The diner?The night I had dinner with Derek; the night I told him everything. The night he left to go after Richard.
“She’s not in danger. She’s not lost. She’s hiding somewhere, waiting for us to come find her together.”
Sam’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my God.”
“She planned it,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. The bunny felt heavier in my hands, like it was made of lead instead of stuffing and fabric. “She chose to leave.”
Cami’s shoulders shook with silent sobs. “I’m sorry. I tried to stop her. I told her it was a bad idea, but she said... she said you needed help seeing what was right in front of you.”
Derek’s expression was unreadable. He stared at the bunny for a long moment, then looked at me. His eyes were dark, intense, filled with something I couldn’t name.
“She left it because she knew what it would do to you,” he said quietly. “She knew you’d panic. Knew you’d call for help. Knew I’d come.”
Jack moved to his brother’s side, placing a hand on his shoulder. “We still need to find her, Derek. Even if this is some kind of setup, she’s out there somewhere. A twelve-year-old girl and a ten-year-old boy in the woods overnight...”
“I know.” Derek’s voice was tight. “We’re going to find her. But when we do, she and I are going to have a very long conversation about manipulation and trust.”
He turned back to Cami, his expression softening just slightly. “Where would she go? You said Nox went with her. Where does he like to hide?”
Tank let out a low, derisive snort from where he stood. “Of course that kid’s involved. Kid’s nothing but trouble.”
“That’s not fair,” Maggie said sharply, stepping forward. Her protective instinct flared, her spine straightening. “Nox is a good kid. He wouldn’t hurt anyone. He’s just... he’s just a kid who knows the land. He went to protect her.”
Tank snorted.
“You don’t know him,” Maggie snapped, her voice cold. “And you have no right to judge him.”
“Cami,” Derek pressed, ignoring the tension between Tank and Maggie.
Cami wiped at her eyes. “He knows all the hiding spots in the orchard. The old barn, the equipment shed, the treehouse Dad built near the creek. But Frankie said they were going somewhere no one would think to look.”
Derek nodded, his jaw set with determination. “Then we search everywhere. Every inch of this property and beyond if we have to.”
I stood there, clutching the bunny to my chest, trying to make sense of what was happening. My daughter, my sweet, stubborn, brilliant daughter, had orchestrated all of this. Had left behind the one thing she treasured most in the world, knowing exactly what it would do to me.
Chapter Thirty
Derek
A shrill whistle pierced the air.
“Okay, everyone, listen up.” King took charge of the group that had gathered in the yard of the Orchard. “We have two missing kids. Frankie and Nox. They snuck out of the house last night while everyone was asleep. They are most likely on the property somewhere.”
He looked over at Maggie. “How many acres?”
“A hundred and eighty-six.”
“Jesus Christ,” King cursed.
“Do you know how long it will take to search that much land?” I asked. “We don’t have that much fucking time. It’s already cold; by nightfall it will be freezing.”
Kat had tears running down her face and I wasn’t trying to make shit worse, but my daughter was out there somewhere, hiding to force her mother and me to be together.
“We have a few ATVs,” Maggie offered. “Not enough for everyone, but...”
“We can use our bikes,” Jack said.
Maggie’s eyes widened in panic.
