Page 92 of A Very Daddy Christmas

“Thank you, Sherry. You’ve been incredibly helpful.”

“I just hope it doesn’t come back to bite me in the ass. If I get my parents in trouble with Mr. Hamilton—”

“Sherry, your parents will always have a job with our company or one of our clients if it comes to that,” I reassure her. “Our offer stands. And if things progress the way I think they’re going to,there’s a chance your parents will, in fact, need new jobs simply because Hamilton will have to sell everything he owns, including his businesses, to secure his defense. Because if we get proof to support everything you’ve told us today…”

“It’s gonna get ugly,” Sherry concludes with a dreaded nod.

“Yes.”

Sebastian gives her a soft smile and gently squeezes her shoulder. “Kiddo, we’ve got your back, no matter what. Make sure your parents understand that, as well, when the time comes. Should they need new employment, we will find them something that’ll make their lives better and easier. Certainly better and easier than what they already have with Hamilton.”

“They are proud and stubborn folks.” Sherry shakes her head slowly. “It’s so hard to get through to them sometimes.”

“They’ll have to open their minds and hearts and move away from the old traditions eventually,” I say. “Their survival will depend on it. People do crazy things in order to make it to tomorrow, Sherry.”

Maybe that’s what Orson and Hamilton have been doing, as well. They got themselves in neck-deep with an unsavory mobster and had to figure out a way to survive, to cover their asses and maintain their reputations. We already know they’re short on cash—and that’ll come in handy for the war we’re about to bring to their doorstep once we get Cora back.

“I hope you find Cora,” Sherry says. “She deserves better than all this crap.”

30

Sebastian

“It’s been twenty-four hours since anyone has seen or heard from Cora,” I tell Sheriff Foreman.

Eva offered to take care of Dario while we run around like headless chicken, desperately looking for Cora. We’ve been unable to locate Denaro, and we can’t get anywhere near Hamilton or St. James without them calling the cops on us.

It’s painfully quiet, even in the sheriff’s station.

Foreman looks up from his phone, comfortably seated behind his desk.

“We’re going to file a missing person’s report,” he says. “She’s probably just upset about this whole sex scandal thing.”

“It’s like you haven’t heard a single word we’ve said,” Waylan snaps.

Foreman gives him a stern glare. “Mind your tone. You’re forgetting yourself.”

“You’re forgetting who you work for, Sheriff,” I cut in. “You serve the people. Protect and serve. I’m sure that’s still your motto.You’ve got a vulnerable young woman who’s been missing for twenty-four hours, after her business was violently destroyed. Cora would never disappear like this. Never. Her sister has confirmed that as well. We can’t get her on the phone. No texts, nothing. Something happened to her.”

“Alright,” the sheriff says, running a hand through his graying hair. “I’ll get the deputies involved. We’ll start interviewing people and knocking on doors. What about Cora’s car?”

“Still outside our house, where she’s been staying as a live-in babysitter,” I say.

A smirk dances across his face. “A live-in babysitter.”

“Got something against that, Sheriff?” Riggs asks, his tone clipped.

“No, Sebastian, not at all. It’s just that there’ve been some rumors flying around—”

“Rumors that shouldn’t impede your investigation into Cora’s disappearance,” Riggs instantly corrects him. “What about her phone? It’s not going to voicemail anymore. It must’ve been turned off.”

“I’ll put a trace on it and find out where it last pinged. The cell tower should give us an idea of her last known location, or at least a workable radius.”

“There hasn’t been anything on social media, either,” I say.

Foreman shakes his head. “I doubt we’ll get anything from there. I’ll file the report and get the staties involved—just in case.”

“She’s pregnant,” I tell him. “Maybe that’ll get more boots on the ground.”

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