“No, I haven’t seen him,” Ash says.
“Fuck.” I tip my head back, staring up at the sky like it can tell me where Lukas is.
“Why? Is everything okay?”
“I can’t find him,” I explain, my throat thick and my head suddenly dizzy. “He was with Tripp when the boys and I went to herd the cattle back onto the property, but Tripp left him at my house after lunch. He’s not there now.”
“I’ll be right there,” Ash says. Zero hesitation. “Tucker and I will help you look for him.”
“Thanks.”
The world is spinning. Fuck, I can’t breathe. What if something happened to him? What if he’s hurt? Remington trustedmeto watch him.
As if Ash can sense my internal panic, he softly says, “Don’t worry, Gentry. We’ll find him.”
“I’m gonna walk up the hill and see if I can find him while y’all get here.”
“Okay. Be there in a minute.”
I hang up, then notice I have a text from Tripp.
Tripp: Did you find him?
Me: No. Gonna drive around the property and look for him.
Climbing behind the wheel of the side-by-side again, I take off on gravel road until I reach the front gate. Fuck, he’s not anywhere on this side.
I check my phone again, hoping for a miracle, but just find a response from Tripp.
Tripp: I’m gonna check down by the creek behind the cabins. Let me know if you find him.
Looking everywhere I can think of, I come up empty every time. The ranch is a lot of land. There’s a lot of places a young boy could hide… But why? As I’m making my way back to the house to check there again, I get a text from Hollis, saying that he, August, and Finn are out looking too. I don’t know how muchtime passes, but my stomach fills with lead with each place I look and don’t find him.
I need to call Remington. Need to tell him that the boy he trusted me with is missing.
Fuck.
Where the hell is he? And why would he run off? I don’t understand.
Unlocking the phone, I call Remington, hoping he’s not out responding to a call. My heart is in my throat as it rings. Thankfully, he picks up before it goes to voicemail.
“Hey, everythin’ okay?” he asks.
“I’m sure everythin’ is okay, but Lukas is…missin’.”
“What? What happened?”
As quickly as I can, I explain everything to Remington. Nausea churns in my gut, and my lungs refuse to expand enough for me to breathe.
“I’ll be right there,” he says once I finish.
“Remington, I’m so sorry?—”
“Hey, don’t,” he cuts in. “It’s not your fault. I’ll be right there.”
Hanging up, I don’t stop looking. I have to find him. There’s no other option. He’s here somewhere.
Lukas, where the hell are you hiding?
