by Dana Mason
Bailey closed her eyes, trying to remember everything from the time she was locked in the little camp trailer. “What else? Did it do any serious damage?”
“You have a lot of contusions, and you’re severely dehydrated, but you’re going to be fine.” Marissa rested her hand on Bailey’s. “We have to run a lot of tests. We’re not sure if the hypodermic needles he used were clean, so as a precaution, Dr. Sousa is testing for everything.”
Bailey felt sick. “After everything they’ve already done to me, now I have to worry about contracting some nasty—”
“It’s a slim chance, but there is a possibility of Hepatitis C or…HIV. The doctor will explain more in the morning when he visits.”
Bailey lifted her hand to her head, wishing the headache would subside so she could think clearly.
“I’m going to leave so you can rest,” Marissa said, walking over to type something into the computer. Once she was finished, she gave Bailey a sympathetic look and said, “Dr. Sousa will be here in a few hours, and I’ll be in and out checking on you, but if you need me sooner, press this button.”
“Thank you,” Bailey said, trying to smile.
When the door closed behind Marissa, Bailey looked over at Ryan. His eyes were so hurt—so worried. “Ryan.”
He reached out for her and pulled her close. “I’m so glad you’re safe. I was so scared.”
Bailey tried to talk, but her throat seized until she let out a hard, body-jerking sob. “I…I…”
“Shh, it’s okay. You’re going to be fine. I promise.”
“Ryan…Dex…” She tried to breathe, but all she could do was cry.
“I know, but he can’t hurt you anymore.” He squeezed her almost too hard before he said, “He’s dead, babe. Dex is gone.”
Bailey pushed back to look at his face. “How? When?” She used the back of her hand to wipe the tears from her face. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, Bay. I’m sure.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “He broke into a vacant vacation rental. The homeowner showed up and caught him hiding inside the house. When Dex attacked him, he shot Dex.”
Bailey stared at him for a moment, not sure what to think. “Oh, my God. He’s really dead?” She wasn’t sure how to feel. Relief? Sadness? Anger?
“When the FBI confirmed his involvement, he had no choice but to go into hiding. I guess he picked the wrong vacation rental.”
“I can’t say I’m surprised…or upset. He was a monster, Ryan.” She took a long, shuddering breath. “I can’t believe how wrong I was about him. I never thought he was capable of going to such extremes, but I have a feeling I didn’t know him nearly as well as I thought I did.”
“I know, but you’re safe now. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Bailey shook her head vigorously. She lay back, pulling him closer so he’d lie down with her. He scooted up, and she moved over, then locked arms again, holding each other for a long time.
Ryan finally pulled back and braced his hands around her face. Their eyes locked, and he said, “I love you. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you from him.”
Tears dripped from Bailey’s eyes as she shook her head.
“He’s gone. He can’t hurt you ever again,” he said, before she could argue.
“But Ryan, what if… Oh, my God. What if they gave me some incurable disease?” She squeezed her eyes closed, trying to take a deep breath.
“We’ll deal with that if it happens. For now, I’m just glad you’re safe.”
She nodded and stared into his intense eyes, wishing it was over, but thankful for Ryan, and relieved Dex was gone.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
After four nights in the hospital, Bailey was finally going home, and she was thrilled about it. Everything about her lightened when she was told she was being discharged. The sparkle in her eyes, her mood, everything. It was as if someone hit the reset button, and she suddenly became more spirited and content. However, the feelings were also tempered with what if. What if she’d contracted hepatitis? What if she’d contracted HIV? He could see the worry in her eyes, but Ryan refused to worry about it. She was safe, and that fucker, Dex, was gone. They could deal with everything else that came.
Bailey had talked a little about her feelings, and Ryan was grateful for every word, especially since he was having trouble with his own. Not that she didn’t understand how much he loved and cared for her, but it was impossible to express his fear, worry, and sudden relief over the past few days. He wasn’t sure she would ever fully grasp it, but that didn’t matter because, ultimately, what she had been through was markedly worse, and he understood that.
For now, all Bailey wanted was to go home. She’d made that clear. She felt uncomfortable in her own skin and wanted to be in familiar surroundings and back to her normal routine.
Mae and Lucas tried to convince them to stay somewhere else for the next week or so. “Bailey, the press won’t give you a moment of peace. They’re talking about this every hour on the hour,” Vince said.
“He’s right, and I don’t think that’s the best thing for you right now.” Mae reached out for her hand. “Why don’t you and Ryan get a vacation rental for a couple of weeks? And if not, stay in the house with Wade and Lucas.”
“I’m sorry, but for me to heal, I need to be home.”
Lucas sighed and leaned forward. “They know where you live and where you work. You won’t be able to get away from them.”
“They’ll eventually get bored and go away.” She closed her eyes and exhaled heavily. “I wish I could help you understand. I just want to be home.” When she said it, the corners of her mouth pointed into a frown, and Ryan thought she was going to cry, but she shook it off and looked back up. “I’m sorry.”
Ryan stared at her for a long moment. “Don’t apologize, Bay. Everyone understands. We can deal with the press. It’s nothing compared to what we’ve all been through already. But know this, by home, I hope you’re referring to the house, because I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I want. To be home with you.”
Mae shrugged and said, “That house is big enough for all of us.”
Bailey looked over at her. “What do you mean?”
“I mean Lucas and I will stay there, too. We’ll be able to help you…and we’ll both feel better about it.” She gave Bailey an exaggerated grin. “You’ll be home healing, and we’ll all be there to help you.”
* * *
Lucas and Mae did as promised and stayed at the house with them, and Bailey was thankful for it, and for them. She felt a little guilty for being so persistent, but if there was ever a time for her to be selfish, this was it. She had been through a horrible experience, but she wouldn’t let it define her. She’d get her full life back. She would spend as much time with Ryan as she could, and she’d work on their relationship. She would also return to the shop and go back to working on the books for El Lago. All these things were not only her responsibility, they were what she wanted. All of it. She wanted everything, and she’d been on the cusp of having it all when Dex knocked her unconscious and took her on that boat ride.
She would get it all back.
Ryan helped her up the stairs and steered her to his room. She lay down on his bed with a little help, and when she was comfortable, she patted the bed next to her.
Lucas, taking the hint, excused himself. “Mae’s bringing some clothes from your apartment. She’ll be here in an hour or so. I’m going to go start dinner.” He gestured toward downstairs. “Yell for me if you need anything.”
“Lucas, I can’t tell you how grateful I am—”
He held up his hand. “Stop. You don’t have to. We’re family, we love you, and we take care of our own.”
She nodded and blinked back tears as he left the room, closing the door behind him.
“He’s right, you know,” Ryan said.
She turned to face him. “I know.” She scooted
down, getting nose to nose. “This,” she said, hoping he could feel her sincerity. “This is all I’ve wanted.”
He leaned forward and placed a hand on her cheek. “I love you.”
She closed her eyes, and a single tear slipped from under her lid. “I love you—”
“Shh…let me finish.”
She opened her eyes and met his.
“You’re everything to me. I’d give everything I have, everything in my life for you. I love you with every fiber of my being, and I’m so sorry it’s taken me so long to tell you. I’m so sorry I wasted so much time. We should’ve started sharing our lives a long time ago. But…” His voice wavered, so he waited a beat then said, “I promise I won’t waste another day. I know what I want, and it’s you.”
“I won’t waste another day either. I promise.”
He kissed her gently, and Bailey felt his promise in every touch and every breath.
“What if this isn’t over, Ryan?”
“Babe, you have to stop worrying about those tests. It’s just a precaution. You don’t have HIV or Hep C.”
“But I could.” She lifted to sit up. “It’s a possibility, and that possibility could change everything between us.”
Ryan sat up to face her. “It changes nothing.” When their eyes met, he waved a hand at her. “Okay, worst-case scenario, we use condoms for the next six months. It’s not a big deal.”
“Unless I actually contracted something,” she said earnestly.
Ryan lowered his eyes, and, at the same time, grabbed her hand. “Let’s not worry about things we can’t change, okay? If that happens, we’ll deal with it. For now, let’s just try for something normal. I want you to feel better, and if you spend the next six months worrying over this, you’re giving Dex more power over your life.”
“Okay. I’ll try to stop worrying about it.” She rested back on the bed and curled up with him. They held each other for a long moment, and, for the first time in many days, she felt like things were almost right with the world. After a long moment of silence, she said, “I want to move in here with you. I want to give up my apartment.”
“Bailey, you’re not going to lose me. I’m yours. You’re mine. Nothing can change that. Things will return to normal naturally. I promise. I don’t want you to rush into something you’re not ready for.”
She rolled back over to face him. “I’m telling you I’m ready now. I’m not trying to overcompensate here. I am ready. I guess the real question is, are you ready?
He smiled, and his entire face lit with satisfaction. “Really? You’re really ready to live with me?”
Bailey ran a hand down his cheek, touching his dimple with the tip of her finger. “I missed that smile,” she said and leaned in for another kiss.
When a knock sounded on the bedroom door, Ryan growled, “Go away. We’re busy.”
“There’s company here for Bailey,” Lucas mumbled through the closed door.
Ryan glanced at her, and she shook her head vigorously.
“Can you get rid of them? She’s not up for visitors yet.”
“Um…well…it’s Agent Sharpe. I have a feeling it’s an official visit.”
Ryan met Bailey’s eyes and said, “Give us a few minutes, and we’ll come down.” He lifted his hand to touch her face. “Babe, are you up for this?”
She nodded and exhaled through her pursed lips. “Yeah.” She knew what was coming. Well, not exactly. She didn’t know the specifics, but she remembered enough of what Dex had said to her in that nasty little trailer to know that progress must have been made in the search for where she came from. She hadn’t asked, and Ryan hadn’t volunteered any information. For some reason, she felt very hesitant to know. Something terrible had driven Dex to do what he did, and she was afraid of what that terrible something was.
When they entered the living room, Agent Sharpe stood to greet Bailey. He smiled sympathetically and asked her to have a seat. Ryan and Lucas flanked her on the loveseat, Ryan sitting next to her and Lucas on the arm.
“Ms. Morton, it’s good to see you again so soon,” Sharpe said and gestured to her. “You look like you’re recovering well.”
“Please, call me Bailey. It’s nice to see you again, too.” She fought for a smile and said, “Thank you so much for everything you did to find me.”
“Oh.” He waved a hand at her in dismissal. “Thank your friends. They were much more effective than the FBI.”
Bailey fidgeted for a moment, then asked, “Why exactly are you here? I already gave my statement about what happened.”
“Bailey, I’m here to give you some news. And kind of an explanation for why William Dexter came after you the way he did.”
“You mean, how he tried to have me killed? Because that’s what really happened. He paid someone to kill me.” Bailey felt Ryan inhale then exhale next to her. “I’m sorry, but I see no reason to sugarcoat it.” She squeezed her eyes closed tightly and shook her head, fighting to keep the bad thoughts at bay. “Have you found him yet? Snaggletooth?”
Sharpe pursed his lips before he said, “No, Martin Davis hasn’t been located, but, with your help and the prints we managed to get, we’re close.”
“Good,” Bailey said.
Sharpe eyed her for a moment. “I’m sure you’ve seen it on the news, but I wanted to—”
Ryan waved a hand at him. “She’s staying completely away from the news. She hasn’t seen anything or read the paper—and we haven’t told her anything yet.”
“Oh, I see. Well, that’s a good thing. That means I still get the pleasure of doing my job.” He gave her a small smile. “But I guess the question is, are you ready for the news? I can hold off. Wait a couple of weeks until you’ve recovered.”
Bailey stared at him for a long moment, glad he asked before spilling the news. “Thank you for the option, but I won’t get any real rest until I know everything. Please tell me what you’ve learned.”
“As you’ve probably gathered, we’ve matched your DNA sample.”
Bailey gripped Ryan’s hand tighter, and her hand jittered like a hummingbird’s wing. She stared at Sharpe, her eyes focused on his face, and she looked stony. “Yes, that much I know.”
Sharpe leaned forward and pulled a file from a briefcase. From that file, he pulled out a wedding photo. “William Dexter was your brother-in-law. He was married to your half-sister.”
“I have a sister?”
“Yes, one sister and two brothers,” Sharpe said.
“And a father…”
“And a father,” Sharpe repeated.
Her eyes finally dropped from Sharpe’s and rested on the photo. She leaned forward and took the photo from him. It was true. That was Dex, standing next to a beautiful blonde in an elaborate white gown.
She tossed the photo back at Sharpe, fighting the sudden emotion that had crept into her heart. She hated Dex. There was no doubt about that. But she had cared for him once. Now, knowing he’d been married the entire time they were together—married to her sister even—how could he? How on earth did he find out this beautiful blonde was related to her? How is it he knew who Bailey was before she knew who she was? So many questions…and he’d managed to escape them all, the coward.
“Explain it all to me. How does this story unfold? How did I come to be in the snow the day Ernie Morton found me?”
“We’re not sure yet. We’ve reopened the investigation. We wanted to take care of reuniting the family first.”
“Do I have a mother?” she asked.
“No.” Sharpe cleared his throat and leaned in toward Bailey. “Your mother was killed twenty-seven years ago, the same day you disappeared.”
“Disappeared?” Bailey took a deep breath and rested her head back. “How was she killed?”
“She was a graduate student, working toward her PhD. Early one morning, she was walking to school to meet her study group. She was hit by a car and killed, and you disappeared. Because of the early hour and the darkness, nobody sa
w anything. There was no evidence you had been hurt. The police couldn’t even confirm you were with her at the time of the accident. We’re still not sure what happened,” Sharpe explained. “Your father had insisted you were with her. He said she’d planned to drop you off at the sitter’s before meeting her study group, and, at the time, the babysitter confirmed she was expecting to keep you that day and had been waiting for your mother to drop you off.”
“So…” Bailey cleared her throat. “What do you think happened? Do you have a theory?”
“We think whoever killed your mother took you.”
“And you think they left her in the Mortons’ yard?” Ryan asked, finally putting the pieces together.
Sharpe nodded. “That’s what it looks like. Bailey was found in the Mortons’ yard eight days after your mother was killed.”
“Where is he, my biological father? Does he know?” Bailey asked, her voice finally coming to its full volume. “Of course he knows. His son-in-law tried to have me killed. I imagine he knows a lot more than I do.”
Sharpe waited a moment to allow Bailey time to calm herself. She didn’t need the moment, though. She needed answers, and he must have seen that in her expression.
“He’s not far, believe it or not. He lives in Sacramento,” Sharpe said.
Bailey turned to look at Ryan, and at the same time, he turned to her. “Sacramento. He was that close?” She looked back at Sharpe. “Why didn’t he find me?”
“We’re pretty sure he never came looking in Appleton, Wisconsin,” Sharpe said.
“It seems the police suspected family involvement, so they didn’t push for national media coverage. Your father submitted his DNA the day he found out about the database, about five years ago. He’s been waiting ever since for a match.”
Bailey stopped breathing, fighting to keep from crying, but she was losing the battle. Ryan lifted her hand and held it to his chest, rubbing her arm, and, at the same time, Lucas rested a hand on her shoulder. It helped her focus. When she inhaled, then exhaled slowly, she felt more in control.
