Gyth, Kace, Lyric, and I were following the tracker, whileBraxton, Rowan, Bodie, and Paxton headed toward the location Patience’s phone was showing.
Bronson and Huntley, who helped when they could these days, were both working, while Landon was back at the office. There was also Lance, who was cool, but he only jumped in with Landon on lawyer shit when needed.
I wouldn’t have minded having all hands on deck, but the guys who had my back were good. However, as our group sped down the highway, out of fucking town and away from home, the other group didn’t bring good news.
Instead, they delivered an update that devastated me and set my pulse pounding with rage.
“You need to brace yourself and try to stay calm,” Braxton began, causing my jaw to clench. “We found Patience…”
For a brief second, I started to relax, but then he sighed and continued.
“Jett, she’s hurt, and Griffin isn’t with her.”
“What the fucking hell are you talking about?” I bellowed. “What do you mean she is hurt, and Griffin isn’t there? Where the fuck isourson?” The words tore out of me and my pulse jackhammered. “You found her, but not h-him?” My voice cracked.
Lyric placed his hand on my shoulder, but I shook it off. I didn’t need nice or soothing right then, and I sure as fuck didn’t want anyone touching me. What I needed everyone to be was as goddamned angry as I was, and to help me take out the fuckers who’d clearly dared to hurt my family.
Being rational flew right out the window.
“Put her on the phone. Now! Let me talk to her!” I pleaded, but Braxton still had more information, denying me the chance to hear Patience’s voice.
“Ambulance is on the way. There was a car accident, and someone hit her in the back of the head. When we got here, she was just rousing but disoriented, so she hasn’t been ableto say anything; I called you right away. We’ll get her to the hospital.”
“She’s pregnant, Braxton,” I snapped, uncaring about how much of a dickhead that I was being. “Just tell me that she and the baby are okay.” I gulped, the question leaving a lump in my throat as I waited for his response.
“We’re going to do everything we can, and we’ll take care of her,” Braxton told me. “But your son is missing, and you need to follow the necklace tracker.”
I knew, somewhere deep down, he couldn’t know how bad it was yet. He was also right that we needed to keep moving, but I waspissedso I wasn’t thinking clearly.Right then, Braxton was my outlet. Somewhere inside, I knew I’d have to apologize later.
“Keep going? Are you out of your fucking mind? I need to see my wife!” I screamed into the phone.
All I could picture was my wife lying motionless while my son screamed for his momma as she lay there hurt, maybe even losing our baby, and some monster dragging our boy away.
I slammed my fist into the back of the driver’s seat—Lyric flinching next to me—and looked at Gyth in the mirror. “We can’t keep going, I need to see my wife. Turn around!”
He met my gaze but didn’t listen, just kept flying down the highway.
My breathing was heavy, my voice raw from screaming, but I tried again. “I said turn around so I can see my wife.”
Lyric tried to touch me again, and I growled. I was out of control, but everything stilled when I heard my wife whimper my name.
“She wants to talk to you,” Braxton said.
There was some rustling, and then I heard her sweet voice, so faint and scared. When I found out who did this, someone would have to pry my bare hands from their throat.
“Jett,” she moaned. “It’s Sloane… she has… h-him.”
I heard Braxton barking something in the background about calling Bronson. Lyric was on the phone next to me with Ruby, letting her and Gramps know what was happening.
“Sloane has Griffin?” I asked her to be sure.
Why the hell would she have my son?
“Yes,” she cried.
My nails dug into the seat. “Baby, is Chaz with her?”
I knew she was hurting, but we needed as much info as we could get. Not wanting to repeat everything, I put the phone on speaker even though I wanted my beautiful girl all to myself. The guys needed to hear too.
