Page 170 of Snowbound Threat

“Wow. Dad said you were a lot of things, but a coward wasn’t one of them.”

“Out of line,” I snarl, anger surging through me. But when I shift my attention to Beckett and see the start of a smile on her face, it dies.

“Coward?” She shakes her head. “You’re hot-headed just like he was.”

“I’m calling it like I see it. I don’t have anywhere else to go. If you don’t help me, the truth is going to die with him. Whoever did this will get away with it. And you might be okay with that, but I’m not.”

Beckett takes a deep breath. “I’ll help. But like Shawn said, I won’t hide from the truth. No matter how badly it hurts.”

Lauren nods. “Same. I can handle it. No matter what it looks like.”

The two women stare at each other for a moment before Beckett clears her throat. “What do you know?”

“Not much more than you do. He worked with Lucian for the last three years of his life. They were close enough that Lucian would invite Paul to stay in the clubhouse rather than in the small overnight apartment offered to other pilots. Aside from that, and the photograph, I have nothing.”

“It’s Lucian in that picture?” I clarify.

She nods. “Do you guys have anything more?”

“We know that he was filing false flight logs,” I reply. “Since you were with him, maybe you can clarify a few of them?”

“Dates might be a little foggy, but I can try.”

“Just locations. I can piece the dates together if I need to. Besides Seattle and Boston, where did you go?”

“We went all over the place.” Lauren seems surprised we only mentioned Boston and Seattle.

Beckett leans forward. “What do you mean all over the place?”

“Well, we’d fly out of Boston, but I went with him to California, Oklahoma, Montana, New Mexico—all over the place.”

“Doing what?” I ask.

“Mostly flying people,” she replies. “They’d pay Dad to fly them places.”

I look from her to Beckett and note the paleness in her expression.

“No, he wasn’t trafficking,” Lauren adds quickly, likely sensing where our thoughts went. “Everyone he flew was a businessman. Sometimes their employees or family members, but everyone wanted to be there.”

That she knows of.

Still, I do find it hard to believe he’d take his daughter with him while trafficking people. That is cold, even for a potential criminal.

“I need some air.” Beckett gets to her feet. “Where are you staying?”

“The Motel 6 down the road,” she says. “I was living on-site at the airfield, and since I was fired?—”

“You can stay here,” I say quickly. It’s only after the offer leaves my lips that I realize I should have checked with Beckett first. All I see is a young woman inwayover her head, no longer shielded by Lucian’s web of protection.

What if whoever went after Beckett comes after her next?

“Thanks, but I’m good.”

“You really should stay here,” Beckett says softly. “Someone attacked me in my hotel room because I was looking into this. If they catch wind you are, too, you’ll be in danger.”

“I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time.” She stands.

“Please stay. Paul would have wanted you safe, and I do, too.” With a pain-filled smile, Beckett steps out onto the back porch, leaving me and Lauren alone in the house.