Chapter 1

During the holiday break, I brought my boyfriend home to meet my parents.

My dad is a retired detective. Throughout dinner, he kept serving my boyfriend food and pouring him drinks, being incredibly courteous.

The moment my boyfriend left, Dad slammed his chopsticks down on the table.

"Ethan's right leg can't support his weight properly when he walks. That's clearly an old gunshot wound. What kind of man are you dating?"

I explained, "Ethan served in the military for two years. It's normal to have some old injuries."

Dad scoffed. "Two years in the military? The calluses on that kid's left hand, between his thumb and index finger—those come from handling a gun for at least five years!"

"Two years versus five years—that's almost triple the difference. If he has nothing to hide, why would he understate it?"

I stood there, frozen.

Dad had already picked up the phone. "Hey, Jack, I need you to run a background check on someone for me."

Three days later, I found out my boyfriend was a wanted fugitive.