“You can’t be this heartless; he’s just a child.” My breathing came out ragged, and the panic inside me felt like it would consume me any moment now. “Please, I’m begging you, Sloane… just let my son go.”
“Not a chance,” she said, shutting me down instantly.
Her eyes suddenly caught something over my head, and a wicked smile curled the edges of her mouth. Just that look had my pulse skyrocketing.
“Are you finally going to do the job I paid you for?” she sneered.
I stiffened; there was someone else.
“My pleasure, I just wish the other bitch was here too.”
A chill slithered down my spine. Oh God. I knew that voice. Sheer panic bubbled up like a raging volcano and I didn’t know how to stop all my emotions from flowing over.
Looking at Griffin and knowing time was running out, I repeated, “Daddy will find you, Champ. I promise.”
Sloane let out a merciless laugh just as my son screamed, “Momma, watch out!”
Before I had a chance to react, something hit me in the head from behind, and I crashed to my knees. Pain sliced through my skull, the rocky earth dug into me, and my stomach turned over from the nausea that swam in my gut.
At a last-ditch effort to protect my children, I reached out for Griffin with one hand as my other cradled my belly. My heart lurched as defeat sank in, and the fading sound of my son’s cries for help echoed in my ears, piercing my soul. My vision blurred and everything began to dim.
You have to save him, Jett.
That was my last thought before darkness tackled me like a three-hundred-pound linebacker, and everything went black.
Chapter Fifty
JETT
My leg bounced nervously under the table.
I was half paying attention to the meeting, but my mind kept drifting. Patience should have texted by now to say she picked up Griffin and was home. I hadn’t heard a peep from her, and it was gnawing at me.
Glancing down at my phone resting on the conference table, I sighed at the black screen that held no alerts indicating communication from my wife.
Maybe I was being paranoid, and she needed to stop and grab some medicine or something. I hated that I couldn’t go with her to pick him up, but we had this meeting, and she assured me she’d done it a million times and would be okay.
“Everything alright?” Braxton asked.
Dragging my gaze to him, I nodded, hoping it truly was.
Braxton studied me for a second before carrying on. “I hate to bring this piece of news, but Harland isn’t taking the job here with us.”
Everyone sat up straighter in their seats, giving Braxton our full attention. We all liked Harland and were excited to bring him on board.
“What the heck?” Gyth exclaimed, raising his hands in confusion. “I thought he was all in?”
The big man was voicing exactly what I’d been thinking. After he’d toured the facility and we’d gone out the night he came to town, I’d thought it was a sure thing too. All the other guys made some sort of sound or gesture, clearly agreeing with Gyth.
Braxton’s face fell. “His sister and brother-in-law were killed in a car accident two days ago.” He sighed. “They left behind Harland’s four-year-old niece, who he will now be solely responsible for, and he doesn’t think the big city is the right fit for her right now.”
“Shit.” Kace ran his hand through his hair. “That’s rough.”
Bodie nodded in agreement. “I hate to lose him.” Something painful and dark flashed in his eyes as he spoke. “But we all know that family comes first.”
When I looked around the room, I knew not a single man there would disagree with that statement.
“Is there anything we can do for him?” I inquired.
