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“Mom!” The sound of Aiden's panicked shriek slices through the silence of the early morning, acting like a cold shock to my system.
Without a second's hesitation, I'm out of bed, the cool air of the room hitting my skin, but I barely notice. My feet hit the floor with a thud, propelling me forward with a rush of adrenaline that's both terrifying and familiar. The distancebetween my room and his feels like miles, each step fueled by the urgent need to reach him, to ensure he's safe.
As I burst through his doorway and the scene that greets me is one drenched in fear. Aiden is standing in the middle of his room, looking around like he thinks Dakota is going to pop out of somewhere and scare him. Like she’s playing a game of hide and seek.
He glances at me and runs into my arms. I don't hesitate to envelop him and hold his trembling frame to me.
“Aid, hey,” I whisper, trying to infuse my voice with a calm I'm far from feeling, “What’s wrong, bud?”
Through tears and trembling lips, he delivers a blow that stops my heart. "She-she’s gone," he manages between sobs, the words slicing through me with a fear so acute it's paralyzing.
Automatically, my mind seeks denial, a logical explanation to soothe the rising panic. "She’s probably just in her office, bud," I offer, even as I cast a desperate look over my shoulder.
Maddox and Sebastian, sleep rumpled but wide awake from the commotion, are already on the move, their expressions grim. With a single glance, they understand the need of the situation and scatter to search for Aiden's mom.
But Aiden's next words shatter any hope of a simple misunderstanding. "No," he sobs, his voice breaking, "I checked. She’s gone, Wolf.”
The world tilts on its axis, the room spinning as the implication of his words sinks in. Fear claws its way through my chest, its icy fingers wrapping around my heart. The possibility that she might truly be gone is unthinkable. Yet the evidence is there, in Aiden's tears, in the empty silence of the house that speaks volumes.
A surge of protectiveness, fierce and overwhelming, floods through me. The thought of Dakota in danger, possibly facingthreats alone, ignites a determination so powerful it borders on recklessness.
How the fuck did anyone get in this house without us knowing? We’ve become too relaxed. Too comfortable. And now she's paying for that. Someone managed to take her without any of us getting alerted. What the fuck is going on?
Gripping Aiden to my side I make my way through the house to the living room in search of the guys. And I know…I know immediately that my world is going to shatter. Maddox is frantically throwing on shoes and running out the door to search on foot. Sebastian has his phone to his ear, his usual playful smile nowhere to be found.
And when he looks at me and shakes his head with a grim expression, I realize that if I don't find Dakota, I’ll never fucking forgive myself.
Chapter 20
Wolf
"Selflessness is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less." - C.S. Lewis
I’ve been pacing back and forth in the living room for what feels like an eternity. We’ve done everything we can do from here. We called the higher ups, we got back up teams dispatched to search the entire fucking state, we notified local authorities. There are alerts going out and press conferences being held. It’s not enough. I’m losing my goddamn mind because she’s just…gone. It doesn’t matter if the entire world is looking for her. She’s gone and I didn’t fucking save her.
And speaking of fucking gone, Spencer is just missing in action. He hasn’t made contact with us once since we notified HQ. Not one single phone call or text message. His office rings and rings with no answer. Even Lacey, his secretary, isn’t at her goddamn desk. I glance down at the phone in my hand and feel a surge of anger at the complete lack of a response from him. At the idea that he hasanythingthat could possibly be more important than Dakota.
Even as I scan over my texts that I have sent, fury flows freely through me. Where the actual fuck is Spencer?
Wolf:911.
Wolf:You need to get here. She’s gone, Spence. He took her. Dakota is gone.
Wolf:Where the fuck are you? Spencer, we need you. Aiden needs you.
He’s not answering any of us. Seb and Madd have called and texted multiple times. And when the three of us couldn't get through, Aiden tried calling. The look on his face when his Uncle didn’t answer was fucking devasting. He looks like he is grieving the loss of a family before we even have any answers.
Ever since then, Aiden has been sitting at the kitchen island, moving leftover meatloaf around his plate without so much as taking a bite. It’s fucking infuriating that I can’t do anything to ease his fear. I have never felt so fucking useless.
“I’m calling Lacey’s home number,” I mumble to Madd, referring to Spencer’s secretary.
I walk towards the dining area, slightly away from earshot, yet still within sight for Aiden. I can’t and don’t want to let him out of my direct line of sight. I should be out there searching for Dakota. Ishouldbe at the helm, giving directions and making sure she is found. But something inside of me is keeping me right here where I can watch the life of the person she loves the most.
The phone rings twice before her terse voice answers, “This is Lacey. How can I help you?”
I breathe a sigh of relief that I am a step closer to getting a hold of Spencer and respond, “Lacey…it’s Damian Wolfe for Spencer Daniels.”
