Page 60 of Shared By Her Brother's Best Friends

Mason and Ty are still giving their statements hours later when Bess gets the news on her comms.

“We’ve got him. Victor Kane is in our custody.”

My heart soars and Jax hugs me murmuring in my ear, “They got him.”

“Is Max okay?” I ask eagerly, praying this nightmare is finally over.

“And the boy? Do you have the boy?” Bess says into the comms.

There’s an agonizingly long pause before the reply comes through.

“Negative. There are no kids here.”

And just like that, the fragile bloom of hope shatters.

“What does he mean? Max is there! He has to be!” I say frantically as I jump up from my chair.

“Are you certain? We have reason to believe Kane kidnapped six-year-old Max Miller sometime in the early hours of this morning,” Bess reaffirms.

“Positive. He’s not here. We have teams searching all of Kane’s known haunts. If the kid’s there, we’ll let you know. We’retaking Kane in for questioning now, we’ll be sure to push him on that first,” the disembodied voice confirms.

It does little to assuage the dread that washes over me. If Max isn’t with Kane, where is he?

Is my little boy already gone? But why would that monster have harmed him? What would he possibly have to gain if he killed him? If he was after the money, he would need him alive. I try to hold onto this hope. That he’s being held somewhere safe and secure, and that Kane will reveal the location under interrogation.

“Don’t worry Emma, we’ve got the best interrogators in the country about to interview Kane. They’ll crack him and we’ll find Max,” Bess promises but she doesn’t meet my eyes, and I can tell she doesn’t know if we’ll find my little boy.

I start to hyperventilate as I become overwhelmed by everything that’s happened. Things keep going from bad to worse.

“Emma, just breathe,” Jax says soothingly.

“I can’t!” I pant getting more agitated.

“It’s just a panic attack, you’ll be okay,” he assures me.

But I know I won’t.

“Jacob’s in the hospital in a coma he might not wake up from, and my little boy is gone. I can’t lose them both. I can’t lose my baby. I’ll die without him,” I cry as Jax rocks me in his arms.

But still, my breath won’t come, and the terror isn’t abating.

Suddenly, the room feels stifling and claustrophobic.

“I need to get out of here,” I say, jumping to my feet.

“And go where? Emma…” Jax says but I ignore him already looking for the exit.

He follows behind me. “Emma wait, slow down.”

“Jax I just need some fresh air,” I respond, not looking back at him as I determinedly continue my search.

Finally, I find the exit and I bend over double. Vomit splatters onto the ground, bile from my empty stomach as I take huge choking breaths gasping for air. I feel a warm hand on my back as Jax rubs it gently.

When I finally catch my breath and the feeling of nausea passes, I straighten up shakily.

“Better?” Jax asks.

“No… I’m not sure it ever will be.”

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