Chapter 1

“Dad!” I yelled as a black truck barreled through the red light and directly toward us at top speed.

Our tires screeched as the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S fishtailed, and the inertia from the impact shoved my head against my headrest. A scream shot from my throat as a loud boom filled my ears, and the pickup sped away.

Terror dug its fingernails into me, sending shockwaves through my system while I fumbled around, trying to comprehend what the hell had just happened.

The deflated white airbag caught my attention, and I struggled to wrap my brain around the wreckage I was sitting in.

“Dad.”

My voice cracked with anxiety, and tears pricked my eyes while I stared at him. Blood oozed from his slightly open mouth, and his neck bent toward me at an awkward angle. The windshield had sprayed pieces of glass in every direction, slicing his face and arms. I assumed I had cuts as well, but I didn’t have time to check.

I patted his cheek gently. “Dad. Dad!” My heart rate spiked with each unresponsive second, and I hoped like hell he was only unconscious. “Hang on. I’ll figure this out.”

Fear clawed its way up my throat. I attempted to open the passenger door, but it wouldn’t budge. Somehow my window was still intact, and I wasn’t able to crawl through it. I leaned back toward my dad’s seat, pulled up my leg, and rammed my foot into the side of the car, forcing the door open.

A dark curl of smoke snaked in through the open space, and the sickening scent of burnt rubber assaulted my nostrils. I tugged the collar of my top over my nose, attempting to block out the foul smell, and offered a silent prayer to the universe that nothing would explode—not with my dad still inside.

Pieces of glass from the front windshield fell from my lavender silk blouse and designer jeans, pinging off the concrete, as I stood on shaky legs. The shards crunched beneath my heels as I hurried to the other side of the vehicle. My ears perked up at the wail of approaching sirens.

“Daddy,” I whispered, reaching through the remains of the driver’s-side window.

A whimper escaped me as I reached through the opening and placed my trembling fingers on the side of his neck. My hand flew to my mouth, and a small wave of relief washed over me. He was alive.

Stepping back, I examined his door, but I would never be able to pry it open. I wasn’t even sure how I’d managed to get out of the passenger’s side or how I was in one piece, and I had no doubt in my mind that my dad would have to be cut out. His beautiful Miami-blue Porsche he loved so much was totaled, resembling a crushed soda can.

“Ma’am.”

I turned toward the dark-haired, muscular EMT who’d hopped out of an ambulance and rushed toward me. I raised my arm, pointing at my father’s still body.

“My dad. Please.”

“Hi, my name is Neil. A full crew is here to help. What’s your name?”

“Avery. He has a pulse. It’s light, but it’s there.”

“I promise he’s in incredibly capable hands. I need you to let me take a look at you.”

My mind buzzed while men and women ran around the scene of the accident, shouting orders at each other.

“I don’t know how this happened. It’s all a blur,” I said softly, my focus darting around the intersection of Division Street.

“By the looks of it, you were in a hit-and-run accident. Avery, can you follow my finger?”

“Neil,” I whispered as a chill skated across my skin, making it clammy, and I began to tremble violently.

“Abe! Stretcher, please. I think she’s going into shock,” Neil yelled over his shoulder.

Before I could object, I was lying down, staring at the crystal-blue September sky. The bright sunlight assaulted my eyes, and I blinked rapidly while floaters clouded my vision, then I slipped away into darkness.

***

Every fiber in my body hurt like a son of a bitch. I rubbed my forehead with the heel of my hand, glancing around the hospital room as the memories of the accident rushed over me. My stomach twisted into knots.

Dad. Is he all right?

I struggled to sit up and clear my thoughts.

“Dad,” I called softly, tears stinging my eyes.

“Hi, beautiful. We don’t know anything yet.”

I twisted my neck gingerly toward the familiar voice, wincing at the shooting pain in my head and shoulders. A smile eased across my face when my attention landed on a blonde hottie. He looked stunning in his red polo shirt and denim shorts. Benji never looked bad. He was always GQ ready.

“Hey, Benji.” I sank back into the pillow, relieved to see one of the most important people in my life next to me.

“Hi, hon,” Tensley said, tucking a lock of her long blonde hair behind her ear while she approached me. She ran her hands down her light-blue shirt and rubbed them against her skinny jeans, her fingers splaying out, a telltale sign that she was stressed.

No matter how shitty life was, I had the best friends in the world. They’d both been through hell and back, and I had so much love and respect for them.

Benji leaned over and lightly kissed my forehead.

“How did you know where I was?” I asked, my focus bouncing between them.

“I’m one of your emergency contacts if they can’t reach your mom, remember?” Tensley sat down on the edge of my bed and squeezed my hand. Her blue eyes assessed me carefully.

I assumed I looked like a total mess, and every square inch of my body was screaming at me.

“You’re banged up pretty badly, but you didn’t break anything.” Benji sat on the other side of me, his expression softening with concern. “You went into shock. That’s why you’re here. The doctors want to monitor you for a bit.”

I blew out a big breath. “I’m lucky.” I stared at the ceiling, unblinking. “The truck came out of nowhere.”

Tensley offered me a reassuring smile. Although I loved her for trying, it wasn’t helping me feel any better.

“Can you get an update on Dad?” A part of me wasn’t sure I wanted to know. Once the words were released into the air, there was no turning back. If he didn’t live, it would fucking gut me. Images of his bloodied and battered body hammered my overloaded mind, and I struggled to breathe from the suffocating weight bearing down relentlessly on my chest.

“My mom and dad are trying to reach your mom, but the hospital won’t talk to us, since we’re not related,” Benji explained.

“I guess I hadn’t thought about that. I’m awake now, so I’ll find a doctor and ask.”

“Let me find someone for you,” Tensley offered, standing. “You rest. I’m hoping you can go home soon.”

“I’ll keep her company,” Benji said.

Ten left the room, and I squirmed on the firm mattress, attempting to find a comfortable position, but found none.

“Layne is in the hallway, waiting to see you. He wanted to allow Ten and me to talk to you first.”

“That’s sweet. I’m so glad Tensley has him.”

“Girl, me too. It does not hurt my feelings to have eye candy around on a consistent basis either.” Benji winked at me and grinned.

“You’re my eye candy,” I said, squeezing his knee.

Benji chuckled and patted my hand. “If only I liked vaginas.”

“Can’t blame a girl for trying.” I flashed him the best smile I could muster.

A shriek broke through my thoughts.

“You little bitch! How could you?” My usually well-kempt mother flew into the room toward me, her expression twisting with savage anger. Her shoulder-length dark hair flew around her face as she barreled toward me.

Benji darted around my bed and blocked her with his body. “Mrs. Davenport, you need to calm down,” he commanded.

Mom smacked Benji in the side of his head with her overstuffed Louis Vuitton bag.

“Dammit!” Benji howled, grabbing his head.

Before Mom could move past him, Layne flew into the hospital room and wrapped his arms around her from behind. Mom bucked against him, but he continued to restrain her.

“Ma’am, you need to calm down. Why don’t we go into the hall and talk?” Layne’s voice sounded like soothing honey as he continued to speak to her in a low tone and walk backward, inching out of my room.

“This is your fault,” Mom spat. “You killed him!” Her large brown eyes were bloodshot, and her black slacks were horribly wrinkled. I suspected the midafternoon call concerning the accident had woken her up.

“Is he…” My voice shook. “Dead?” I covered my face with my hands, tears spilling down my cheeks.

“I hope you rot in hell!” Mom yelled.

“Get her out, Layne,” Benji said, his anger-fueled gaze narrowing at my mother.

“Yup, I got it.” Layne disappeared, my mother’s shrill accusations echoing through the hallway.

Benji hurried across the room and closed the door. “Jesus, Avery. What was that?” He ran his hands over his short blonde hair and heaved a sigh. “Fuck this. You need to find out about your dad, but I don’t want to leave you alone.”

The door cracked open, and Tensley poked her head in. “I have the doctor with me, Avery. We’re coming in.”

I nodded, unable to find my voice. Benji crawled into the bed next to me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. I leaned my head on his chest, craving the safety he was offering.

“Avery, I’m Dr. Conner. How are you feeling?”

“I’m not what’s important right now. I need to know if my dad … died.” My words hung in the air, thick and heavy with fear.

Dr. Conner shoved his hands into his white coat. He cleared his throat, his expression growing grimmer by the second. “He’s alive, Avery.”

“But?” My body went rigid with sickening dread, my stomach churning as bile swam up my throat.

“He has swelling to the brain, two broken legs, and a broken collar bone. We’ve had to induce a coma to see if it will help his body heal.”

“Can I see him? Will … will he recover?” My hands shook as I wrung them together, terrified of what the doctor would say next.

“It’s too soon to know if he can pull through, Avery. You can see him, but first, I need to take a look at you. I can send you home with some Tylenol #3 if everything checks out. With the number of cuts and bruises you’re sporting, I can only assume you’re in a great deal of pain. Honestly, I saw pictures of the car from the EMT report, and I’m not sure how you or your father are alive. We’ll count our blessings, though.”

“Avery,” Tensley whispered, tears dampening her cheeks. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” She crossed the room and embraced me gently.

Ten minutes later, the doctor had released me. Before the nurse returned with a wheelchair, I reached behind me and attempted to untie my god-awful hospital gown.

“I’ve got it,” Benji offered softly.

“Here. With all the excitement, somehow, I had a moment of sanity and grabbed you some clean clothes you left at my place.” Ten held out a duffel bag.

“Thank you. My clothes are torn and dirty. I doubt I’ll ever get it all out. I’ll have to toss them into the trash when I get home.”

“Ten, I’ll let you help her get dressed. I’ll wait in the hall.” Benji excused himself and closed the door behind him.

“Is Layne back yet?” I asked while I slipped into the jeans Ten had brought me.

Ten reached her arm toward me and helped with my balance as I dressed. “I was going to ask you where he was, but I figured he’d gone to the bathroom or something.”

“Nope. My mother came in here and caused a scene.”

Tensley’s brows knitted. “What do you mean?”

I tugged a pastel-pink polo shirt over my head and pulled my long, straight black hair from beneath the collar. “She barged in here, screaming that I killed Dad.” A messy combination of fear and anger wedged itself into my throat. How could she have lied to me? He wasn’t dead.

Tensley placed her hands on her slender hips, exasperation sparking to life in her blue eyes. “What the hell?”

“Poor Benji intersected her before she could reach me, but she whopped his head with her purse. God only knows what she keeps in there.”

I actually knew what she kept in there—a dozen kinds of medication and a full vial of cocaine. Mother never left home without a snort or her pills. I was thankful that we had a driver, or I would never leave the house with her. That was just another secret I kept to myself, but no matter how much I attempted to hide it, the shadows always whispered around me, leaving me feeling exposed.

“He didn’t mention it, but I would think her attacking him brought back some shitty memories.” I shook my head. My mother had balls.

“He’s come a long way since that night. We both have.” Ten nervously glanced at the floor then looked back at me. The color had drained from her cheeks.

I suspected she was reliving that horrible night as well. At least the cops had arrested the men behind the hate crime, but it didn’t erase the dark scars.

“What in God’s name is wrong with your mother, Avery? I mean, no disrespect, but she’s pulling shit now?” Tensley shook her head, disbelief dancing across her features. “Scratch that question. We need to get you to your dad. Are you ready?”

“Yeah, thank you for being here with me.” I reached for my bestie and embraced her. “I’m not sure how I’m going to make it through this without you.”

“You know Benji and I are here for you. Layne too.” Tensley grabbed my hand and smiled sadly. “Your gorgeous face is bruised. Try not to be startled when you look in a mirror.”

“Thanks for the warning.” I inhaled deeply, summoning the courage to see my mother, if she was waiting for me again. “I need to see Dad now.”

Ten nodded, and we left the room in silence. Apparently, the hospital was busy, because a nurse with a wheelchair hadn’t shown up yet. It didn’t matter. My only focus was to visit my father. A loud buzz sounded in my head as my anxiety climbed to an obnoxious level.

Ten minutes later I left Ten, Benji, and Layne in the ICU waiting area while I walked down the hall and searched for Dad’s room number. The stench of death hung in the air, waiting to claim its next victim and devastate the family that was left behind. I wondered if we were next on the list. Chastising myself for even considering that Dad wouldn’t make it, I shoved the thoughts into the cellar of my mind and threw away the key.

Identifying my dad’s room, I came to an abrupt stop. If Mom was in there, I wasn’t sure how I would be able to spend any time with him. I poked my head through the crack of the door, my attention landing on my pale and broken father. I gasped and hurried toward him, thanking God that his wife wasn’t there.

“Daddy,” I whispered, taking his hand. I wrapped his long, slender fingers around mine. “I’m here. You’re going to be all right. I know it. You’re a fighter.” I leaned over and smoothed his dark hair, which was threaded with streaks of gray. “They say when someone is in a coma, they’re still aware of their surroundings. I hope it’s true. I’ll do everything in my power to find out who ran into us, then we’re going to sue them for every last penny on top of them serving time. I give you my word, and Davenports always… you and I always follow through on our promises.”

Mom didn’t even know what those words meant anymore. She’d lost the ability to be truthful years ago when she developed her drug addiction. At one time, Dad had talked her into seeing a therapist, but she’d backed out when they had arrived at the office door.

I dragged a chair up to Dad’s bed, the metal legs scraping against the tile floor. Wearily, I sank into it, never letting go of his hand.

My brain kicked into high gear. I needed to call Dad’s best friend, Patrick Goldman, who was my friend Ramsey’s father. I needed his help to make sure Dad had the best medical care money could buy. Patrick had been a longtime family friend, and I would have to lean on him in order to navigate the muddy and unfamiliar waters while Dad was recovering.

Thankfully Dad had signed over power of attorney to me after I’d turned eighteen. He’d sat me down once a week, teaching me enough about the business, our bills, medical care, and everything I would need to know to manage life without him.

Obviously, neither of us had seen the accident coming, and we had scheduled a time to meet that weekend for dinner. Apparently, he had some new business we needed to discuss. I had no idea what it was, and I might not ever find out. Grief wrapped its frigid fingers around my heart, and I grabbed the bedrail in front of me as tightly as I could in a feeble attempt to ground myself.

After an hour ticked by, the machines whirring and humming, I realized I would need to slip out before my mother returned—if she’d show up at all. I would schedule a time to see him the next day.

It gutted me to leave, but even though Mom and I despised each other, I wasn’t mean enough to keep her from her husband, even if she was snorting coke in his hospital bathroom.

My body cracked and popped, shooting daggers of pain through me as I stood. “I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you, Daddy.” I kissed his forehead and squeezed his hand, then silently slipped out of his room and walked to the waiting area.

“Are you guys ready? And … shit.” My shoulders slumped. “I completely forgot. I need a ride to the house.”

The shrill sound of my mother’s voice scraped across my last nerve. I couldn’t see her, but I was sure every patient on the floor knew she was there. Apparently, she didn’t understand what an inside voice meant.

“That’s my cue to get the hell out of here before the banshee locates me and disrupts the healing of every patient on the floor even more.”

“Let’s go before she sees us. We can take you,” Layne offered, threading his fingers through Tensley’s.

“I’ll follow. You’re not going to be alone tonight. Besides, if your mom comes home, then you might need someone to intervene if she goes ballistic again,” Benji added, shaking his head.

“Thank you. I can find it on my own,” Mom said, her voice floating down the hall. She was close.

“There’s no time like the present.” I bit my lip and hurried in the opposite direction as fast as my bruised body would allow me to move.