Page 42 of Saving You

She nods with a smile and runs inside cheering, “Yay, sleepover!”

“Bails, I’ll be right in. Go get your stuff. We’ll be right out here. Just shout if you need anything.”I kiss her cheek before she heads inside and turn to face the guys.

Josh’s car pulls up, and he joins us.

“So, what’s up? Bailey and Charlie are going to stay with you?” Grayson asks.

I sigh and run my hand through my hair as I try to tamper down my anger. “Yeah, Bailey’s ex apparently left a note on her front door. She saw it when she got home. He said he’d come back, and I’m not risking anything. I need to know they’re both safe.”

“We’ve got you, man,” Josh says. “Go inside with them. We’ll hang out here until you guys are ready to go.”

“Yeah, go,” Grayson adds. “Is your truck unlocked? I’ve got your bag in mine.”

“Yeah, thanks, guys. I appreciate it.”

They lift their chins, and I turn and hustle inside the house. I make my way up the stairs and into Charlie’s room, finding both girls working on packing for Charlie. I place my hands on Bailey’s hips, and she tenses. When she looks over her shoulder and sees it’s me, her body relaxes and she leans into my touch.

“Bails, go get yourself packed. I’ll help Charlie, okay?”

She lets out a sigh, like me doing this is such a relief. “Thanks, I’ve got her underwear and socks packed and I started on her pants, but she still needs everything else.”

“Sounds good.”

Bailey leaves, and Charlie and I get to work on packing her clothes. I pack as much as I can, not knowing how long they’ll be staying with me.

“Why don’t you put together some toys you’d like to bring? Make a pile and I’ll find a box to put them in, okay?”

Finishing in Charlie’s room, I pop my head into Bailey’s. “Bails, pack for a while. I want to err on the side of caution.”

She nods as she continues packing, tension filling her shoulders. This is stressing her out.

“I’m going to run Charlie’s bag downstairs. I’ll be back,” I say before making my way downstairs.

I head out onto the lawn, putting Charlie’s bag in my truck. “Hey, I have a favour to ask of your wife,” I say to Josh as I move towards the guys.

“Shoot.”

“Can you have her, or maybe one of the girls, put together a relaxing basket? Bath bombs, Epsom salts, candles, tea, hot chocolate, some snacks. I’m going to order us dinner, but Bailey needs something to relax.”

Josh’s fingers fly across his phone screen as he texts Olivia. “She says she’ll have it to your place in the next thirty minutes.”

“Thanks.”

I run inside and help Charlie pack her toys and Bailey carry her luggage downstairs. Everything gets packed into the back of my truck. As I’m closing the tailgate, a car pulls up and stops across the street. I immediately recognize the driver, and I’m completely on alert. My hand instinctively goes to my hip where my gun sits while on duty, but I feel nothing.

“Bailey, take Charlie inside and lock the doors. Don’t come outside for anything.”

I don’t hear anything, so I look over my shoulder and see her looking at me. When the door to the car across the street opens, her eyes widen and fear fills her face. She grabs Charlie and runs inside.

Derek approaches the house, but before he can step onto the property, I call, “You’re not welcome here. I think you should go back to your car and leave.”

He eyes me, and a look of disgust spreads across his face. “And who do you think you are to tell me when I can see my wife and daughter?” he spits, anger lacing his voice.

“Ex-wife,” I correct.

“Bailey doesn’t know what she wants. She’ll be back with me as soon as I talk to her.”

My body heats, and I clutch my hands into fists as anger rises through me. Over my dead body will this man talk to Bailey.

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