I breathe hard, staring Alex down for a moment longer before I force myself to let go. He glares at me while he straightens his jacket, but there’s no fight in him. He knows I’ll fucking pummel him given half the chance.
“Where’s the last place you saw him?” I snap, my voice cold.
Alex rubs at his collar, scowling, then points down the street. “I went into that building near Confluence Park for five minutes, came out, and he was gone.” He turns his sneer on Charlie, venom dripping from his voice. “And if you weren’t so busy playing house with yourhockey boyfriend, maybe you’d remember to teach your son some damn listening skills.”
I watch his words hit Charlie like a slap, her face crumbling under the weight of the nightmare we’re in. The pain in her eyes sends my fury into overdrive.
My jaw clenches, every muscle in my body tensing as I take a step forward. “Say that again.”
“Jake—” Charlie starts, but I cut her off by holding up my hand. Not this time.
“You want to repeat that, big man?” I ask, tone dangerous. “Because you might think you can say whatever you want to her, but one more word and you’ll wishyouwere the one lost.”
“She’s still the mother of my kids,” Alex snaps, his voice dripping like he thinks that’s his trump card.
“And that’s the only thing saving your ass right now,” I bite back. “So here’s what you’re gonna do—you’re gonna shut your fucking mouth, and you’re gonna focus on finding Noah, or I swear to God you’ll never come near them again.”
The tension crackles between us, but I see him falter, his sneer flickering as reality sinks in.
I turn away from him, the fury still burning in my veins, but Charlie’s right. We don’t have time for this. Pounding him into the ground won’t help Noah. I need to pull myself together for her, for Noah. We need to find him.
Charlie’s pacing again, her phone pressed to her ear talking to the police. I want to hold her, tell her it’ll be okay, but I can barely keep it together myself.
I scan the area, my heart pounding in my chest. LoDo is busy: people walking, cars moving, noise everywhere. I jog down the street toward Confluence Park, thinking about where a scared six-year-old might go.
My mind is racing, every second that passes only adding to the weight of the situation. People pass me by, maybe recognizing me and unaware of the hell we’re in, and I have to fight the rising panic clawing at my throat.
Then, through the chaos, I spot him.
Noah.
My heart slams into my ribs. He’s huddled on a bench near the river, knees pulled to his chest, his face streaked with tears. But he’s safe.
“Charlie!” I shout over my shoulder, sprinting across the street, dodging traffic. I hear her shriek and start running behind me, but all I can focus on is Noah.
Relief floods through me as I reach the bench and drop to my knees in front of him, pulling him into my arms. “Noah,” I breathe, holding him tight, feeling the weight of him in my arms. “You okay, buddy? You scared us.”
He clings to me, sniffling against my shoulder. “I’m sorry,” he whispers, his little voice shaking. “I wanted to see the little boats on the river…”
I hold him closer, kissing the top of his head. “It’s okay. We're here. You’re okay.”
Charlie catches up, tears streaming down her face as she throws her arms around us both. “Oh my God, Noah…”
Her voice breaks as she presses her lips to his forehead, holding him fiercely, her shaking hands skating over his face, his hair and his shoulders. Like she’s feeling every cell of him to ensure he’s okay. Like she might be right back in a moment when he was a newborn, cradling him close, absorbing every bit of him.
The sight knocks the air out of my lungs. The sheer, overwhelming love she has for him, the way she holds onto him like he’s her whole world—it radiates from her. And I feel it stronger than ever: that being part of this, part ofher, would make me happy forever.
I hold them both tighter, my eyes closing as I fight to regulate the flood of emotions swirling around us. We found him. He’s safe. They’re safe.
For a brief moment, the nightmare feels over.
But then Alex finally catches up, slowly jogging over like he he doesn't want to crumple his suit, voice sharp and grating. “Noah, why the hell did you wander off like that?”
The shift in the air is instant. I feel Charlie stiffen beside me, her whole body tensing with anger as she turns to him.
“Don’t youdare,” she spits. “Don’t you dare blame him. This is on you, Alex.”
Alex scoffs. "I didn't—"
