Chapter 0242
+25 BONUS
** Josie’s POV**
After dinner and some time in the games room, we send the younger kids up to bed and settle in to watch a movie with Harper and Atlas. We let Atlas choose the movie and, of course, It’s an action one, filled with fast–paced fighting and a dramatic plot line. We are almost at the end when Deacon excuses himself to take a phone call. When he returns, the movie has finished and Atlas is talking excitedly with Axel about one of the fight scenes. They are discussing a particular move one of the heroes had done and Theo, Mason and Axe promise to show him how to do it tomorrow.
“The team didn’t find Dillon. The address the employers had on file for him was an empty house that looks like it’s been abandoned for years,” Deacon says..
“That’s not suspicious at all,” Mason sighs.
“What are we going to do about it? Luke asks.
“For now… nothing. We are on holiday, let’s let someone else deal with it,” D shrugs and I flash him a grateful smile.
Harper gets up and leaves without a word and Deacon shoots me a questioning look. I shrug and look at Mason.
“I’ll go check on her,” he says, following her out of the room.
The next morning, Sammy wakes us up at 8:00 requesting Deacon’s pancakes. The smell of the sweet cakes cooking soon brings down the twins, and Atlas and Joel follow shortly after. Breakfast is a noisy event as usual and when the boys have all finished eating and Harper still hasn’t come down, I go up to check on her.
I knock lightly on the door before opening it and peeking inside. Her bed is empty. I check the bathroom next and when I don’t find her there, I check all the other bedrooms. Maybe she got up early and is down in the basement?
I head to the basement, fully expecting to hear a movie playing, but she is not there either. My heart picks up a little as fear trickles down my spine. I’m sure she is fine, and I’m just overreacting. This house is huge, and maybe I just missed her.
“What’s wrong?” Axel asks into the mind link.
“I can’t find Harper. Has anyone seen her this morning?” I ask.
Everyone responds with a no and I feel their concern begin to rise as we all search the house, growing more frantic with every minute we don’t find her.
“Harper!” I call as I search each room again.
I head back down into the basement where the boys are now playing and ask if any of them have seen her.
“Not this morning, but I did see her late last night. I got up to go to the bathroom, and she was just coming out of her room,” Atlas says.
“Did she say anything?” I ask.
“No, I was half asleep, I barely even looked at her,” he shrugs.
I relay the information to the guys through the mind link and head up to the kitchen to meet them.
“Maybe she just went for a walk?” Theo suggests.
“Without telling us or leaving a note? No.” Mason shakes his head, dismissing the idea.
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0242
“We have to find her. She is all alone in a realm she doesn’t know,” I say, tears welling in my eyes as I think of my sweet girl out there and vulnerable.
“She’s a smart girl, she can take care of herself. Let’s not worry too much yet, she will probably walk through that door any minute and wonder what all the fuss is about,” Deacon reasons.
“This is all my fault. I failed her, just like I knew I would,” Mason growls, storming from the room.
I know I should go after him and reassure him, but I’m just as worried and mad at myself. She didn’t want to be here and I forced her. Theo goes after Mason and Axel wraps his arms around me.
“I’ll go see if there is anything in her room that might give us a clue about where she has gone,” Luke says before leaving.
Chapter 0243
