December 21^st

 

 

9:05 A.M.

 

“I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“Haven't we argued about this enough already this morning?” Hayley asked, looking sideways at Brian, who was driving the car.

Argue had been pretty much all they had done since they got up this morning. Brian had already been up, showered, and dressed by the time she got up at seven o’clock. As soon as she was showered and dressed, she’d asked him to take her to see Kinsley Turner. The little girl hadn't been very forthcoming with any of the adults who had tried to get her to open up, and she thought she might have better luck because she understood what it was like to be five years old and escape the clutches of a monster, but still be terrified about what was going to happen to you.

While she thought it was a good idea, Brian disagreed.

Vehemently.

He thought it was too dangerous, but Hayley thought that as long as he was with her, Jay Turner wasn't going to be stupid enough to try coming after her again.

Besides, as far as they knew Jay was already long gone. Yes, he wanted her dead, but more than that he wanted to be in control, and going to prison was one of the worst things that could happen to a control freak. If it came down to a choice between getting his revenge on her or self-preservation, Hayley believed that he was going to choose self-preservation every time.

“We didn't argue, we discussed,” Brian said tightly.

She huffed a mirthless laugh. “I don’t think using the words, ‘I forbid you to leave this house until Jay Turner is in custody’ can be construed as a discussion.”

“I didn't say forbid.” He huffed.

She laughed again, more genuinely this time. “You totally did.”

One side of his mouth curved up. “Okay, so maybe I shouldn’t have said it like that, but I'm just worried about you, Hayley. When you called me, trapped inside your house, with that man throwing rocks roused in fire through your window, I’d never been so scared in my life. I don’t want anything like that to happen ever again.”

It was hard to argue with that sentiment.

And she supposed it was kind of sweet. Not the attempting to forbid her to do something thing, but that he cared enough about her to worry like that. She knew it went deeper than him just being her bodyguard. They’d been friends for so many years that this wasn't just a job to him.

“I don’t want that to happen again either,” she told Brian. “But you’re not going to let Jay hurt me.”

“No, I won't,” Brian vowed. There was something in his tone, it sounded a little like the way her dad talked to her mom. That air of protectiveness that you had when you cared about someone so deeply that even the thought of something or someone hurting them hurt you too.

Hayley had no idea what was going on with Brian. Last night when they’d been reminiscing about the past, he’d been looking at her with that weird expression on his face again. She still wanted to believe it was because he was finally seeing her as something other than just a friend, but she was also cautious about getting her hopes up too high.

“We’re here,” Brian announced, and her attention snapped immediately from wishing that her feelings for him were reciprocated to where she was and why they were here.

“I hope this works. I hope I can get through to her,” she said, more to herself than Brian.

“You will,” he said confidently.

She wished she had the same faith in herself as Brian. Usually, she was pretty good at getting the children she worked with to open up to her, it was like they sensed she understood what they were going through. But Kinsley was different because Kinsley had seen her father attack her sister and knew—as young as she was—just how dangerous her dad could be.

“Wait in the car until I come around,” Brian told her. “And then stay close as we walk to the door. I’ll stay just a step behind you just in case Jay Turner is here and decides to try anything.”

Hayley had to fight against her natural inclination to object to being so closely monitored. It wasn't since she was a very little girl that someone else had watched over her like this and it felt odd, even if it was Brian and she was hopelessly in love with him.

But Jay really could be out there somewhere.

And he really might take advantage of this opportunity to come after her again.

So, she nodded her assent and waited semi-patiently while Brian got out, walked around to her door, opened it for her, and shielded her body with his own as she climbed out. Hayley didn't really like the idea of Brian putting himself between her and potential danger. She didn't want him to get hurt because of her. She knew it was his job and that he was well trained, but she didn't know how she would live with herself if Jay hurt—or even worse—killed him in an attempt to get at her.

The walk to the door was uneventful, and Hayley punched in the code then slid her key into the lock and let them both inside. The group home where Kinsley was staying before she was placed with a family was a large one. Several dozen children lived here at any one time, from newborn babies to teenagers soon to age out of the system. The place was well run, the children were well taken care of, and the staff was wonderful, attempting to make the kids feel cared about and not just doing their jobs and making sure their physical needs were attended to.

“I’ll go see where Kinsley’s room is,” she told Brian and headed for the desk in the foyer to press the buzzer. Although this was a home with so many people coming and going, social workers, therapists, doctors and nurses, and often police officers as well, there was a reception desk that was usually manned so that visitors could be directed to the correct room.

Brian trailed after her, and less than a minute after ringing the bell a harried woman appeared from the next room.

“Oh, Hayley,” she said, smiling when she saw them. “I heard a little girl’s father in one of your cases assaulted you.”

“He did. And he made it clear he’s not done with me yet. This is Brian Xander, he’s my bodyguard until the man is in custody.” Xander was a well-known last name in these circles since the Xander family and her own had been in law enforcement for many years as well as running a center for abused women and children, and from the look in the woman’s eyes it clicked with her, and she smiled at Brian.

“Who are you here to see?”

“Kinsley Turner.”

The woman checked a computer, then said, “She’s staying in room 212, but she might be in the playroom.”

“Thanks,” she said to the woman, then to Brian, “let’s check her room first.”

If she had been brought to a place like this after she and her sisters had been rescued instead of going home with her adoptive parents, she wouldn’t have felt comfortable around other children. While she and Kinsley had had very different experiences, she suspected the child would feel the same way.

When they walked into room 212 they did indeed find Kinsley Turner. The little girl was curled up on one of the bunk beds—there were four in the room—with a pile of books.

“Hey, Kinsley.” She smiled, unsure how she would be received by the child.

The little girl looked up, recognition flashed through her blue eyes, and a small smile lit her lips. She reached behind the pile of books and pulled out the brown teddy bear she’d given her the day she had removed Kinsley from her home.

“Oh, you still have Brownie.” She smiled and went to sit beside the girl. That Kinsley had kept the teddy bear had to be a good sign. “How does he like it here?”

“It’s okay,” Kinsley said slowly. “But I miss my house, and I miss my toys, and I miss Leah. The dark is scary, and Leah used to sing me a song when I got scared.”

“Well, you know what you do, when you get scared, you hold onto Brownie real tight and you remember when you and your sister used to bake brownies, okay?”

“Okay,” Kinsley agreed, her little face so serious.

In a way it was like looking in a mirror. When she was a little girl, she’d had the same serious, grown-up eyes that Kinsley did. The kind of eyes a child could only have when they lived through something no one—especially a little kid—should ever have to.

“When am I going to go home?” Kinsley asked.

Resisting the urge to just reassure the child, Kinsley needed honesty right now if she was going to survive the next few months. “I don’t know, honey. You might go back home, but you might not. If you don’t, you’ll probably stay here for a while and then maybe go and live with a nice family.” Hayley prayed it would be a nice family. If Kinsley couldn’t return home to her mother, she prayed that the child would be adopted by a wonderful family just like she and Arianna had been.

She couldn’t ask Kinsley any questions about Leah and her death because without a cop or a child advocate present anything that Kinsley told her could be considered inadmissible in court, but she could hang out here for a while, maybe read some stories, or play a game. It wasn't like she had anything else to do, she couldn’t go to work until this situation with Kinsley’s father was resolved, and she felt an affinity with the child because their early life experiences were so similar. Kinsley was the same age that she had been when she was rescued and adopted.

“You want to play for a while?” Hayley asked Kinsley.

The little girl smiled up at her. “Can you read to me?”

“I sure can.” As she stretched out onto the bed, resting back against the wall, just able to sit up under the top bunk, Kinsley immediately curled up at her side. She really hoped that the sweet little girl was lucky enough to end up with a family who would love and care for her like she deserved.

 

* * * * *

 

10:44 A.M.

 

“And I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight, merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night,” Hayley read the last line of T’was the Night Before Christmas and set the book down.

For the last almost two hours, he and Hayley had been playing with Kinsley Turner. They’d read books, played dolls, built a tower out of Lego, played go fish, and snap. They’d giggled and talked and had fun. Hayley was a natural with little kids, she was going to make a great mom one day.

Brian loved kids too, he couldn’t wait to have a child of his own. If he hadn't decided to go and work at his uncle’s private security firm, he would probably have gone into pediatrics. When Elise had given birth to her daughter, he had been so excited to become an uncle to the first little Xander grandchild. Eve would soon be adding baby number two to their clan. He hoped it wouldn’t be too much longer before he wasn't just Uncle Brian, but Dad Brian too.

“Can we read another story?” Kinsley asked.

He knew that Hayley would have said yes, but the longer she was out in the open the more she was in danger. Kinsley was at a group home. Maria Turner no doubt knew that her daughter was here, and since they knew she had been with her husband since Kinsley had been removed from their care there was every chance that Jay knew where his daughter was.

Which was why he hadn't wanted to come.

Brian knew they shouldn’t be here, he knew that he was failing at his job as Hayley’s bodyguard. If it was any other client they wouldn’t be here, he would have put his foot down and said a definitive no.

But this wasn't any other client.

This was Hayley.

And when she had said that she had to come because she needed to make sure that the little girl was okay after everything she had been through, he just couldn’t say no.

He just hoped that this wasn't going to wind up being a mistake.

It was time to go back home and get Hayley where he knew she was safe.

“Actually, honey,” he said to the little girl, “we have to go now.”

“Oh.” Kinsley’s face fell. “Can we play a game of Hungry Hippos before you go?”

Hayley looked to him, seeking his approval but he shook his head. He’d let her convince him to bring her here, but now it was time to do his job and take her home.

“I don’t think so, honey,” Hayley said.

“Are you going to come back?” It was clear in the last two hours Kinsley had become attached to Hayley. He wasn't sure that was a good idea.

“Of course I will,” Hayley assured the child.

“Oh, goodie.” Kinsley grinned and threw her arms around Hayley’s neck, hugging her hard. “When are you coming back? Tomorrow?”

“I'm not sure, but I will definitely come back, and next time I’m going to beat you in snap and go fish.”

Kinsley giggled. “I always used to beat Leah when we played games, I'm good at them.”

“You sure are. Okay, Kinsley, we’ll see you later. Why don’t we walk you down to the playroom and you can beat some of the other kids,” Hayley suggested.

“I want to stay here. Brownie and I want to read some more.”

“All right, see you later,” Hayley said the words but the look on her face clearly said she didn't want to leave. If he let her, she would probably spend the whole day here with Kinsley Turner. But right now, it was his job to keep Hayley alive, and he wasn't comfortable having her here. He had been on edge ever since they stepped out his front door and he wouldn’t relax until they were back inside his house.

“Bye, Hayley. Bye, Brian,” Kinsley said, picking up the teddy bear Hayley had given her and holding it tightly in her arms as she watched them leave.

They walked in silence back down the stairs and to the front door. “Stay behind me,” he reminded her before they stepped outside.

“Mmhmm,” Hayley said, it sounded non-committal, but he knew she would do it even though she didn't like it.

It wasn't until they were in the car and a couple of blocks down the road that he spoke again. “I don’t think it’s a good idea that you go back and see Kinsley again.”

“What? Why?” Hayley demanded.

“Look how attached she was to you in just two hours. Once her father is found and in prison, she’ll either go back to her mother or she’ll be placed with a foster family. How is she going to cope if she’s become reliant on you?” He didn't want to fight with Hayley, and he didn't want to make her feel bad because he knew that she genuinely cared about every child in every case she worked, but he didn't want to see her get too attached just like he didn't want to see Kinsley get too attached.

“When I look at her, I see me when I was five years old,” Hayley said softly.

“I know you do.” Brian reached over and took her hand, squeezing it tightly. “Are you thinking of what it would be like to be her mother?”

Hayley’s eyes flew to his. “There is no evidence that Maria was involved in Leah’s death, she’ll no doubt get Kinsley back.”

“But if she doesn’t, if she enters the system, you want to take her.”

“I just want her to have a good life. I want someone to save her, I want her to be happy, and part of me wants to pay forward what my parents did for me,” Hayley admitted.

“I think that’s amazing, and one day you’re going to make such a difference in a child’s life, but I’m not sure that child will be Kinsley, and I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“I can't explain it, Brian, I just feel a connection to her. I’ve worked with so many kids since I became a social worker, and I care about all of them and want to do whatever I can for all of them to make their lives better, but with Kinsley, it just feels different.”

“Maybe it’s because she’s the same age as you were when you were saved, and she does look like you, with the dark hair and the blue eyes. Maybe that’s why you’re identifying with her so—” his sentence was cut off when their car was rammed from behind.

It was snowing out, lightly, but if you weren't used to driving in snow it could be a little disconcerting, and for a moment, he thought it was just an inexperienced driver losing control and hitting their car.

But then they were hit again.

“Brian.” Hayley squeezed the hand that still held hers.

“Hold on.” He quickly squeezed back then put both hands on the wheel as a third slam shook the car.

“It’s Jay,” Hayley said.

She was almost definitely right. “Maria must have told him where Kinsley was, and he knew that sooner or later you would turn up there so he was lying in wait.”

“I’m sorry,” Hayley apologized as she finally realized why he hadn't wanted to take her there.

He wanted to reassure her, but the car that had been hitting them from behind rushed up at their side, cutting them off and giving him no choice but to veer off the road.

Brian tugged on the wheel, intending to swerve around the car and get back in front, but as though anticipating that was what he would try to do, Jay sped up, and before he could do anything about it they slammed into a tree.

Hayley’s side took the brunt of the impact, but his body was still flung forward and then jerked backward with a snap that was felt through every inch of his body.

A car door slammed.

Footsteps sounded.

His head was ringing, and the urge to check on Hayley was strong, but he ignored it and pulled out his gun.

“Don’t move, Jay,” he ordered. He couldn’t really see where the man was, but he knew he was out there somewhere.

“I’m here for the girl,” a voice snarled, and then Hayley’s door handle jiggled.

Brian didn't think twice.

He aimed the gun and fired.

A frustrated growl let him know he hit his target, but the pounding footsteps and revving car engine said the wound he had inflicted wasn't serious enough to incapacitate Jay Turner.

Getting out of the car in time to get a license plate wasn't an option because his body was still pulsing with a steady beat of pain, and he knew he wasn't coordinated enough to move quickly yet.

Instead, he turned to Hayley who was slumped in her seat, blood streaking the side of her face.

Brian pressed his fingers to Hayley’s neck, and she immediately stirred. “I’m all right, just sore. You got him.”

“Not enough to stop him, I'm sorry.” He knew he should have trusted his instincts and kept Hayley at his house whether she liked it or not.

Hayley winced but turned her head in his direction. “You stopped him from dragging me out of the car, don’t be sorry, you just saved my life.”

“I got you hurt.” His gaze went to a gash on her forehead, and he gently grasped her chin, angled her face, and touched the tip of his finger to her temple.

“You saved my life,” she repeated.

His heart was still racing, and he leaned over and rested his forehead on the top of Hayley’s head. If Jay Turner had gotten his hands on her, he never would have forgiven himself. Brian couldn’t imagine his life without Hayley in it—nor did he want to.

Right now, he had to get Hayley medical treatment and then someplace safe, then the two of them needed to talk.

 

* * * * *

 

11:01 A.M.

 

Brian rested his forehead against hers.

Despite the raging headache she had from bumping her head twice in as many days, the first thought that popped into her mind was that she hoped the next thing he did was kiss her.

But he didn't.

Someone hammered on the car door, and Brian released her and turned around.

“Are you okay?” someone demanded, yanking the driver’s door open.

Brian put his gun away. “We’re okay. Have the cops been called? And an ambulance?”

“I don’t need an ambulance,” Hayley protested automatically.

“We’ll see,” Brian shot over his shoulder.

“I called 911 when that other car ran you off the road,” the woman at the car door said. “Did you know him?”

“Unfortunately, we did,” Brian replied.

If there had been any doubt before that Jay Turner was determined to kill her then it was gone now. He wasn't going to stop until he got what he wanted. And what he wanted was her dead. Probably a long, drawn-out death.

“I better call your mom, Ryan, and Brady. We need to decide how we’re proceeding next.”

While Brian made the call, Hayley rested her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes. Although she had a headache it wasn't all that bad. She didn't feel dizzy or nauseous, so didn't think she had a concussion, and she wasn't sore anywhere else so didn't think she had any other injuries either. All she wanted was to go home and lie down for a while.

Well not home.

As long as Jay Turner was out there, she couldn’t go back home.

And they probably couldn’t go back to Brian’s house either.

Hopefully, the woman who had knocked on the car door or someone else had seen something that would help Adam, Jessica, and the rest of the police department find where Jay Turner was hiding.

He obviously knew where Kinsley was since he must have followed them from there knowing that sooner or later she would show up there so he’d staked out the place. She hoped that he didn't decide to try to get to Kinsley. He thought of the little girl as his property, and he would no doubt make a play to get her back at some point.

“How’re you doing?”

Hayley opened her eyes to see Brian crouching beside her open door. “Okay, I’m just tired, and my head hurts a little, but I don’t need to go to the hospital.”

“Let me take a look at you.” He picked up her wrist, checked her pulse, and then shone a light in her eyes.

Knowing what he was going to ask she rattled off, “No dizziness, no nausea, just a headache.”

“All right, no hospital.” He smiled, setting her hand down in her lap. “A cop is going to drive us into the office. Brady, Ryan, and your mom will meet us there.”

Before she could climb out of the car, Brian reached over and unclipped her seat belt, then scooped her up into his arms, carrying her to a nearby cruiser. He set her on the backseat then slid in beside her, wrapping an arm protectively around her shoulders and settling her close at his side.

Hayley didn't fight it. Snuggled in Brian’s arms was exactly where she wanted to be right now. How close she had come to being in Jay Turner’s clutches was starting to sink in. He had been just outside the car. He’d been trying to get in. If Brian hadn't fired his gun at him, he probably would have gotten her.

Brian had saved her life.

She was the one who had wanted to go to the group home to visit with Kinsley Turner because she just couldn’t shake the need to be there for the little girl. She’d worked with a lot of kids, and she’d never felt a connection like this to one of them before.

Because of her, Brian could have been seriously hurt.

As could anyone else who had been on the road when Jay had tried—succeeded—in running them off the road.

What would she have done if Brian had been hurt because of her?

She would never have forgiven herself.

Although she tried to divert her mind before it could go there, her thoughts started to fill with scenarios of what Jay was going to do to her if he got her. She knew he wanted her to suffer, and she knew that Maria had gone to see him yesterday and he’d beaten her badly enough that she had collapsed on the side of the road. Is that what he was going to do to her? Or would it be something even worse?

There were a lot of ways to hurt someone.

In her years as a social worker, she had seen a lot of horrible things done to children, and at the shelter her mom helped to run, she had seen a lot worse.

Was she going to end up like that?

Beaten, shot, stabbed, strangled, raped, all of that could be in her future.

“Hayley.”

She looked up to find Brian looking down at her, a concerned look on his face. “You were whimpering. Are you feeling worse?”

“No, I was just thinking about …” she trailed off not wanting to worry Brian further.

“About what?”

Hayley sighed, she may as well admit it, Brian would probably figure it out anyway. “I was just thinking about what's going to happen if Jay gets to me.”

Brian roughly grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. “I don’t want you to worry about that. I told you I wouldn’t let that man hurt you and I won't. At least not again.” His blue eyes clouded over, and he touched just beside the cut on her head from the car crash. “I’ll clean this and see if it needs stitches when we get to the office.”

She wanted to say something, but her throat seemed to have closed up. Every time Brian was this close to her, she couldn’t think of anything else, he had even banished thoughts of what Jay would do to her.

They stared into each other’s eyes and probably would have continued to do so but the cop driving them to the private security firm offices pulled to a stop.

“We’re here,” the cop announced.

“Thank you,” Brian said a little distractedly. “You know the drill,” he reminded her before he got out of the car.

The second Brian released her she felt cold, and her fears began to creep back in. It was like Brian wasn't just her bodyguard he was also the guard that kept all of her anxieties at bay.

Staying close beside Brian as soon as they entered the lobby her mother threw her arms around her. “Are you okay?” she demanded, scanning her from head to toe and zeroing in on the blood on her forehead.

“I’m fine,” Hayley assured her mom.

“What happened?” Mom looked to Brian for an answer.

“We went to the group home to see Kinsley Turner. Maria must have told her husband where Kinsley was, and Jay must have thought that Hayley would show up there sooner or later, so he was staking out the place. He must have followed us, he ran us off the road, then he tried to take Hayley. I shot at him, and I'm pretty sure I hit him, but obviously not badly enough. He got back in his car and drove off,” Brian summarized.

“She can't go back to Brian’s house,” Ryan Xander said as he and Brady Crowley stepped out of the lift and came to join them.

“I agree.” Brian nodded a little too vehemently.

“She could come home,” her mom said.

“I don’t think so,” Ryan said. “If Jay Turner is smart enough to know that Hayley would have to go to the group home and wait for her to turn up, then he’s smart enough to research Hayley’s family.

“So, what do you suggest?” her mom asked.

“We thought she’d stay in one of our safehouses,” Brady replied. “Ryan and I already set it up. She and Brian can go straight there from here, we’ve had the place stocked with food and some clothes for the two of them. They can stay there till the cops have Jay Turner in custody.”

It was weird having everyone talk about her like she wasn't here.

Her mom, Ryan, and Brady had all been cops, and although it had been years since they left the force they slipped so easily back into those roles.

Going to the safehouse was the safest thing to do, but it also meant that unless Jay was found quickly, she was going to have to spend Christmas without her family, just her and Brian. Hayley knew what Sophie would say, she’d say to take advantage of the situation, but she wasn't sure that she could do that. She wanted Brian but only if he wanted her too.

Right now, being treated like a helpless victim or how she would be spending the holidays weren't her biggest concerns. There was only one thing that was worrying her.

“What about Kinsley?” she asked. “I'm afraid that Jay is going to go after her.” She couldn’t stand the thought of anything happening to that sweet little girl.

“Thought of that already.” Brady smiled at her.

“Sawyer is going to stay at the group home,” Ryan told her.

So, Kinsley was safe, she knew that Sawyer wouldn’t let Jay get to her.

Which just left her and Brian alone in a safehouse, just the two of them. Hayley didn't know whether to be excited or terrified.

 

* * * * *

 

1:27 P.M.

 

“I hope we get something out of her.”

“So do I.” Adam agreed wholeheartedly with his partner. “But we’re asking a lot from a five-year-old little girl.”

“Kids usually notice a whole lot more than we give them credit for, you know that as well as I do. Hopefully, Kinsley will know something, even something small that might give us an idea of where her father might be hiding out.”

“If we don’t get something from her then I don’t know how we’re going to find Jay Turner. He’s not going to come back to the group home, he knows we’ll have it staked out, and he knows that Hayley won't be back here until he’s in custody. We’re not going to get anything out of Maria. She’s made it very clear that her loyalties lie with her husband and not with either of her daughters or with Hayley. We’ll keep looking, but the city is too big, it’s not likely we’ll just stumble across him. Kinsley is our only realistic chance of finding him.”

Adam didn't want to celebrate Christmas knowing that such a dangerous man was roaming free. Jay was a danger to Hayley, his daughter, and his wife, and the sooner he was safely behind bars the better. Hayley was safely tucked away in a safehouse with Brian Xander, who he knew would gladly give his own life if it meant saving Hayley’s. Sooner or later, Jay Turner wouldn’t be able to resist taking back his child, so Sawyer Watson would be the little girl’s shadow until her father was caught.

Everyone was safe.

For now.

But he wanted Hayley and Brian to be able to celebrate Christmas with their families, not locked away someplace alone. Although he wasn't sure the two would mind the extra time together.

Neither he nor Jessica knew where they were. The only ones who knew were Ryan Xander and Brady Crowley who had arranged which safehouse their company owned to send them to. It was safer this way, the less people who knew their location, the less likely Jay Turner would be to find them.

Jessica pulled the car to a stop outside the group home, and they both stepped out into the softly falling snow. For a group home, the place looked surprisingly Christmassy. Lights were strung up around the roof, there was a huge blow-up Santa and reindeer in the yard, a wreath with flashing lights hung on the door, and a large Christmas tree was visible in one of the front windows. Spending Christmas there would probably be better than where a lot of the kids had spent previous Christmases, but Adam was still exceedingly glad his little girl would be waking up Christmas morning in her own home with her dad there to give her the best Christmas ever.

At the front door, he pressed the bell and waited. Less than a minute later it was opened by Sawyer. “Kinsley is waiting for you,” he announced without preamble. They all wanted this case closed as quickly as possible, so Hayley Hood was safe.

“No troubles?” Jessica asked as they followed the bodyguard down the hall.

“Nothing so far. Hopefully, that man is caught before he does anything more to hurt that little girl. She’s a sweet kid, she doesn’t deserve any of this.” Sawyer had the same anger in his tone that Adam knew was in his own. Sawyer had fourteen-month-old twins, Jackson and Janelle and a four-year-old daughter. Jessica had a five-year-old son. They all knew what being a parent was all about and seeing someone abuse their own child was just beyond comprehension.

“Hey, Kinsley,” he said as they walked into a small room where the little girl was sitting at a table drawing. She stopped what she was doing, looked up at him, gave a small smile then returned to her picture. A middle-aged woman sat in a chair in a corner of the room and stood when they entered.

“I’m the child advocate,” she introduced herself. “As long as you keep your questions appropriate, I won't interfere with your interview.”

“We will,” he assured the woman. They weren't here to traumatize little Kinsley Turner, they just needed to talk to her and see what she could tell them about her sister’s death and where her father might be.

“Hi, Kinsley.” Jessica took a seat at the table across from the little girl. Although he had a daughter the same age as Kinsley and was comfortable around small children, Jessica usually took over when they had to interview a child because most kids were more comfortable with a strange woman than a strange man.

“Hi,” the child said in a small voice.

“What are you drawing?” Jessica asked, taking a crayon and a piece of paper and drawing a picture of her own.

“Me and Leah.” Kinsley held up her drawing.

“That’s pretty. What are you two doing in your picture?”

“We’re baking brownies, we loved to do that, that’s why I named the bear Hayley gave me Brownie.” Kinsley pointed to the bear that sat in the seat beside her.

“I love to bake too. My son and I will be baking cookies, gingerbread, and all sorts of goodies on Christmas Eve.”

“I like gingerbread,” Kinsley said, then returned to her picture.

“What else did you and Leah like to do?”

“She would read to me, or sometimes, when we didn't have any books, she would make up stories.”

“That sounds like fun, I love stories.”

“She taught me to ride a bike without training wheels. It was her old bike, and it didn't fit her anymore, so she gave it to me.”

Jessica smiled. “That was nice of her. It sounds like Leah was a great big sister.”

“She was,” Kinsley agreed.

“Do you remember the picture you drew of her at school? The one that your teacher talked to you about? Before you came here.”

Kinsley nodded.

“In that picture your sister was lying on the ground outside your house. Why did you draw Leah like that?”

Not looking up from her drawing, Kinsley said, “Because Leah fell. She died.”

“Do you know where Leah fell from?”

“Uh-huh.” The child nodded.

“Where from?”

“From the roof.”

“What was Leah doing on the roof?”

“She was running away from daddy.”

“How come?”

“Because daddy was hurting her.”

“Did he hurt anyone else in your house?”

“He hurt my mommy all the time.”

“What about you, did your daddy ever hurt you?” Jessica asked.

“Sometimes, but mostly Leah stopped him.”

“How did your daddy hurt Leah the night that she died?”

“He hit her in the face, her nose was bleeding. Leah was scared that he was going to hurt her again, so she climbed out her window. She said she didn't want to let daddy hurt us anymore and that she was going to stop him by telling someone what he was doing.”

“Do you know Leah ended up on the ground?”

Kinsley didn't say anything, but she looked worried.

“What’s wrong, honey?” Jessica asked.

“Leah told me to hide. There was a space in the back of our closet where you could hide behind the wall. She told me to go there and not come out until she came back with someone to help us.”

When the girl paused, Jessica said, “It’s okay, sweetheart, you’re not in trouble. We just want to know what you saw.”

So far Kinsley had been very forthcoming. She wasn't trying to protect her father, she had admitted he abused her sister and her mother. He’d worked cases where cracking abused kids had been harder than getting an abused spouse to turn against their partner. Thankfully Kinsley wasn't one of those kids.

“I heard loud voices, so I crept out.”

“Whose voices were they?”

“Daddy and Leah’s.”

“Did you hear what they were saying?”

“Leah was crying, begging daddy to stop. I went to the window, and I saw Daddy and Leah on the roof. He was holding her here.” The child pointed to her wrists. “And her feet weren't on anything.”

“What happened next?”

“He put Leah down and told her that she had to go back inside, but Leah said no. So, he pushed her, and she fell.”

That was exactly what they had suspected but needed confirmation of. So long as Kinsley passed the examination that would determine whether she understood the difference between the truth and a lie and was deemed competent to testify. Having spent the last ten minutes with the child he knew she would pass. She was a smart little girl, well-spoken, clear in exactly what she had seen and heard. When they arrested Jay Turner, he would stand trial for his older daughter’s murder and the testimony of his younger daughter would see him found guilty.

There was only one thing left that they needed to know.

“Kinsley, do you know where your daddy might be right now?” Jessica asked.

“Isn’t he at home?”

“No, he’s not. We don’t know where he is, but we need to find him. Do you know where he might go if he wasn't at home?”

“Uh-uh.” Kinsley shook her head.

“Do you have any grandparents, or aunts or uncles, that you go and visit?” Jessica asked. As far as they knew there was no other family, but it was worth asking anyway.

“No. It’s just me, and Leah, and Mommy, and Daddy.”

“Is there anyone who watched you sometimes if your mommy and daddy couldn’t?”

“Sometimes Sarah watched me. She always plays songs for me on her piano, and I dance to them.”

They didn't know anything about this Sarah but finding her had just become their number one priority. This visit with Kinsley Turner had gone even better than he had hoped.

 

* * * * *

 

5:26 P.M.

 

“All settled in?” Brian asked as Hayley walked down the hall and dropped onto the couch in the safehouse’s living room. The apartment was small, with two bedrooms, one bathroom, and one living area. The place was sparsely furnished, but it was comfortable, and more importantly, they would be safe here until Jay Turner was in custody. Only his Uncle Ryan and Brady knew where they were, and as much as he would miss his family if they had to spend the holidays here, he couldn’t deny the time alone with Hayley would be nice.

“I guess,” Hayley answered his question listlessly. She was a little pale, and she’d been quiet ever since they'd left the offices a little over an hour ago; the stress of the last few days was getting to her.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, turning the stove down so the potatoes didn't boil over before joining her on the couch. “I mean, besides the obvious.”

“This place.” She looked around the room, at the round table with four chairs, the two couches, the coffee table, and the wide-screen TV on the wall. “It doesn’t feel like Christmas here. It’s only a few days until Christmas, and I might not be able to spend it with my family. We’re stuck here. There are no fairy lights, there are no garlands, we don’t have a wreath on the door, I don’t have my Christmas village. We don’t even have a Christmas tree.”

He should have known that Hayley needed a Christmas tree. “I’m sorry, Hayley. I’d get you a tree if I could, but we can't leave here, and I don’t want anyone coming here just in case Jay Turner is monitoring our friends and follows them.”

“It’s okay, it’s not your fault. I’m glad that I'm safe here, and I'm glad nothing happened to you today. I wouldn’t have been able to forgive myself if you’d been hurt when Jay ran us off the road.”

“That wouldn’t have been your fault,” he reminded her. He was glad Jay’s abduction attempt had been unsuccessful and he was determined that the man wouldn’t get another chance. “Tomorrow, after you’ve had a good night’s sleep, we can see what we can do with what we have to make this place look a little more Christmassy.” Once she’d gone to bed he’d have a look around and see if he remembered any good craft ideas from when he used to earn some extra money working at the day camp his church ran over the term breaks.

“I guess,” she said non-committedly, shifting on the couch like she was uncomfortable. He’d examined her carefully back at the office. Other than the cut on her forehead she didn't seem to have any other injuries. Even the cut wasn't serious, he’d closed it with butterfly strips and taped a waterproof bandage over the top of it.

“If we have to spend Christmas here, we’ll have a great time,” he encouraged her, glancing over at the stove. “We’ll get a turkey and make more food than either of us can eat. We’ll bake pies, and cookies, make eggnog, we’ll have a lot of fun.”

She mustered up a smile for him. “Yeah, I guess we will. And maybe we can have a second Christmas dinner with our families when we go back home.”

“Great idea,” he said, heading back to the kitchen to drain and mash the potatoes. “I don’t think anyone is going to complain about having two Christmas dinners.”

Hayley gave a small laugh. “I don’t think anyone would. And maybe we could make this place look a little Christmassy. We could make some paper chains.”

“And a handprint wreath for the door,” he added.

“Oh, yeah.” She laughed again. “What are we going to do for a tree?”

“I’m sure we can figure out something.” He ladled some soup into two bowls, scooped some mashed potatoes onto the plates, then added steamed cauliflower and broccoli. Brian set the bowls and plates on two trays, so they could eat on the couch. “What do you want to drink? We have juice, soda, and bottled water.”

“What kind of juice?”

“Orange and apple.”

“Apple please.”

Pouring two glasses of apple juice, he carried the trays over to the coffee table. “Dinner is served.”

“This looks amazing,” Hayley said, taking her tray and setting it on her lap. “Thanks for cooking again. Tomorrow, I’ll cook you dinner.”

“Can’t wait,” he said, flipping on the TV. They watched reruns of Friends while they ate, laughing at the Thanksgiving episode where the gang played touch football in the park, and the Gellers argued over their Geller Cup.

“That was so good,” Hayley said, setting her tray back down on the table. She’d eaten about half of the food on her plate, which was better than he’d been hoping. He had expected that given the shock of being run off the road she wouldn’t have a very big appetite. He didn't have much of an appetite and he wasn't even the one that Jay Turner wanted.

“You look tired. Why don’t you sit back here?” He grabbed some pillows, fluffed them up, and then helped prop them up behind Hayley. “Are you cold?” Brian didn't wait for an answer, just grabbed a throw and spread it out over her. “Do you need me to turn the heat up? Do you want some ice cream or I think we have some chocolate? Is the TV too loud? Do you want me to turn it down so you can close your eyes and get some sleep? Or if you want, I can run you a nice hot bubble bath. Or you could take a shower. If you’re too tired, I can turn your bed down so you can put on your PJs and go right off to sleep. What?” he asked when he noticed Hayley was looking at him with a bemused smile.

“You’re cute when you fuss like this,” Hayley told him. “To answer your questions, I’m not cold, so you don’t have to turn the heat up. I’m not really hungry so I don’t want dessert, but you can have something if you want. The TV is fine. I don’t want to close my eyes just yet, I’m not in the mood for a shower or a bath. And I’m not ready for bed. I think that covers everything,” she said with a smirk.

“You’re not worried about nightmares, are you?” he asked as he gathered up the dishes and went to put the leftovers in the fridge, rinse the dishes, and stack them in the dishwasher.

“No, not really. I don’t usually have them, and I didn't have any after the fire, I just feel a weird mix of exhausted and wired.”

“The aftereffects of shock. Adrenalin overload and now you're crashing. Why don’t we just sit and watch a little TV? Then when you’re ready you can go to bed.” As much as he wanted to sit down with Hayley and talk about their feelings for each other, he didn't think now was the time to do it. When they did have the conversation, he envisioned some making out afterward, and right now neither of them was in the mood for that.

“Come sit with me.” Hayley patted the couch beside her.

Brian sat down next to her, and she immediately spread the blanket over both of them, then snuggled back against the pillows. Their thighs were touching, and the urge to kiss her suddenly overwhelmed him, so maybe making out wasn't completely off his radar.

He had no idea what was playing on the TV, his whole attention was focused on his leg touching her leg. It wasn't really the most romantic of things, and he’d certainly done a whole lot more with other women, but he’d never felt like this about another woman. He had never felt this vice around his heart every time he thought of losing her. He had never felt this fluttering in his stomach over just the thought of something as simple as holding her hand. He had never felt so alone just because they weren't in the same room like a piece of him was missing.

Was this what love felt like?

Hayley shifted, her shoulder resting against his arm, and he very nearly gave up the leave talking about the two of them until another time idea. All he wanted to do was take Hayley into his arms, kiss her until she forgot her own name, then pick her up, carry her to the bedroom, and make love to her until the sun rose.

Her head rested on his shoulder, her breathing deep and even, and he realized that she had drifted off to sleep. Her mind might have felt too wired to sleep, but her exhausted body obviously had other ideas. She was warm and soft against him, and Brian gently maneuvered her so that she was lying down, her head resting on a pillow in his lap.

She was so beautiful.

The light dusting of freckles on her nose and cheeks, the way her dark hair curled slightly around her ears, her long lashes resting against her cheeks, those pink lips that made him imagine what they would feel like pressed to his.

One day.

One day the two of them would explore each other’s bodies with their lips and hands.

One day soon he hoped.

For now, he was just going to hold Hayley in his arms and be thankful he was lucky enough to have her in his life. Brian switched off the TV, rested his head back against the couch, and closed his eyes. If he was extra lucky, he might get a little preview of what making out with Hayley would be like in his dreams.

 

* * * * *

 

11:32 P.M.

 

Time flew by so quickly.

Paige Hood looked at the photo in her hands. It had been taken the first Christmas Hayley and Arianna had been with them. The girls were so little, Arianna was just a little baby, and Hayley had been only five years old. She and Elias had adopted the girls in early November, and by Thanksgiving, Hayley had still been too anxious around large groups of people to celebrate the holiday with their extended family, so it had been just the four of them.

By Christmas, Hayley had grown so much more confident in her new family that she had been excited to put up a Christmas tree. She’d never had one before and watching the joy on her face as she saw the tinsel, the fairy lights, and all the decorations had been one of the best moments of her life. They’d left milk and cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer, opened gifts together around the tree on Christmas morning, and spent the day with their whole extended family.

Paige had been so proud of her little girl for being so brave.

Now those days felt so far away.

She missed them. Hayley had her own place now, her own life, and while they still saw each other often it wasn't the same. And Arianna was nineteen, in college, and only home for the holidays and the summer. In a couple of years, she would graduate, and then she’d get her own place too.

Twenty years.

It was hard to believe that next year would mark the twentieth anniversary of adopting the girls. It wasn't just Hayley and Arianna that had grown so much in the last two decades, she and Elias had changed a lot too. She was fifty-four now and starting to feel her age. Little twinges in her back that weren't there even a couple of years ago, and she was more tired in the evenings than she had been in her forties. She was glad she had retired from the police force nine years ago, although some days she missed being a cop, she liked working with Ryan and Brady running their business.

As much as she missed having her girls living at home, she was happy that they knew what they wanted to do with their lives, and she was excited for them to fall in love and have families of their own one day soon. She knew Hayley had had a crush on Brian Xander since she was a teenager, and she hoped her daughter would finally get enough courage to tell Brian how she felt. Now that they were twenty-four and thirty, the six-year age gap wasn't an obstacle, and she thought the two of them would make a great couple.

She hoped that they were okay.

If she didn't get to spend Christmas with her daughter, she was glad Hayley was with Brian. And, who knows, maybe this would finally give those two the push they needed to realize that they could find happiness together.

“Come back to bed.”

The voice startled her, and she practically jumped out of her skin.

“Sorry,” her husband said, appearing beside her. “Didn't mean to scare you.”

“It’s okay, I guess I was too busy thinking to hear you.”

“Reminiscing.” Elias reached over and took the photo from her hands. “It feels like just yesterday that we adopted Hayley and Ari.”

“It does,” she agreed. “Where does the time go?”

“I don’t know.” Despite her starting to feel her age, her mind didn't feel any different than it had when she had been juggling a demanding job, a husband with a demanding job, and two little girls and their busy schedules. “I miss those days.”

“Remember when all we wanted was a full night’s sleep,” Elias asked with a smile as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and drew her against him.

“Yeah, now I think I'd trade the no sleep to have the girls back home safe and sound.” She hated knowing that her daughter was in trouble and there was nothing she could do to make it better. Paige never felt more impotent than when one of her children was in danger and there was no way for her to fix it. It was nearly ten years since her daughter had been kidnapped as bait to lure her and her partner Ryan into a trap and she still had nightmares about it.

“Hayley will be okay,” her husband said, reading her mind.

“I wish she was here with us.” Not having her daughter in her sight made her worries so much worse. Jay Turner could have tracked down Hayley and Brian and killed them, and none of them would even know about it.

“There is no one I would trust more with our daughter’s safety than Brian Xander,” Elias said in such a way that made it clear he was also aware of Hayley’s crush.

“You know that she likes Brian, don’t you?”

“I've seen that look she gets on her face every time the two of them are in the same room together. It’s the same way I used to look at you.”

“Used to?” She smirked.

“You know I’m going to keep looking at you that way for the rest of our lives.” He swept her brown curls out of the way and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Come back to bed.”

“I'm not sleepy. I know Brian will do everything he can to keep Hayley safe, but Jay Turner has been so devious so far. What if he tracks down the safehouse?”

“He won't. Only Ryan and Brady know where they are for that very reason. I know it’s hard but try to have faith. Xavier has the entire police department looking for them, and you know he won't stop until Jay Turner is in prison and Hayley is safe.”

That was true.

Xavier Montague had been a colleague and friend of hers since he transferred to work out of the same precinct she and Ryan worked out of twenty-five years ago. He had been partners with Ryan’s brother Jack, and the four of them had worked several cases together. Even after retiring she had remained close friends with Xavier. His wife Annabelle worked at the center for abused women and children that she and her friends ran together, and she loved Xavier’s kids, fourteen-year-old twins JP and Katie, eight-year-old Andy, and seven-year-old Oscar, who they had adopted when he was two.

“I know that Xavier is doing everything he can to keep Hayley safe, and I know Adam and Jessica are working this case as hard as they can, but …” she trailed off.

“But it’s not the same as having her safe and sound and at home with us,” her husband finished for her.

“Right.” Her gaze drifted back to the photo Elias still held of their first Christmas as a family. “How are we going to celebrate Christmas without Hayley?”

“Because we have to. Because Ari is coming home tomorrow, and the rest of our family and friends want to celebrate with us.”

“It won't feel like Christmas without Hayley here with us.”

“No, it won't. But if she’s not home in time for Christmas, then when this is over, we’ll celebrate Christmas again.”

It wouldn’t be the same though.

Even after Hayley went off to college, they had spent every single Christmas together, and it just wouldn’t feel right to be celebrating without her oldest daughter.

“Come to bed now, please?” Elias said.

Christmas wouldn’t be the same without Hayley. Still, her husband was right, Arianna was coming all the way home to spend the holidays with them, and her parents and Elias’ were getting older. Each holiday they celebrated could be the last they celebrated with them. Plus, there were their siblings, niece, nephews, and friends that she loved every bit as much as her family who would all be excited to spend Christmas together.

Hayley was safe and with the man she loved, she would be okay even if she missed them. Although it might not be Christmas morning when they exchanged gifts the enjoyment of seeing her daughter’s face when she opened her presents would still be the same, and they would still stuff themselves full of more food than anyone should eat in one sitting.

It might not be perfect, but the most important thing was that Hayley was safe.

“Okay, we can go back to bed,” she agreed.

“Good, it’s cold down here.” Elias set the photo back on the mantle, took her hand, and led her back upstairs and down the hall to their bedroom.

The doors to Arianna’s room and Hayley’s old room stood open, and she remembered when she and Elias used to creep down the hall to close them after the girls went to sleep so that they could have a little adult time. Now they didn't have to worry about kids walking in and seeing things they shouldn’t.

“I hope you’re not too tired.” She wriggled her eyebrows at her husband.

“You have something in mind?” He grinned down at her. His hair might be growing gray, and there might be little wrinkles around his eyes, but he was just as handsome as the day they had met.

“Oh, yeah.”

“I’m never too tired for that.”

Neither was she. She really was pretty lucky, a husband she still adored after almost thirty years of marriage, two gorgeous daughters, a job she loved, and maybe grandkids in the not too distant future.