started the water.
After her shower, Bailey pulled on yoga pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt before joining Brock out in the great room. He’d also dressed and was in jeans that fit his body perfectly and a tight black T-shirt. When all talk ceased as she walked in, not to mention Jaxon was there, she knew something big was up. “What happened?”
“Have a seat,” Brock said.
“Okay, the last time you said that, my best friend was dead,” she pointed out.
“Nobody’s dead, Bailey,” Jaxon promised.
She glanced at Brock and he gave her a nod of affirmation, so she sat in the overstuffed chair by the window.
“Conor and Callie are home and safe,” Brock began. “But we have discovered that the other kids you told us about are still missing.”
She gasped. “But you found them?”
Brock took a seat on the coffee table facing her. “No. But we know about them. All of the kids are from families attached to the Miller Campaign. At least the families who had pledged to contribute to the Miller campaign.”
“Burton Miller. He’s a friend of my parents.”
“Yes and running for governor of Vermont,” Brock said.
“I know all this,” she said, growing a little frustrated. “What does this have to do with kids in Connecticut?”
Brock nodded to Dallas and Jaxon who opened the slider and stepped outside, giving them privacy.
“Brock, you’re scaring me, what’s going on?”
He took her hands. “Your mom has been having an affair with Burton Miller for the last six years and she is connected to those kids somehow. We’re still trying to wade through it, but she’s in deep, baby, and it’s not good.”
“She’s been having an affair?”
Brock nodded.
“Does Daddy know?”
“I don’t know, baby. But he will when all of this comes out.”
Bailey nodded, pulled her hands from his, and rose to her feet. “Thank you for telling me.” She walked as slowly as she could back to her bedroom and closed the door, falling onto the bed and wrapping herself around a pillow.
A few minutes later, she heard her door open, felt the dip of the bed and the warmth of Brock’s body as he wrapped himself around her. “Hey.”
“Hey,” she rasped.
She suddenly felt cold. Freezing. Like she’d never get warm and her body started to shake. Brock grabbed a blanket without breaking contact with her and wrapped it around both of them, kissing her hair. “Okay, baby. I’ve got you.”
“I think my dad knew.”
Brock stroked her hair away from her face. “You do?”
She nodded. “Six years ago was when he started going to the club. Like every night.”
“You remember that?”
“Like it was yesterday. I’d gone to the junior prom with one of his cronies’ sons and had to call a cab to come and get me because he didn’t answer his phone when I called and Mom said she was too drunk to get me.”
Brock’s body stiffened. “Why did you have to call a cab, baby?”
“The guy lit up in the bathroom and got arrested. He’d driven, so I was stuck. But Daddy made his little “mistake” go away.” She linked her hand with the one wrapped around her waist. “I noticed my parents start to drift then. Dad was gone most nights; Mom was always home by dinner, but usually gone when I got home from school. When I got my license, she was home less and less at dinnertime.”
“I’m sorry, Bailey.” He kissed her shoulder.
The phone on Bailey’s nightstand buzzed. It was the one she used to talk to her parents. Brock reached for it and handed it to her. “Short call, babe. No trace.”
She nodded. “Hello?”
“Hi, honey,” her mother said. “Are you still in Aspen?”
“No, we’re home.”
“Daddy wants to meet your new man.”
Bailey grimaced toward Brock. “Um…”
“Kevin, right?”
“Yeah. Um, we kind of broke up.”
Brock rolled his eyes and Bailey gave a look like, “What else am I supposed to say?”
“Oh, that’s too bad,” she slurred.
“Mom, have you been
After her shower, Bailey pulled on yoga pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt before joining Brock out in the great room. He’d also dressed and was in jeans that fit his body perfectly and a tight black T-shirt. When all talk ceased as she walked in, not to mention Jaxon was there, she knew something big was up. “What happened?”
“Have a seat,” Brock said.
“Okay, the last time you said that, my best friend was dead,” she pointed out.
“Nobody’s dead, Bailey,” Jaxon promised.
She glanced at Brock and he gave her a nod of affirmation, so she sat in the overstuffed chair by the window.
“Conor and Callie are home and safe,” Brock began. “But we have discovered that the other kids you told us about are still missing.”
She gasped. “But you found them?”
Brock took a seat on the coffee table facing her. “No. But we know about them. All of the kids are from families attached to the Miller Campaign. At least the families who had pledged to contribute to the Miller campaign.”
“Burton Miller. He’s a friend of my parents.”
“Yes and running for governor of Vermont,” Brock said.
“I know all this,” she said, growing a little frustrated. “What does this have to do with kids in Connecticut?”
Brock nodded to Dallas and Jaxon who opened the slider and stepped outside, giving them privacy.
“Brock, you’re scaring me, what’s going on?”
He took her hands. “Your mom has been having an affair with Burton Miller for the last six years and she is connected to those kids somehow. We’re still trying to wade through it, but she’s in deep, baby, and it’s not good.”
“She’s been having an affair?”
Brock nodded.
“Does Daddy know?”
“I don’t know, baby. But he will when all of this comes out.”
Bailey nodded, pulled her hands from his, and rose to her feet. “Thank you for telling me.” She walked as slowly as she could back to her bedroom and closed the door, falling onto the bed and wrapping herself around a pillow.
A few minutes later, she heard her door open, felt the dip of the bed and the warmth of Brock’s body as he wrapped himself around her. “Hey.”
“Hey,” she rasped.
She suddenly felt cold. Freezing. Like she’d never get warm and her body started to shake. Brock grabbed a blanket without breaking contact with her and wrapped it around both of them, kissing her hair. “Okay, baby. I’ve got you.”
“I think my dad knew.”
Brock stroked her hair away from her face. “You do?”
She nodded. “Six years ago was when he started going to the club. Like every night.”
“You remember that?”
“Like it was yesterday. I’d gone to the junior prom with one of his cronies’ sons and had to call a cab to come and get me because he didn’t answer his phone when I called and Mom said she was too drunk to get me.”
Brock’s body stiffened. “Why did you have to call a cab, baby?”
“The guy lit up in the bathroom and got arrested. He’d driven, so I was stuck. But Daddy made his little “mistake” go away.” She linked her hand with the one wrapped around her waist. “I noticed my parents start to drift then. Dad was gone most nights; Mom was always home by dinner, but usually gone when I got home from school. When I got my license, she was home less and less at dinnertime.”
“I’m sorry, Bailey.” He kissed her shoulder.
The phone on Bailey’s nightstand buzzed. It was the one she used to talk to her parents. Brock reached for it and handed it to her. “Short call, babe. No trace.”
She nodded. “Hello?”
“Hi, honey,” her mother said. “Are you still in Aspen?”
“No, we’re home.”
“Daddy wants to meet your new man.”
Bailey grimaced toward Brock. “Um…”
“Kevin, right?”
“Yeah. Um, we kind of broke up.”
Brock rolled his eyes and Bailey gave a look like, “What else am I supposed to say?”
“Oh, that’s too bad,” she slurred.
“Mom, have you been
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