Soren’s voice comes through instantly, rough and exhausted. “What is it, Ralph?”
Ralph indicates smoothly as he accelerates. “I’ve got him, boss. I’ve gotKit.”
There’s a stunned pause on the line. Soren’s voice cracks slightly. “What? How?”
Ralph keeps driving, calm and steady. “He just came out of the dark, boss. His clothes are wet. I don’t knowhow, but… he found his way to the dock on his own. I’m taking him straight back to the estate. He needs to see Doctor Brown as soon as possible.”
Soren lets out a long, shaky exhale through the comms. “Good work, Ralph. We’ll turn the boat around and be back as quick as we can. Get him set up in the living room nearest to the kitchen.”
“You got it, boss.”
Ralph glances over at me, his expression softening. “You’ll be home soon, Kit.”
I close my eyes as the vibration of the car beneath me soothes me into my first proper sleep in days.
Chapter Twenty-Four
~ He’s Safe ~
Soren
I hang up from Ralph’s call, the phone still warm in my hand. A storm of emotions crashes through me all at once.
First,relief, sharp and overwhelming… Kit’s safe. He’s alive. Ralph will get him back to the estate quickly and have Doctor Brown look him over immediately. The knot in my chest loosens just a fraction.
But right on its heels comes the annoyance, hot and bitter. I didn’t get to him first.I wasn’t the first face he saw when he stumbled out of the dark. A part of me wonders how Kit is even feeling about me now. If it weren’t for me, he wouldn’t be tangled up in any of this mess. For all I know, he could resent me,hateme, and I’m not looking forward to finding out.
Still…God, I can’t wait to see him. But I’m scared too. I saw what Finn did to his face… the long, ugly cut slicing across his cheek, over the bridge of his nose, and up through his brow. I’ve seenplentyin my line of work, but not something like that. Not on someone as smalland soft as Kit. The image is burned behind my eyelids, and it makes my stomach turn.
Armen’s voice breaks the silence. “What did Ralph say, boss?”
I put the phone away and clear my throat, trying to keep my voice steady. “Ralph’s got the kid.”
Armen pauses, eyes widening. “He’s got Christopher?”
I nod once.
Armen breaks into a wide smile. “Seriously?! That’sgreat!”
Selina claps her hands together and lets out a heavy sigh of relief. “Oh, thank fuck!”
They’re all smiling, even the boat captain, but I can’t bring myself to join them. The relief is there, but it’s tangled with too many other things.
Armen reaches over and pats my upper arm. “Ain’t you happy, boss?”
I clench my jaw. “Of course.”
I don’t miss the quick look Selina and Armen share in my peripheral vision.
My mind is already racing ahead. How the fuck did Kit get from that boat all the way to the marina on his own? He could have hurt himself, could have drowned from sheer weakness. He couldn’t have swam that distance. The thought of him struggling alone in the water makes my chest tighten again.
I turn to the captain. “Rod, when we leave, I want you to go back out and deal with the boat.”
Rod nods without hesitation. “Of course, sir. It’ll be at the bottom of the ocean before anyone suspects.”
I nod. “Good man.”
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