Chapter 4: The Perfect Lie

The hotel room was too quiet when Daggy finally returned the next morning with Britty half-asleep against her shoulder.

Lincoln Daggy's husband was sitting at the small desk by the window with his laptop open, his dark hair still damp from the shower and his expression focused on whatever was on the screen in front of him.

He looked up when the door shut sound came and his face immediately creased with concern. "There you are, I was starting to worry. How's your dad?"

"Still the same," Daggy said, setting Britty down on the bed where she immediately curled up with her stuffed rabbit.

Lincoln stood and crossed the room to pull her into a hug, and Daggy let herself lean into him because it was easier than dealing with talking.

He'd always been good to her, patient and kind, the type of man who didn't ask too many questions about her past because he trusted her enough to believe she'd tell him what mattered.

"You should have called me," he said against her hair. "I would have come to the hospital with you."

"I know, but you had that conference call with the investors and I didn't want to interrupt." Daggy pulled back slightly to look up at him, forcing herself to meet his eyes.

"How did the meeting go?"

Lincoln's expression lit up, the way it always did when he talked about his business ventures.

He'd been working on this deal for months, some kind of partnership with a local development company that would expand his construction business into pack territory.

"Better than expected," he said, moving back to his laptop to show her something on the screen.

"They want to move forward with the contract and if everything goes according to plan, we'll be breaking ground on the first project within six weeks."

Daggy made herself look interested, made herself smile and nod in the right places while he explained the details.

But her mind was elsewhere, stuck on the image of Dynan's face when he'd realized Britty was his, the way his entire body had gone rigid with shock.

"That's amazing, Lincoln. You've worked so hard for this." She touched his arm lightly.

Daggy moved to check on Britty, who had fallen into a deeper sleep, her small chest rising and falling in the peaceful rhythm of childhood.

She looked so much like Dynan it was almost painful, from the shape of her nose to the way her hair curled at the edges.

"Daggy?" Lincoln's voice pulled her back to the present. "Mom called though, she told me about the shop incident. Are you okay?

"I'm fine," she said quietly, smoothing down Britty's hair. "Those men at the shop really shook me up."

Lincoln's expression darkened and he set his laptop aside. "I still can't believe that happened in broad daylight. Did the police ever show up?"

"Someone stopped them before it got that far." Daggy kept her voice casual, trying not to let any hint of the truth slip through. "Just a good Samaritan who happened to be passing by."

"Well thank god for that." Lincoln ran a hand through his hair, looking troubled.

"Maybe we should think about closing the shop while we're here. It's not worth the risk if there are gangs running around demanding protection money."

"My parents need the income, especially with Dad's medical bills." Daggy sat down on the edge of the bed, her body suddenly heavy with exhaustion.

"I'll hire some security or something, figure out a way to make it safer."

Lincoln nodded but didn't look convinced. He picked up his laptop from the desk and glanced at the screen. "I need to run out for a few hours to meet with the development team. Will you be okay here with Britty?"

"We'll be fine," Daggy said, relieved to have some time alone to think. "Go do what you need to do."

He grabbed his jacket and briefcase, pausing at the door to look back at her. "Try to get some rest, okay? You look exhausted."

The door closed behind him and Daggy finally let herself breathe, the tension in her shoulders releasing slightly now that she didn't have to maintain the act.

She pulled out her phone and saw three missed calls from her mother but no messages, which probably meant her father's condition hadn't changed.

Her finger hovered over the call back button when Lincoln's phone started ringing from where he'd left it on the desk, maybe he forgot it in his rush to leave.

Daggy glanced at the screen and saw a name she didn't recognize, just "J" with no other identifier.

The phone stopped ringing and immediately started again, like whoever was calling was insistent.

After four more rings, Daggy picked it up without thinking, intending to answer and let them know Lincoln had left his phone behind, but the call went to voicemail before she could swipe to accept.

A text came through a moment later and Daggy's thumb accidentally brushed the notification, opening the message thread.

She forgot how to breathe as she read the most recent message.

*The deal is almost done, you have to try so we get everything we need within this week. Call me immediately if you see this. I have something to talk about.*

— J

The hotel room door's keycard reader beeped and Daggy nearly dropped the phone in her panic.

She set it back on the desk exactly where Lincoln had left it and moved to the bathroom, closing the door just as she heard him come back inside.

"I forgot my phone," he called out, his voice muffled through the door. "Can't do business without it." He said laughing.

Daggy turned on the sink and splashed cold water on her face, trying to calm the racing of her heart.

When she came back out Lincoln was already gone again.

Britty stirred on the bed and opened her eyes, blinking sleepily up at Daggy. "Mama? Where's Daddy?"

The word 'Daddy' made something twist painfully in Daggy's chest because Lincoln wasn't her father and now Daggy was terrified that the real father was about to surface.

She sat down beside Britty and pulled her into her lap, breathing in her daughter's familiar scent and trying to hold onto the one thing in her life that still felt real and uncomplicated.

"He had to go to a meeting, baby," Daggy said softly. "But he'll be back soon."

Britty nodded and cuddled closer, her small fingers gripping Daggy's shirt. "That man from yesterday, the one who helped us. I don't know why it feels like I know him. Mama, who was he?"