Page 70 of Boss Daddy

I’m sitting on the couch, one leg tucked beneath me, when my phone buzzes. I glance at the screen and immediately smile. It’s Tiffany.Swiping to answer, I bring the phone to my ear.

“Hey, stranger. How’s it feel to be home?”

A soft laughter fills my ear. Damn, it feels good to hear that sound.

“Like I got hit by a truck and then forced to sit in my dad’s recliner for a week straight,” Tiffany says. Her voice sounds a little strained, but better than I expected.

I laugh. “Recliner life not your thing?”

“Boulder is kinda dull compared to Denver,” she mutters, but I can hear the faint smile in her voice. “I’m getting stronger every day. The doctors want me to come back in for a checkup a few weeks from now, and if all’s good, I can go back to my normal life.”

“That’s great news,” I reply, leaning back into the cushions. “You had us worried there for a bit.”

“I know.” There’s a slight pause, then she asks, “Any word on Kailee?”

My stomach knots and I sit up straighter. “Unfortunately, no. I’ve called, I’ve texted, but still no response. It’s like she’s vanished. I was hoping you had heard from her.”

“Not a thing. It’s scary.” Tiffany sighs heavily. “She doesn’t have any family, right? No one we can check in with?”

“Not that I know of,” I say, the knot in my stomach tightening. “You get any leads?”

“No. Kailee’s weird. She’s got this fun, party-girl thing going on, but when it came to personal life stuff she was always, I don’t know, closed off. It’s part of her charm, I guess. Never had to hear about drama from her.”

“Charm isn’t going to help us find her,” I say, running a hand through my hair. “I don’t know what to do, Tiff. File a missing person’s report for a stripper? The cops won’t even blink.”

Tiffany groans. “You’re right. They’d file it and forget about it. It’s fucked up, but people don’t really give a shit about sex workers, unless they want one for themselves.”

“But we give a shit about her. And we need to keep trying,” I say. “We keep calling, keep texting. Maybe she’s just laying low, waiting for the heat from Misha to die down.”

“And if she’s not?” Tiffany asks quietly.

I swallow hard, the question hanging heavy in the air. “We’ll figure it out. We’re not giving up on her.”

“Damn right we’re not,” Tiffany says with some fire back in her voice. I like it. “She’s one of us.”

“Exactly. Now, tell me how you are! Your mom still shoving food down your throat?”

“Oh my God, kill me.” And just like that, the mood lightens. “I don’t think I’ve gone this long without eating takeout in years. Her cooking’s great, but I’d kill for a slice of pizza.”

“Well, don’t get used to the homecooked stuff,” I tease. “Once you’re back on your feet, I expect you to show up at my door with greasy burgers and a six-pack.”

“Deal,” she says. Another pause. “Erin? Thanks for everything. Thanks for visiting me at the hospital, for having my back.”

“Always,” I say simply. “Now rest up. I need you back to normal as soon as possible.”

She laughs again, and after a few more minutes of chit-chat, we hang up. I sit there for a while, staring at my phone.

Kailee’s face appears in my mind’s eye.

Where the hell is she?

I knock on the office door with the toe of my shoe, balancing two steaming mugs of coffee in my hands.

“Hey, boss man,” I call out. “You decent?”

Samuel’s voice comes through the door. “Come in.”

I step inside, the door slightly ajar. It creaks slightly when I close it behind me. He’s leaning back in his chair, his sleeves rolled up, his tie loosened. His suit jacket is neatly draped over one of the guest chairs. A glass of whiskey is close at hand.

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