Her Dream Mafia Daddy (Winter Peak Mountain #1)

1. Chapter 1

Daphne

After driving for days on end, dodging every phone call and text, she was exhausted.

Running from her abusive ex was the hardest thing she had ever done, but with every mile she put between her and her past, the better she felt.

She drove through the mountains, the lush green landscape and summer mountain air calming her more and more as she continued to weave through the curvy roads.

She saw bunnies grazing by the side of the road, small waterfalls in the distance, and the most stunning mountain range views greeted her around nearly every corner.

She briefly wondered if she had made the right decision to come east. Her brother told her she could go to a place called Rawhide Ranch, that she would be safe there.

But she didn’t want to risk bringing her troubles to people who didn’t deserve to deal with her angry ex-husband.

He was so judgmental; she didn’t want that around anyone else.

Damian was adamant that nothing would ever touch her there, but she didn’t trust it.

She trusted him, but she still couldn’t bring herself to go there.

She missed her brother so much, though. And his awesome husband, Ferris.

She hoped to one day meet their Little girl, Emma.

There had been quite the misunderstanding between her and Emma while her brother and husband were at Rawhide, but ever since then, they had remained in contact and become friends.

She knew she needed to stop and take a break, even if it was for a couple of days. She drove for a few more hours before coming across a quaint mountain town; the sign read “Winter Peak.” Stopping at the only motel in town, she figured this would be as good as it got for a while.

The windy mountain roads meant she had to pay extra close attention to her driving.

The last thing she wanted to do was plummet off the side of the mountain because she had fallen asleep at the wheel, never to be seen again.

She chuckled at herself, knowing that it wouldn’t matter if she disappeared.

No one would miss her, anyway. Well, Damian might, but no one else.

Parking her beat-up sedan, she checked her appearance in the mirror.

Her bruises had mostly healed and what was left, she covered with makeup.

She walked into the motel lobby and rang the bell.

After a beat, a gorgeous, petite woman appeared behind the desk.

She was stunning in that classical look.

Blonde hair, blue eyes, short, and thin.

All the things Daphne envied. She was the complete opposite.

Short and curvy, muddy brown hair that she could never seem to tame, and the same color eyes.

She had always been the fat friend. Always there to be the joke of the group, but she put up with it because she so desperately wanted to fit in.

This was the kind of girl who would absolutely make fun of her.

Shoving her jealousy and ill thoughts down, she offered the woman a friendly smile.

“Hi! Welcome to Winter Peak. I am Kiera, and I run the Winter Peak Motel with my Daddy.” She was unlike anyone Daphne had ever seen before. Despite her initial judgments, Kiera seemed bubbly and kind. She bounced on her toes and wiggled in great excitement as she checked her into a room.

“Hi. I’m, um, Claire,” she mumbled. “Can I have a room for like one night, maybe?”

“Hi, Um Claire!” Kiera giggled at her own joke, making Daphne’s lips twitch. She was the worst liar, but she didn’t quite feel safe enough to give her real name to a complete stranger. She just prayed Kiera didn’t need to see her ID, especially if she paid in cash.

“Would you like to pay with cash or a card?” Kiera asked, snapping her out of her trance.

“C-cash. Please.” She slid over enough for one night, looking longingly at the money.

She knew she had to find work soon before her money ran out.

She didn’t have unlimited funds and had to be frugal.

She had done it growing up and knew she could do it again.

She hadn't come into any amount of money until her mother had married her step-father, Damian's father.

“You’re all set. You are in room one right by the lobby.

My Daddy and I live on the other side of the motel, so if there are any issues, we are so super close to help.

” Kiera seemed so nice, and Daphne regretted her initial rash judgment.

She had to remember that not every skinny person was mean, just like not every larger person was mean.

Body shape and size were just something everyone had.

“Come on, I’ll show you your room and help you bring your bags in.

” She scurried out from behind the desk and grabbed her hand, practically dragging her out the front doors, only to stop at the sight before her.

“Is this your car?” She eyed it suspiciously.

“Yes, this is Bob, and Bob is awesome. Don’t judge my Bob.” Daphne glared at her.

Wide eyed, Kiera shook her head. “Oh, I promise I am not judging. It’s just that…

” She hesitated. “Well, it seems like you’re running from something or someone and this car is pretty identifiable.

I am wondering if we should move it out of sight somehow.

My Daddy will know what to do. Let’s get your stuff in your room and then we’ll go find him.

” Kiera talked so fast she had a hard time following.

She definitely did not want to meet her dad. She didn’t trust men at all.

“Oh shoot. Was I that obvious?” She felt her cheeks burning.

“No, but I just had a feeling in my tummy that something was wrong. And most people use credit cards and you didn’t, so it just made me assume.

But don’t worry, you are safe here. This is probably the safest town in the whole wide world!

” She swept her hands in giant circles, making both of them laugh.

“That’s good to know. But you don’t need to worry about my car.

I got rid of my car and bought this one with cash so no one could follow me.

It’s why I don’t have a lot of money. I need to stay under the radar.

” She wasn’t sure why she was sharing so much, but something about Kiera made Daphne trust her.

Nodding her head, Kiera replied, “That was so super smart. I probably wouldn’t have thought of that. But anyway, if you want to move it, we can.”

“Thanks, Kiera. And thanks for being so kind to me.” Daphne was honestly so grateful for the kindness.

Leaving behind an abusive ex-husband and a toxic friend group meant she had a lot of trust issues and fear.

Kiera was so genuine it made her want to trust the pixie of a girl who was helping her out.

“Of course! Us Littles have to stick together and keep each other safe.” She bobbed her head and motioned her toward her room.

“What do you mean by Littles?” Her brow was furrowed as she followed Kiera into the room. Kiera couldn’t possibly know she was a Little.

“You know, Littles. Like us.” She stated it like it was just a fact that everyone should know.

Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. “H-how did you know I was a Little?”

Kiera slapped her hands over her mouth as she giggled and bounced on the bed. Patting the comforter, she joined her on the bed, waiting to hear what she had to say.

“You just give off Little vibes. Am I wrong?”

“You’re not wrong, I just don’t know what kind of Little I am. And I like to think I hide it better than apparently I do.” She sighed as she thought about Damian and Emma, wanting nothing more than to find her dream Daddy. She would one day, she hoped.

“Kiera Ruth! Where are you, Little girl?” The man didn’t sound happy, and judging by the color draining from Kiera’s face, she was scared for their safety. Seeing Kiera rush to the door, she leapt forward and grabbed her hand.

“Don’t open it! As long as we’re quiet, he’ll never know we’re in here.” Daphne was in full-blown panic, silently begging her friend to stay put.

“I know he sounds super scary, Um Claire, but he won’t hurt me.

Well, nothing more than a sore bottom. But he won’t ever harm me.

I have to tell him I’m in here though before he gets super worried and calls Eamon to come and find me.

He’d probably spank my butt too.” She shivered but went to open the door.

“Daddy, I’m in here with my new friend!” Kiera yelled out the door, and suddenly, the tallest man she had ever seen entered the room.

“Little girl, you are in so much trouble. Where are you supposed to be right now?” he demanded of her.

“At the front desk, Daddy. But I was helping get our new guest situated, and she says she’s a Little!

” She was bouncing on her toes, clapping her hands, and beaming at her Daddy.

Meanwhile, Daphne felt like she had been dragged into a different universe.

She stayed still, hoping that no one would notice her.

She tried to plan an escape route, but nothing stuck out to her.

The door was blocked and there wasn’t a back exit.

The only windows were in the front of the room. She was stuck and felt claustrophobic.

“Ok, Little girl, let’s calm down and take a breath. We don’t want to scare our new guest.” The man put his hands on his girl’s shoulders and the bouncing stopped. Kiera took in a deep breath and blew it out.

“Sorry, Daddy. I am just so ‘cited!”

Slowly backing away, Daphne tried to make it to the bathroom.

If she could get in there and lock herself in, she would be safe.

Her slight movement garnered the attention of the giant man, and suddenly his piercing green eyes were on her.

For reasons she did not understand, they calmed her.

He was tall. Had to be well over 6’5’’. He had light brown hair that was shaggy and somewhat curly, and a burly beard that touched his chest. The lines were clean, but it was scruffy and wiry.