I stood frozen, staring down at the little girl. What had just happened? Hailey had struggled against Jaxon’s grip as if she was terrified of him. And for a moment, Jaxon had appeared as if he was on the verge of losing control.

Fleefoot kept barking downstairs, but Lisa quieted eventually, probably because Jaxon had taken her out of her crib. Remembering last night’s mess, I squared my shoulders and squatted before the little girl.

“Hello, Hailey. I’m Ayla.”

Hailey looked at me with miserable milk-chocolate-brown eyes. Her caramel-blond hair was a tousled mess and even looked knotted in places, as if it hadn’t been combed properly in a long...