Page 114 of Stay With Me
“Okay, you do that. I want everyone suited up and ready to roll as soon as we have that permission. If they don’t give it, I’ll call a judge and get a warrant,” Hunt says.
Chairs scrape across the floor as everyone gets ready to head out. I just stare at the aerial view of the property.
A hand lands on my shoulder, and I look over to see Sam and Luke beside me.
“Whatever happens, we got your back. We’re going to get the ambulance and be there to search the woods if we have to, but we’ll have the medical equipment just in case. She’s tough. Everything will be okay, but you should tell Jess that we’re going to head out soon so she isn’t panicked by seeing us all scramble,” Sam says.
I swallow against the emotions clogging my throat. “Thank you. Thank you for being there for us.”
“Nowhere else we’d rather be, brother. Now let’s go get your girl,” Luke says.
“We don’t know that she’s there,” I add as I turn to go talk to Jess.
“She is. I have a gut feeling. These people think they’re smart, and in a way, they are, but they’re on our turf. They’re too cocky to go too far away,” Luke says, and I watch them walk out the door to get ready to head out.
I walk back to my office and push the door open, and Jess looks up from her coloring. Her red-rimmed eyes break my heart a little more as I walk over to her.
Once I get next to my chair, I kneel down and tuck a strand of hair behind her ears. “We’re going to go look for your sister. The girls will stay here with you, and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“You found them already?” she asks.
“We think so, so we’re going to go and check it out.”
“Okay, but you’ll come back, right?” Her eyes turn glassy.
“I’ll always do my best to come back to you. I love you, you know that, right?” I tell her, and her eyes widen. Behind me, I hear the girls leave the office.
“You do? B-but I lied,” she says as tears stream down her face again.
“I know, but you’re a kid who had far too much put on you, and none of this is your fault. We all make mistakes sometimes.”
She throws her arms around my neck, and I rock back on my heels to keep us steady. “I love you too, and I want to stay if I’m allowed once we catch Father Matthew and the rest of them.”
“Of course you’re going to stay. I’ll fight for you until my last breath. Do you want to know a secret?”
She nods into the crook of my neck.
“I love your sister too, and I’m going to ask her to marry me soon.”
“She’ll say yes,” she tells me matter-of-factly.
I laugh. “You think so?”
“Yeah, she loves you too. She just thinks it’s too soon to tell you,” she says just as someone knocks on the door.
I look over and see Mike in the doorway. “We’re heading out in less than five. You need to get ready.”
I nod and look back at Jess. “Listen to the girls. I messaged your therapist and asked her to give Am a call so you can use her phone to talk to her. If we’re gone long and you get tired, tell the girls. They’ll make sure you have a place to sleep. I’ll be back as soon as I can, okay?”
She sniffles and wipes her eyes. “Father Matthew and Brother Chris are not nice people. Be careful.”
“I will.” I set her back on her feet and stand. Before walking out of the office, I kiss the top of her head. In the hallway, the girls have tears in their eyes. “Don’t let her stay up too late if we’re gone for a while. Eden volunteered to bring her camping cot for her to sleep on. I need you guys to stay here because it’s the safest option for everyone right now.”
“We have pizza being delivered for dinner, and we have enough stuff to keep her occupied for a while. Go get Luna,” Abby says.
“I will,” I say and turn to Am. “I texted her therapist your number and a quick message about what’s happening, and she said she’ll call in a few to have a quick session with her.”
Pulling her phone out, Am nods and turns the ringer on.
