CHAPTER ONE
Owen turned off his engine and sat back in the driver’s seat of his truck. The thirteen-hour drive had gone by in a blur and if it weren’t for his navigation, he certainly would have passed this shithole.
He double-checked the address his cousin Donovan had sent him. He couldn’t believe that his ex lived in this dilapidated one-story home. His eyes followed the front lawn, littered with junk before coming up at the house with the gang graffiti sprayed all over the front door.
The four guys sitting in crooked lawn chairs a couple of houses over eyed Owen’s brand new truck as if a flashing neon arrow pointed to it. Owen hopped out, sidestepping broken glass on his way to Tara Houston’s front door.
Owen tried to take a deep calming breath, but the Las Vegas heat—even at ten in the evening—knocked him straight in the face. With each step closer to her front door, Owen got angrier with Tara. He couldn’t believe she actually lived in this crappy neighborhood and especially in this dump.
He watched the paint peels flitter to the ground after he knocked on her front door. Damn. If anyone wanted inside this house, this rotten piece of wood sure as hell wouldn’t keep them outside.
His next knock rattled the door on its hinges and finally elicited a reaction on the other side as he heard footsteps moving away from the door.
“Tara! I know you’re in there! Open up!”
He glanced over his shoulder, feeling equally relieved as dumbfounded that nobody in Tara’s street came up to him to see what his deal was banging on her door this time of night. What a difference from his hometown, Winter Peaks.
Loud laughter filled the night air, urging Owen to get going. He took a few steps back before he gave it his all and shoulder-checked the door. It broke down with a loud bang and a screaming Tara on the other side.
“Are you insane!?”
The last time he saw her was six years ago. It pained him to look at her lying face, but when their gazes locked, her striking eyes took his breath away. It angered him she still got under his skin even after what she’d done.
“Did you actually think I wouldn’t find you?”
Her chocolate hair fell before her eyes as she lowered her head. At least she wasn’t proud of what she’d done. It didn’t make him any less angry with her, though.
“All right, let’s get a move on,” he said while engulfing her wrist with his hand. A zing shot through his fingers at their first physical contact in years. Her sharp intake of breath gave away that she’d felt it, too.
They needed to get out of here if he wanted to keep his truck in one piece. He spied the run-down living room and kitchen, and concluded that anything he had to offer would be an upgrade from this.
“Get a move on?” she asked. Tara’s chin rose until her stormy, light blue eyes met his glare.
“Yes. You’re coming home with me.”
She ripped her hand free from his grip while taking a step back. She banged her hip against the yellowy kitchen countertop that once must have been white.
“We’re not going anywhere with you!” she spat while rubbing the spot that was bound to leave a bruise.
He closed the distance between them and Tara’s natural scent kicked him straight in his gut. Damn. How long hadn’t he dreamt about finding Tara? There had once been a time he would have done anything for a chance to gaze into those extremely light blue eyes again.
Her beauty irritated him. Or maybe it was his reaction to her beauty that riled him up. He had no business in appreciating this liar’s delicious curves or her deceitful full lips. If it weren’t for his mission, he would let Tara rot in this dump and never lose a minute of sleep over it.
Her eyes misted over as she said with a wobble in her voice, “Please, Owen.”
He chuckled as he found her half-ass attempt to persuade him amusing. At least he could find somewhat pleasure in unnerving her.
“You owe me, Tara.”
She shook her head, but held her tongue. Tara had to know that he was right. What she did years ago, and would still continue to do so if he hadn’t showed up out of the blue… there was no coming back from that. Nothing she said could ever excuse her for it.
He walked over to a small cabinet, ready to get her things. “I’ll help you pack.”
She held his shoulder. “No! You can’t just take us out of our home!”
He kind of registered her words, but everything faded into the background when he picked up a picture frame. His eyes roamed over Tara holding a pretty young girl with golden brown curly hair. She had the same striking eyes as her mother, but his hair color and nose, and he instantly spotted his dimples in her cute chubby cheeks.
“What’s her name?” His voice broke, just like his heart, as he realized he didn’t even know his daughter’s name.