Page 349 of A Merry Mountain Christmas

But Lee took advantage of the open door and rushed through the opening faster than Jack would have expected from the intoxicated man.

Jack and Maisie raced after him, but by the time they reached him, he was already in the event room, confronting his father and Victoria.

“Lee,” Victoria whisper-shouted, even though everyone could hear her. “You’re drunk. You need to go back to the hotel and wait for me. You can apologize for everything later.”

“And sit on the bed where you screwed my father?” he bellowed. “No, thanks.”

There were several audible gasps, including from Georgie, who stood near the appetizer table.

Victoria’s face paled. “What in God’s name are you talking about?”

Lee reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a folded wad of photographs. He tossed them onto the table in front of his father. “This should explain it.”

Victoria shot Prescott a panicked look that suggested Prescott had kept quiet about his dinner with Dottie. She clearly didn’t know news of their affair had gotten out. Her eyes flew wide as she opened one of the photos.

“That proves nothing,” Prescott said in a bored tone. “I have a sex life. I’m allowed to sleep with women.”

“You can sleep with other women, yes, but it’s generally frowned upon to sleep with your son’s girlfriend,” Lee said.

“That’s not me,” Victoria said, taking a step backward as though the photos would bite her.

“I recognized that little mole,Victoria,” Lee slurred. “The one on your back with the hair that grows out of it.”

“My mole doesnothave a hair in it!” she shouted.

Lee released a harsh laugh. “Of course you’d deny the hair before denying you slept with my father. I knew you were screwing someone, but I figured you’d keep it out of my family.”

Her eyes were wide, and Jack could practically see her flipping through her mental Rolodex of options.

“It was only one time,” she said, tears pooling in her eyes. “It was a mistake, Lee-lee. I’ve regretted it ever since.”

“That’s bullshit and we both know it.” Lee pointed at the photos. “Take a look. They’re from different days.”

“Okay, twice.”

“Try again.”

She winced. “Three times, but I was drunk and he took advantage of me the last time.”

“You were more than willingeverytime,” Prescott said.

“You thought you were just screwing him,” Lee said, laughing, then shook his head. “But the truth is you’re both screwed.”

Prescott’s face turned a dark red. “What have you done, Junior?”

“You were going to let me take the fall, but I turned it all around on you,” Lee said. “Right now, the FBI is going through our offices.”

“They can’t do that,” Prescott said, but uncertainty filled his eyes.

“They can if you give them permission, which I did only a few hours ago.”

Prescott’s face paled, and Victoria looked like she was about to pass out. But then Prescott’s anger returned with a vengeance.

“What the hell have you done?”

“For once in my life, I made my own decision. Have a nice life in prison. Both of you.” Then he turned around and headed for the exit, plowing into Blue.

She nearly fell over, but he grabbed her arms and kept her upright.

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