Page 123 of Daddies on Ice

He hands it to me before settling on the couch beside me, close enough that I can feel the heat radiating from his body.

The familiar scent of his cologne wraps around me like a security blanket.

“Start from the beginning, Trisha,” Carl says softly, his thumbs working circles on the arch of my foot.

I wrap my hands around the warm mug, using it as an anchor as I dive into the darkest chapter of my life. “I met Mica when I was seventeen. He was working as a mechanic, or at least that’s what I thought. He was gorgeous, the kind of man who could make a girl forget her own name with just a smile.”

Jake’s hands pause for a moment on my shoulders before resuming their massage. “But he wasn’t really a mechanic,” he says, and it’s not a question.

“No.” I shake my head, taking a sip of coffee to steady myself. “That was just his cover. He was part of a biker gang, dealing drugs, laundering money. I was so naive, so completely taken in by his charm. He was my first everything. My first love, my first time.”

Ash’s hand finds mine, his fingers intertwining with mine in a gesture of support that makes my chest tight with emotion. “When did you realize what he really was?”

“It took months,” I admit, shame coloring my voice. “He was so good at hiding it, at being exactly what I needed him to be. But then he started getting possessive, controlling. He didn’t want me going out with friends, didn’t want me talking to other guys. When I tried to pull back, he got violent.”

Carl’s hands still on my foot, his jaw clenching. “He hit you?”

“Not at first. At first it was just yelling, intimidation. He’d get in my face, back me against walls, make me feel small and scared. But it escalated. The first time he actually hit me, I tried to leave. That’s when I learned that Mica doesn’t let go of what he considers his.”

Jake’s hands have moved to my neck now, working at the tight muscles there. “What did he do?”

“He followed me everywhere. Showed up at my work, my apartment, anywhere I went. He’d leave things—dead flowers, photos of me that I didn’t know he’d taken. He made it clear that if I tried to leave again, it would be worse.” I close my eyes, remembering those terrifying weeks. “I was trapped. And then I found out I was pregnant.”

Carl’s hands still on my foot. “With Becky.”

“Yes. And I knew I had to get away, no matter what. I couldn’t let my baby grow up in that world, around that violence. He’d beaten me so many times by then, I couldn’t let my baby dance with death too.” I look at each of them in turn. “So I disappeared. I had some money I’d stashed despite him controlling my finances, and I just…vanished one night while he was out. I changed my name, moved around for months, never staying in one place too long.”

“That’s why you were so skittish when we first met,” Ash realizes. “You were still running.”

“I was. Until Trent told me Mica had been arrested and sentenced to twelve years. Drug charges, money laundering, assault. I thought I was finally safe.”

Carl stands abruptly. “I need to talk to security. Make sure they know to keep extra eyes on your cabin and wherever the babysitter is staying with the girls.”

He pulls on his boots and coat, his movements sharp and efficient. “No one gets near you or Becky without going through us first.”

After Carl leaves, Ash’s phone buzzes. He glances at it and frowns. “It’s Trent. I should take this.”

He steps outside to take the call, leaving Jake and me alone on the couch.

The silence stretches between us, but it’s not uncomfortable. Jake’s hands are still on my shoulders, still working out the knots of tension.

“I’m scared,” I admit quietly.

Jake moves around to face me, his green eyes serious. “Hey.” He cups my face in his hands, his thumbs brushing across my cheekbones. “We’re not going to let anything happen to you or Becky. You know that, right?”

I nod, but tears are threatening to spill over. “I just…I finally felt safe. I finally felt like I could have something good, and now…”

“Now you still have something good,” Jake says firmly. “You have us. All of us. And we’re not going anywhere.”

Before I can respond, his lips are on mine. The kiss is different from our usual heated encounters.

It’s slow, tender, full of promise and reassurance. His hands slide into my hair as he deepens the kiss, and I melt into him.

We move together slowly, carefully, as if we have all the time in the world.

Jake’s touch is reverent as he undresses me, his lips following the path of his hands.

When he finally joins with me, it’s with a gentleness that brings tears to my eyes.