Page 22 of Twisted Trust

Scott whines and my heart breaks. Given how terrible yesterday was, I don’t blame him for wanting to stay close by but if he clings any tighter, I’m going to be late for work.

“Aw,” Cameron croons softly. “Poor little guy.”

“I know—” Shit, the activity center.

School probably isn’t the wisest choice for Scott right now, but I definitely can’t take him to work. “Is there any chance you could watch him today?” I invite Cameron into my apartment with a tilt of my head. “I’ve got a shift in an hour and I don’t want to send him to pre-school after yesterday. I’m sure Hillary will love that, but I’m also behind on payments to the activity center because of my rent and?—”

“Hey, it’s okay.” Cameron ends my rushed proposal by placing his warm hand on my shoulder. “I can watch him. Although, are you sure you want to work today?” His eyes dart back and forth across my face. “You look… rough.”

“Oh, thanks.” Groaning dramatically, I switch Scott from one hip to the other. “Are you sure you can watch him?”

“Absolutely.”

“How does that sound, Scott? Do you wanna stay with Uncle Cameron today?”

“No!” Scott whines and one tiny fists ends up in my hair. “I wanna stay with you!”

“Oh, actually…” I lock eyes with Cameron and my brow pinches.

If I’m right about Levi reporting me to CPS, then he could appear at any moment. “Could you maybe take him out for the day? I don’t want him to be here.”

“Sure.” Cameron’s mouth twists, slightly confused. “Any reason why?”

Covering Scott’s ear, I lean closer to Cameron. “My shitty ex showed up and I’m worried he’ll drop by looking for me. I don’t want either of you dealing with that.”

“Oh, wow.” Cameron nods quickly. “You got it.”

It takes fifteen minutes of persuading before I’m able to pry Scott off me.

Every fiber in my body wants to stay with him but with CPS breathing down my neck and overdue payments at the activity center, I can’t afford to take a day off.

Showering alerts me to the bad bruising to my ribs and right leg, but I push it all down in my mind and lock it away.

Several painkillers and a thousand kisses over my son’s face later, I make it to work by the skin of my teeth.

Cameron promises to text me regular updates throughout the day so I can soothe myself about how Scott is doing.

Work is a tough distraction.

I have three hen parties to manage and one business meeting that starts as lunch and turns into a three-hour drinking celebration along the strip.

Ensuring that everything runs smoothly involves spending most of my time on the phone or the walkie-talkie, keeping track of four drivers, good drinking deals, and ensuring all customers stay within their agreed credit limit.

Then it’s back to the hotel where I field countless questions about my face.

Luckily, it’s not that uncommon to see people sporting bruises but by late in the afternoon, I’m exhausted.

My business group has retired to a suite and ordered so much food that it’s almost eye-watering, so the kitchen sends me up to confirm their order before anything gets cooked.

I step into the elevator and smooth down my blouse as the doors close. Alone, the elevator shoots upward while I adjust my hair in the mirrored wall to ensure I look as presentable as possible.

I’m halfway through repinning a curl when the elevator halts gently and the doors slide open.

A man walks in with his head down. I sidestep carefully, lifting my head to give him a polite smile, but as our eyes meet, my heart freezes in my chest.

I know him.

I haven’t seen him in five years, but I know him and as my stomach plummets, recognition melts over his own face.