Page 32 of Slaying for Santa

I snicker, and his eyes light up.

“Fuck. That’s two days in a row that I’ve heard you laugh. Gotta be a record.”

“Shut up.” I shove his shoulder, flipping him off as I leave the room, hearing the rumble of his laughter follow me out.

Hurrying upstairs, I tap on Libi’s bedroom door before I crack it open.

“Good morning, Liberty,” I sing-song, stepping into her dark room despite the summer sun rimming the thick drapes like it’s trying to fight its way in. “Your grumpy dad has cooked us bacon for breakfast.”

I flick on the light, my gaze tracking across the generous room to the oversized white framed bed, dressed in pink sheets with white frills.

Shit. I forgot how extravagant Libi’s room is. I was stunned last night when I put her to bed. It’s like something out of a fairytale.

As I cross the space to the bed, I frown, finding it empty.

“Libi?”

I lift the blankets, as if I’d find her hiding under them like it’s a Mary Poppin’s bed, and the lumpy form of a five-year-old will magically appear.

“Shit, kid. Where are you?”

I drop the blankets and bend to check under the bed, only to find a sock and a Lego piece under there.

Straightening, I frown, my hands on my hips as I study the space. There are not many places to hide, so I check the one place that makes sense.

The little shit is probably trying not to laugh at me searching for her.

“Oh, Libi,” I sing, tugging the walk-in wardrobe door open and flicking on the light.

My eyes quickly scan the space and my smile drops.

Shit. Nothing. That’s weird.

Moving back out into the hall, I call her name. “Libi!”

Nothing. Huh.

This is a big house. I guess there are heaps of places to hide. So with that thought, I start searching.

The guest room is empty. So too is Tillie’s room and the bathroom, so I go up to Kit’s floor and check his room, office, and living area.

Still, I can’t find her.

She must be hiding downstairs.

“Where’s Libs?”

I spin at Kit’s voice behind me in his private living suite.

“I don’t know. She wasn’t in her bed. I figured she’s playing hide and seek or something. I’ve been searching, but can’t find her up here. Figured she must be downstairs.”

He frowns. “What do you mean? She hates hide and seek. Says hiding scares her.”

He storms out of the room, and I kinda feel dumb, like I should have known that or something.

Tillie probably would have, but shit, I haven’t spent that much time with the kid to know that sort of thing.

“LIBI!” Kit booms through the house as he opens and closes every cupboard, and searches under every bed.