Luke played it cool like he wasn't counting down the days-to the exact second-until Jessica would be his wife. Holding her together to get to the altar seemed to be his biggest obstacle. Every day she fought the demons that threatened to steal their happiness, the ones that haunted her with self-doubt that happily ever after existed.

It didn't really take a degree in psychiatry to see that Jude was all kinds of f.u.c.ked-up. Why? Luke didn't know, and Jessica didn't seem to have any clue either. However, her parents seemed to be hiding something. He'd seen it in Sunny's eyes the day she and Jessica had their infidelity argument. Grant confirmed it by not rea.s.suring Jessica, his precious baby girl, that he and Sunny had the perfect marriage. The coward didn't even look at her. Luke knew she saw it too, but denial buffered reality from her heart.

"Hi, sweetie." Sunny hugged Jessica before everyone took a seat at the large round table adorned with cranberry topiaries alternating with votives and cylinder champagne flutes with a single evergreen sprig.

"Mom, everything looks amazing."

Luke pulled out her chair then leaned down and kissed her exposed neck as he scooted her forward. "That smile looks much better on your lovely face," he whispered.

She raised her arm and ran her fingers through the hair at the nap of his neck, as if to hold him close for an extra few seconds. That same hand took the life of a serial killer. It didn't seem possible. He adored her touch. He craved it. He lived for it.

"I can't take credit for any of it. Everything was donated."

"But someone had to get the donations." Luke smiled at Sunny as he unfolded his napkin on his lap.

"I have great friends."

"She has influential friends." Jude took his seat on the other side of Jessica.

Grant seemed to tense as much as Luke did. The chances of a food fight or brawl breaking out between the two siblings was higher than average that night.

"I've met people from all walks of life during my years of volunteering. But yes, the influential ones make thousand-dollar-a-plate holiday charity dinners possible."

"Why don't you just give this food to the homeless instead?" Jude gave his mom a pointed look.

Jessica grabbed her brother's leg, knuckles white, but he didn't flinch.

Luke liked Sunny. She always paused for thought before responding, the only one in the Day clan that wasn't a hair-trigger.

"You've been attending these dinners for the past eight years, my dear son. What part about aeverything is donated' don't you get? The hotel donates the room, three different catering companies donate the food, two local florists donate the decorations, and the band is also here tonight free of charge. Every year we pick two local charities to be the recipients of the money. But the reason this is such a success is because we use the holiday dinner as an opportunity to personally thank each donor and let them know how their contribution changes lives."

"Stop being such an a.s.s," Jessica gritted through her teeth.

Jude shoved his chair backward, making a weak effort to give the guy behind him an apologetic look for ramming into his chair.

"Of course I'm the a.s.s because coddled little Jessica could never be an a.s.s." Jude stood, towering over his sister.

She balled her hands. Luke grabbed her arms, her muscles steel beneath his touch.

"Both of you out." Grant stood with an air of authority, attempting to level his twins with a glare that brought the temperature of the room down below freezing.

Jerking from Luke's grasp, she stood, eyes narrowed at Jude. He turned, shoving his way through the sea of people with Jessica on his heels.

"Let them go."

Luke squinted at Grant. He respected Jessica's parents, to a certain degree, but their lack of doing anything to diffuse the situation between Jessica and Jude left him questioning their morals. Pondering their parenting skills had to wait. Luke barged through the ballroom doors, looking in both directions. They were gone.

"What the f.u.c.k is going on with you?" Jessica grabbed the sleeve of Jude's suit jacket as he stomped toward his black Jetta parked in the hotel's parking ramp.

He whipped around, jaw clenched, anger simmering in his eyes. She didn't back down. Jessica would never back down from her brother.

"Go back to your mommy and daddy and your Prince Charming. Go live your f.u.c.king fairytale."

She shook her head, anger in her belly, tears in her eyes. "Fairytale? Are you serious?" She shoved him.

He growled, fists clenched at his sides.

"I've pulled off the greatest illusion in the history of the world. Luke loves me. He thinks I'm redeemable." Her voice cracked on the last word as tears spilled over. She motioned between them with her finger. "We both know I'm not, but you are."

Jude widened his eyes. "You've taken one man's life. A f.u.c.king serial killer who murdered your best friend. Do you have any idea how many people I've killed? I'm a killer disguised as a computer engineer. I f.u.c.k women like most people chew gum because I know things about love that would break you." He leaned down until she could see every speck of pain in his eyes like shards of gla.s.s embedded into his soul. "I could obliterate your last shred of sanity."

He stood, his jaw set like chiseled stone. "Now go before I do or say something I'll regret."

"Stop protecting me," Jessica whispered.

Something gutted him and she felt it. That was their bond. It would forever be an inseverable bond. There was nothing worse than feeling his pain but not seeing it.

"Sorry, princess. It's my job to protect you."

"Hit me, a.s.shole. But don't take the coward's way out with all your bulls.h.i.t name calling." She shoved him again. His degrading comment rekindled her anger. "Do it. DO IT!"

Jude looked over her shoulder. "Not today. Wouldn't look good in your wedding photos."

"f.u.c.k you, coward."

Pressing his lips together, he gave her one last look then turned and walked to his car. "Yeah..." he mumbled in defeat "...f.u.c.k me."

Jessica turned, tugging at the hem of her dress stuck to her heel. She looked up and froze, ignoring the black Jetta that sped past her.

"Let him protect you."

"Luke, I-"

"Just ..." He walked to her.

Would she ever feel truly worthy of him?

"Just let him." He lowered his beautiful body, kneeling before her on the abrasive concrete in his custom-tailored pants.

With a squeeze of her hands, his desperation broke her heart.

"I'm begging you. Let him protect you. Leave your past. Leave it for me."

Sniffling, she nodded while wiping the tears from her face. "It's just that I feel it ... I feel his pain and it's so deep."

"I know." Luke stood and hugged her to him. "After the wedding, I'll talk to him. Okay?"

She nodded, but the comfort of Luke's arms didn't overpower the fear that Jude's words embedded in her mind, a bomb waiting to go off without a breath of warning-destined to shatter her world.

Chapter Sixteen.

Knight The woman who never ran late found herself running quite late to her first job. s.e.x with Jackson Knight, self-professed murderer, could do that to a woman. His confession demanded her attention, but she didn't want to acknowledge any of it. The most unexpected feeling of happiness felt within her grasp. Just for once, she wanted to take it. d.a.m.n the consequences.

A quick kiss on Gunner's head and she scurried out the door, ice melt crunching beneath her feet as she walked to the garage. As soon as she shut the door, her phone chimed. Plopping sideways into the driver's seat, she banged her boots together as she jabbed her hand into her purse in search of her phone.

"Maddie, hi, sweetie. What's up?"

"Hey, Mom."

Despite running late, Ryn paused mid-motion of fastening her seatbelt. First, Maddie called her which was rare. Second, her tone was friendly-too friendly.

"Everything okay?"

"I'm having issues with one of my professors."

"What kind of issues?"

"He's ... interested in me."

Ryn latched her seat belt. "Sounds unethical."

"It's kind of creepy. He's old, like your and Dad's age."

Ryn closed her eyes and shook her head. There was always a verbal slap in the face when it came to her daughter.

"Are you certain he's interested in you?"

"He's my International Law professor. I'm not doing so well in that cla.s.s. He offered me extra credit."

"I'm not seeing how that's a problem."

"There is no extra credit for the cla.s.s. He summoned me to his office to offer it to only me. When I got there he told me if I was interested to lock his office door behind me."

A nauseous feeling settled in Ryn's stomach. "You need to say something to the Dean of Students."

"Dad is friends with the dean."

Just the mention of Preston made the sick feeling in Ryn's stomach intensify.

"Have you told your dad about this?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"He said I need to pa.s.s the cla.s.s."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"He thinks I'm too close to being done with school to start making waves."

"Making waves? Reporting s.e.xual hara.s.sment is not making waves."

"Dad said my professor will deny it and it will be his word against mine, then he'll flunk me."

Ryn rubbed her temples. "I'm still not following. He doesn't want you to report your professor, but he doesn't want you to flunk the cla.s.s either. So-"

Maddie sighed her usual sigh, the one that conveyed her frustration with Ryn. The OMG-Mom-you're-so-dense sigh. "So he said that some of the most successful women in the world had to suck a few d.i.c.ks to get to where they are."

"He said what?" Ryn saw red-blood red.

"Calm down. I was shocked at first too, but the sad part is he's right."

"Maddison!"

"I'm not going to do it, so don't get mad at dad for telling it like it is."

"He wasn't telling it like it is, Maddie. He was encouraging you to turn a blind eye to s.e.xual hara.s.sment, but even worse, he basically told you to say yes to your professor! That is not okay and I'm not mad at your dad, I'm f.u.c.king furious!"

"Oh my G.o.d! Did you just say the F-word?" Maddie laughed. She actually laughed.

The girl had no clue how serious her situation was, thanks to her father downplaying women sucking d.i.c.ks to get ahead in life.

Still parked in the garage, Ryn rested her head on the steering wheel. Thankfully her first client was out of town and would never know that she was late, but it set the pace for the rest of her day. Late. Late. Late. And p.i.s.sed. Seriously p.i.s.sed.

"I'll deal with your professor and your father. You just stay away from both of them."

"I have cla.s.s this afternoon. It's not going to help my grade to skip cla.s.s."

"Fine. Go to cla.s.s, but don't put yourself in the position to be alone with him again. Got it?"

"Whatever. But if I flunk this cla.s.s-"

"If you study harder, you'll have no reason to flunk it. And let's just be clear on one thing, my dear daughter. Some of the most successful women in the world got to where they are in life not because they sucked a few d.i.c.ks, but because they stood up for themselves and refused to take it up the backside."

Ryn ended the call before Maddie could shoot back a snide remark. Maddie always took her father's side, but someday-if she were lucky enough to get married and have children-she would finally understand the love a mother has for a child. Ryn's love knew no boundaries, not even the ugly, unappreciative, and deep-cutting jabs to the heart. Her love for Maddie would always be unconditional.