38. Truth is hard

**Jodie**

Meeting Billy was spent with a lot of giggles. I did forget for a little while about my hurt. But once my best friend left, my mind went straight back to my little fucked up family.

"I just...I can't believe that I'm left behind like this."

"You're not, baby, you have me and you have Billy. How about we take a nap, time will pass sooner, and before you know it, my dad is here. He might know more." I curl my fist on his shirt and I feel my heart clenches inside me. It is a surreal feeling of possessiveness knowing that he loves me, that he cares about me. I want to cherish it for as long as I can.

I am very well aware that he's thirty-four while I'm twenty, I thought the age gap would bother me, but instead, he gives me what nobody had ever given me before. A sense of security. Not even my parents can give me that, not when they both abandoned me...I just wished Miley had stayed behind with me. And I truly hope Mom won't abandon her like she did with me.

Ugh...this is too messed up for me. My mind wonders while Doug silently carries me to his bed. He wrapped me in his arms, spooning me from behind, before softly telling me to go to sleep.

I didn't know how long I fell asleep, but the sky was getting dark and my stomach was grumbling. I must've missed lunch. I wake up and sit. Feeling the still-warm bed beside me, I smile, thinking that he has just woken up too. Maybe he's in the kitchen, maybe he's hungry too. With that in mind, I walk out of his room. But then my quiet steps are frozen when I hear voices coming from the other side of the kitchen wall.

His house is open concept so voices travel easily.

"She's still sleeping, Dad. Let me wake her up." Doug's voice sounded sleepy, and I wanted to announce myself when his Dad told him no.

"I need to talk to you privately before I talk to Jodie." This sounds serious I am not sure I want to hear their private conversation. But my curiosity made me stay still. And listen.

"Dad, what's wrong?"

Doug sounds weary, the man is over six feet, broad chest, and is considered bulky. He is at least a couple of inches taller than his dad, still, I can't phantom his dad's expression that makes my man sound worried.

Fuck...this is not good.

"You know I've told you that I recognized her from when she was younger?"

"Yeah, you told me that you work with her dad."

"Well, it was more than that. I was to keep an eye on him and when we lost him more than two years ago. We also lost his family, after they sold everything, they just vanished."

Ugh...right, maybe it's because his dad didn't bother to look for them on the poor side of the town.

"What do you mean you are to keep an eye on my dad?" I decide to make myself known, I am done hiding and I want to know what the hell is going on with my family.

"Jodie, I didn't know you're up." Doug snaps his head my way, clearly surprised that I heard what they were talking about.

"Uh-huh, I didn't know you liked to talk about me behind my back." Okay, I am now angry and annoyed at him and also his dad. "So, what facts do you know about my family that you're going to filter for me?"

"Jodie, please sit. I will give you details that you are privy to." His dad calmly says not even trying to deny that he was concealing parts of what he knew about my family. Doug moved to sit beside me and I let him put his hand on my thigh, thinking he was just trying to somehow show me his support.

"So your dad, Sutton Hart, had joined our organization way before you were born. He and I know of each other, we are not close. None of the people I work with are close to me. I tend to distance myself, to protect my family." His eyes fall to his son and I can't ignore the pang of jealousy for his love to his family.

"He worked well for years, our boss was fond of him. Until he found out about the discrepancy in... the financial report from Sutton Hart. At that time I was assigned to deal with the situation."

I feel myself getting tensed. The way he was being vague about the discrepancy, the said organization, and how he was sent to deal with the situation that was my dad. The wording that he chose, were giving me a bad vibe.

"And what do you mean by deal with the situation?" I ask, genuinely curious and also wanting to know how far he's going to give me my answer. I have nothing to lose. My family left and I'm still not close to getting an answer on Dad's disappearance and now my mom and sister's.

"It means that I was to bring him in and have him answer some questions. But someone must've tipped him off, he vanished before I could get to him."

"I'm assuming the nature of business of your so-called organization is kind of shady?"

"I can not answer that question." Once again Dad's Doug answered very calmly.

Well, at least the man doesn't lie.

"I think I'm old enough to understand the meaning of your indicative explanation. You're placing my dad as the bad guy for possibly stealing from your boss and now he's on the run."

"You're very to the point Jodie, and also perceptive."

"And you are very eloquent."

Doug's dad's laugh and I can feel my boyfriend relax, though not so much.

"Look, just give me straight Mr. Easton."

"Wyatt, you can call me Wyatt."

"Um...yeah, Wyatt, tell me what you know about my family."

"Okay, your mom and sister are being held by the Mavericks, they're a family friend of the Colberts. Both men work for the organization and both men were good friends of your dad's.

I nod because I've heard of them. I've heard Mom and Dad talk about the Mavericks. They've been to the house a couple of times, at least that was what I thought.

"And what do you mean by being held? I thought you said they're fine?"

"Ian Maverick is a dangerous person. Right now your mom and sister are in his residence along with his family. She was there under the assumption that she was staying for safety. For now, your mom and sister are safe. We have people on the inside so you don't need to worry. For now."

Okay at least he was giving me the truth on the matter and I nod, saying thank you for sharing it with me.

"But I need you to not get your hopes up. As I said Ian Maverick is a dangerous person he has been carefully keeping himself under the radar and we were letting him. More because he had been good at what he does and I know that running...a big organization you're doomed to have people tempted to get greedy. And Maverick, Colbert, and your dad had been under the Boss's scrutiny for a year before your dad's disappearance."

"So why not get Colbert and Maverick to confess? I'm sure you have methods." I am getting frustrated, why do they have to act like they were too good to do some pushing to get to the point? It's not like their so-called organization abides by the law. I'm pretty sure Wyatt is one of those bad people who bends the rules to achieve his purpose. "Or are you waiting for them to slip away from your grasp again?"

The older man chuckles, before continuing. "I like you, Jodie. Son, she will certainly keep you on your toes."

I suddenly blush from his praise and warning. I never knew that someone can say it with such a carefree attitude in his tone.

"I love her, Dad and I really want to keep her safe. So, about her mom and sister?"

This is not going to be a short conversation. I know he's going to give me the runaround, though I indicated that I want to know what was really going on. I am still glad that I have Doug by my side. I just hope that he could make his dad spill what he really knows, not just what I'm privy to.