Page 148 of Seal the Deal

I hang up, my hands trembling as I throw my phone in my bag, worst-case scenarios spinning through my mind. Noah could be anywhere. Hurt. Lost. What if he’s…

No. I have to stay calm. I shove the fear down and pull out my phone again.

There’s only one person I want to call.

***

Jake

My skates cut across the ice as I push through practice drills, but my head’s not fully in it. All I can think about is seeing Charlie and wrapping my arms around her. She probably nailed her client meeting today—I can’t wait to tell her how proud I am.

I’ve got it all planned out. As soon as practice ends, I’ll drive straight to her place. We still need to talk about what happened, but I know we’ll get through it.

As I circle back for a quick drink, my phone buzzes on the bench. It’s Charlie. She wouldn’t usually call during practice. I skate off the ice, pulling my gloves off as I answer.

“Hey, you okay?”

She’s so hysterical I can barely understand her. “He’s gone. Noah—he’s gone! Alex lost him!”

My heart stops. “What?” I’m already yanking off my helmet, waving off Coach as I rush toward the locker room. “Charlie, slow down. What happened?”

“I don’t know!” Her voice cracks, her raw terror slicing through me. “Alex took him to some meeting, and now he’s gone. I don’t—he’s not answering my calls anymore. Jake, my baby, he’s just gone—”

Fury blazes inside me. That asshole couldn’t even keep an eye on his own kid for an hour. I feel my pulse spike, my protective instinct roaring.

Alex, you son of a bitch.

“I’m on my way,” I say, already ripping off my gear, fingers shaking with rage. “Stay calm, Charlie. We’ll find him.”

My blood thrums through me, but I can’t lose it now. Not yet. I need to stay steady for her and Noah.

“Where’s the last place he saw him?” I ask, trying to sound calm, but the anger is a storm inside me.

“L-LoDo,” she stammers, barely able to get the words out. “Some business meeting, I don’t know where—Jake, I wasn’t there! I should’ve been there, I—”

“Charlotte, stop,” I interrupt, voice sharp. “Where in LoDo? Have you called the police?”

“I… No, I haven’t,” she breathes. “I just—”

“Call them. I’m five minutes away in my car. I’ll meet you in LoDo. We’ll find him, Charlie.”

“I can’t—I can’t—” She’s breaking down, and my chest feels like it’s splitting open.I need to get to her.

“Charlie girl, breathe. Do it with me, okay? One breath in, then out.” I throw on my clothes, grab my keys, and sprint for the exit.

My mind is racing, adrenaline surging. I can hear the fear in her voice, and every second that passes feels like a countdown. I’m trying to keep my voice steady, but my hands are shaking as I tear open my car door.

I swear to God, if anything happens to Noah because of that piece of shit…

I shove that thought aside. I need to focus and stay calm for Charlie, because she’s unraveling a mile a minute. Her fear is a wildfire, and even through the phone I can feel it consuming her.

She doesn’t respond, but I hear the muffled sounds of traffic and that’s when it hits me.She’s driving. She’s falling apart behind the wheel.

“Charlie, pull over. Right now.”

“I’m not—”

“Charlotte, listen to me. Pull over. You’re no good to Noah if you’re not safe.Do it for him, okay?” My voice stays calm, even though my heart’s hammering. “Breathe, baby. Give yourself a minute.”

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