him.

He was giving it some thought today. Right now he was pretty sure rock bottom looked exactly like him sitting in front of a picturesque cabin in the woods, planning to kidnap and blackmail his injured sister on Christmas Day.

Eli leaned his head against the driver’s-side window of the car, feeling the chill from the glass against his skin and watching his breath make plumes in the cold air. He shivered, wishing he’d worn more than just his hoodie, and hoped the engine heat would kick in soon.

What the hell was I thinking?

He hadn’t intended for it to go like this. He just needed a loan to take the heat off while he figured out his next move. When his sister’s new boyfriend had invited him for Christmas dinner, he had seen an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone and see her one last time before he disappeared for a while.

Five thousand wasn’t that much. He knew she could afford it easily—Jenna’s Christmas website had sold for a bundle—and he hadn’t expected there to be any trouble. He’d ask, and like all the other times, she’d step up and give him a hand. That’s what family was for, right?

But this time, she’d refused.

He ran over the scene at her front door in his mind and cringed. In his panic, he’d said some stupid things. He kept seeing her face: disappointed, pissed off, and worse…afraid.

“Or what, Eli? What exactly are you going to do if I don’t give you the money?”

Eli shrugged. “These seem like nice people. I’d hate for anything to happen to them. Especially that cute little girl.”

“You wouldn’t hurt them.”

He hated that Jenna hadn’t sounded so certain about that. He wasn’t the monster she clearly thought he was. He would never hurt a kid. Or her. Not on purpose, at least.

But he’d seen first-hand that the people he owed money to had absolutely no hesitation about hurting people—children or adults. If Eli wasn’t careful, he could lead them back to the Big River Lodge and his big sister.

The phone started ringing again, and he silenced it without even looking at the screen. He knew who it was, and until he had the money in hand, no way was he picking up.

He tried not to remember that the second Jenna had understood there was a threat to the boyfriend and the kid, she’d agreed to cough up the cash.

She wouldn’t do it for me, her own brother, but she’d do it in a heartbeat for people who were practically strangers?

Eli raised his head and looked for Jenna. He scanned the too-perfect landscape around him. Still no sign of her.

She’d certainly landed on her feet here. He hadn’t seen much of the main lodge—Jenna had made sure of that—and once her boyfriend Isaac realized things weren’t exactly friendly between the siblings, he’d been looming in the background plenty. But he’d seen the inside of the cabin when he’d grabbed the rest of her stuff, and it was nice. Cozy. Fancier than most of the places they’d stayed in as kids, that was for sure.

The snow everywhere made it feel like he’d fallen into a winter wonderland, and although he could no longer hear the rush of the river over the engine idling, he’d heard it when he was loading the car.

Eli caught sight of a trio of snow angels in a clear patch of snow and felt a twinge of guilt. Jenna had always wanted to belong somewhere and had forever tried to put down roots as a kid. He’d been smart enough to know there was no point in getting attached to anywhere or anyone. They’d just move again as soon as their mom’s latest relationship fell apart. But Jenna had never given up trying. Every new place, she’d tried to make friends and settle in, hoping maybe this time they’d stay.

It was that—the hope—that had always frustrated him so much, because she always ended up getting hurt.

And now, here he was, forcing her to move on when she wanted to stay and celebrate Christmas with this family. Isaac clearly wanted her here too. He’d seen the protective way Isaac hovered over Jenna in the lodge.

What the hell am I doing?

Even if Jenna gave him the five grand, it would only cover the next payment. It wasn’t a permanent solution. Could he live with himself if he was the reason she gave up trying? If he was the one who blew her shot at happiness and maybe even a real home?

No. No, he couldn’t.

So he did the only thing that made any sense in that moment. He put the car into gear and drove away.