Zane’s head hangs down and he lets out a shaky breath. The security guard lets him go and Sergeant Chambers glares at Zane. “Can you keep it together or do I need to put you in the back of a squad car until you calm down?”
“Yeah, I’m done.” He glances at Steven, who looks thoroughly betrayed.
But there’s no time for apologies. The officer turns from them and lets out a loud whistle to get everyone’s attention. “Okay, people, we are now looking for two minors who are expected to be alone. They’ve been on the move for as much as one hour. My best guess is that she took a wrong turn and they’re out in the desert by now. The children are seven-year-old Poppy McCreight, and five-month-old Elliott Kurilla.”
A security guard behind Parker says, “Wait? Mike Kurilla’s kid? The dead guy?”
His partner answers, “Yup. And if we don’t find him before a pit viper does, that kid’ll be joining his dad.”
Parker spins around and rushes at the much larger man. He shoves him with everything in his fifteen-year-old body but only manages to cause him to tilt back slightly. “Shut up! Don’t say that about my brother! He’s not going to die! He’s going to live and be with his real dad!”
Silence fills the space as Parker’s words hang in the air.
Rusty is the first to say something. “Zane, what does he mean?”
Zane bursts into tears, nodding his head.
Rusty’s voice cracks with emotion. “You fucked her? YoufuckedMike’s girl?”
“Not until after…” Zane answered.
“You’ve been lying to us all,” Kitty says, her voice trembling. “Pretending he’s Mike’s baby.” She narrows her eyes at Sienna. “How could youlieto us like that? We’re family.”
“You … youfucking asshole,” Steven whispers.
“I’mthe asshole?” Zane snaps back. “I’m not the one trying to screw a teenager!”
“Neither am I, you prick!”
“You must have done something for her to get naked in your trailer,” Zane snaps.
“Enough!” Sienna yells. “That’s enough. All of you. We need to find the kids. Nothing else matters right now.” She turns to Zane. “Fucking pull it together for once in your life.”
Sergeant Chambers takes over. “All right. Anyone who is not security or law enforcement or medical staff, go into your respective trailersnow. Stay there until we come get you, and donot leave.”
Claudia shakes her head. “There is no way I’m going to sit here waiting when my child is missing!”
“This is not a request. It’s an order, and ifanyof you want to test me, I will charge you with interfering with a police investigation, so help me God. I don’t care how fucking rich or famous you are. You will go down. Now get moving!”
CLAUDIA — 11:48 P.M.
Claudia sits at the tiny table in her trailer, her bra and shirt both wet with milk. She sobs into her hands, then the sound of Sergeant Chambers’ voice outside silences her. He’s talking to someone on his cell phone, and she slides the window open to listen. “Search and rescue is on the way. They said it’s fifty-three degrees and dropping. By four a.m., it’ll dip down to forty-five, which means we need to find these kids like right now.” There’s a pause, then he says, “Is highway patrol setting up the blockades?” Another pause. “Okay, good. No one gets through without having their vehicle checkedthoroughly—trunks too.”
Claudia starts to shake again, imagining her baby in a trunk, crying and rolling around, slamming into a tire iron or a jerry can. She lets out a series of involuntary sobs and doesn’t catch the rest of what he says. Soon he’s gone, and she’s left alone in a silence so unbearable, it feels like it could literally suffocate her. She pulls on a sweatshirt and opens the doors as quietly as she can, then steps outside.
When she looks up, she sees Sienna standing in front of her. She’s momentarily scared that Sienna is going to yell at her. But she doesn’t. She holds her finger to her lips, then whispers, “Let’s go find them.”
CLAUDIA— 1:27 AM
The two women hurry along as quickly as they can safely manage on the uneven ground. The comet is of little use in lighting their way. Neither of them speaks for what feels like hours. The shock of what’s happening is too much to allow idle conversation. The world will know their big secret by morning, and the fallout will be spectacular. Claudia will lose her rights to everything that belonged to Mike. Zane will lose his fans and his remaining friends. The band will break up. Dean will move on. She could easily lose her recording contract too and wind up having to sue Zane for child support. Not that either of them could think about any of that right now. Their focus was singular. Find the children.
They had fallen into an awkward silence after Sienna suggested they look together, as if neither of them knew what to say next. Two natural enemies—the wife and the other woman—were meant to face off, not team up. Buthere they were, setting aside every ounce of pain that brought them to where they were.
Far off in the distance, the road back to civilization is lined with cars—a long snake of brake lights and headlamps, their engines a low rumbling sound. In the opposite direction, a helicopter shines a spotlight down into the wilderness.
Sienna breaks first. “I’m sorry my daughter let you down like this. She should’ve known better.”
Claudia shakes her head, her heart squeezing as she remembers the look on Ivy’s face. She’s just a child. So vulnerable standing there, hiding behind a blanket. “Don’t… It’s not her fault. She’s a kid. Besides, Kitty and Rusty’s daughter let me down first. Actually, my nanny is the real asshole here.”
