Worth the Risk (Carolina Rebels 5)

“Why is Bree in my room?” he demands to know with a frown that’s partly a pout and his arms folded over his chest.

“She wants to hear a story too. Mr. EJ read a story to you in her room the other day, remember?” I remind him.

He sighs a little, but doesn’t comment as I sit next to him and situate her in my lap. Her head is already on my shoulder. It won’t take her long after all. Jackson leans his head against my ribs since he’s mostly lying down. What isn’t fun is figuring out how to hold the book with both of them on me like this, but I manage.

“Momma?” Jackson asks before I start.

“What, baby?”

“How come you and Mr. EJ couldn’t have dinner with me and Bree? Was I in trouble?” He looks up at me.

My heart beats ten thousand times faster. I don’t want to explain a date to him, or anything like that. What can I tell him?

“There was a place I wanted to show your momma,” my head whips around at the sound of Elias’s voice, “and we couldn’t take kids.” He walks into the room and sits on the other side of Jackson. “That’s all. We’ll all go out to dinner soon, okay?”

Jackson nods, completely satisfied with that answer. “Read, Momma.”

So, I read.

The weekend passes with me having to spend more time with Henry. My favorite thing to do. We’re still hanging out at the house for now. It hasn’t been too bad because Elias had a game both Friday and Saturday, which they lost. Jackson had no choice but to give Henry his full attention. He still got distracted by Bree here and there, though.

I’m surprised by how much he loves to interact with her, compared to how he was in the beginning. Ever since she called him Ja-Ja, he’s been a bit in love with her, I think. He wants to see her walk next. He likes to help me help her walk around the house and to play with her. He’ll be an awesome big brother one day.

Elias has the day off and so far, I haven’t heard from Henry about coming over to see Jackson, but I’m sure he’ll be here at some point. Elias left a bit ago to pick Jackson up from school. We already told Jackson that he might, so he won’t be surprised, but he should be back by now.

My gut churns because something is nagging me today and I don’t know what it is. I told Elias earlier that I felt like him. Like my gut is telling me something, but hell if I know what it is.

My phone rings and anxiety cripples my heart when I see it’s Elias. Why is he calling me? Maybe he wants to change their plans?

“Hey,” I answer.

“Hey. You’re at home with Bree, right?”

“Yes, of course. You left us here, Elias,” I remind him of the obvious.

“And you didn’t leave after I did to pick Jackson up yourself?”

“Why would I do that if that’s where you were going? Why are you asking me this?” I pick Bree up off the floor where we’re playing and begin to pace. “Where’s Jackson, Elias? Let me talk to him.”

“Hold on a second, Raelynn. There’s a teacher here.”

“Don’t tell me that!” He doesn’t have him? Complete silence is all that comes from the other end of the phone and I have to quadruple check that we’re still connected. “Elias? Elias, tell me you have Jackson!” My head possibly floats in the air, separate from my body and I have to sit before I faint. “Elias?” I whisper.

“Have you talked to Henry today?” he asks, suddenly back. “The teacher said he was picked up by another man and Jackson said it was his dad and that they were going to the movies. Did you forget he was picking him up?”

“Forget?” I screech. “No! I...He...Elias, he took him!” Dots cloud my vision and I hold tighter to Bree who squirms in my arms. “We have to call the cops, Elias. I didn’t tell Henry he could do that, and he certainly never told me.” Bree puts her hands on my cheeks and tries to press them together. I start to cry because...what else am I supposed to do right this very second? Bree gently pats my cheeks.

“Raelynn, I’m sure he didn’t kidnap him. He’s probably being a fucking idiot and just took him to the movies like Jackson said. I’ll come and pick you up. Call Henry. We’ll go to every damn movie theater in the city to see if we can find them. If we don’t, then we’ll worry.”

“Are you crazy? My son is missing!”

“Call Henry and keep calling him until he answers,” Elias orders calmly. “I’m on my way back to the house.” He hangs up and I’m frozen for all of two seconds before I do what he says. Maybe his gut thinks everything is fucking cheery, but my gut thinks the world just exploded and ended.

I call and call and call until Elias returns, but Henry’s phone rings and rings until it goes to voicemail. And I leave a voicemail every damn time. I can’t help it. I plead. I get angry. I demand he answer and bring my son back. I threaten him more times than I can count. What the hell was he thinking? Why wouldn’t he ask me first?

“He’s not answering,” I blubber to Elias as he kneels in front of me.

“That doesn’t mean anything. He and Jackson could be in the movie theater.”