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Roman let out a cold, mocking laugh, Kylar’s statement pushing him toward the edge. “Great. How do you know this?”

“We heard them talking,” Max said. “They’re after Pax.”

Kylar jumped back in. “They said no one was at the house but Arthur.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Roman forced out, looking like he was having trouble breathing.

“We’re hoping,” Lace began, leaning down to rub the muscles in her calves, “it means Dominic and Blue were able to hide the kids.” Travis had been praying forhoursthat they were able to hide them.

If they weren’t… If Paxton was gone…

“And if they weren’t?” Roman gritted out.

Kylar said, “Then we’re assuming it means they got lost.”

“How the hell would they get lost?” Roman demanded. He worked to keep his voice down, well aware that the desk was only a few feet away. They’d covered the area in spells to muffle their voices but not silence them entirely, everyone far too exhausted for that level of magic. “They were in my house,” Roman persisted, in denial. “They were safe at home?—”

“They could’ve got scared and ran,” Ivy offered gently.

“Especially if they attacked Arthur,” Jack said. “That would be traumatizing for anyone, but especially two twelve-year-old kids.” His wife nodded.

“Or they believed they could help,” Max said.

“Help?” Roman echoed. “Explain.”

“They’re kids. Maybe they decided they wanted to be heroes and ran off to save the day.”

Roman sucked in a breath and clawed his fingers down his face, pulling his lower lids down. “This,” he began, “is the worst night of my life.”

Everyone murmured in agreement.

“It’s day, technically,” Lace said, checking the time on her phone. “No matter what, we need to think of a plan. We can’t just keep sitting here. We need to make sure Arthur’s alive and the kids didn’t run away.”

Roman suddenly stood up, pausing their conversation. He went to the desk and spoke quietly to the receptionist, and when he came back he had a bottle of painkillers in hand. He sat back down, shook two pills into his gloved palm, then tossed them back dry.

“Anything?” Ivy asked him.

Roman shook his head, flexing his throat muscles as the last pill shimmied down. “No Shay. Anyone else want any?” He offered up the pill bottle.

“I will,” Dallas said. He tossed it to her.

“I’m staying here,” Malakai said. “I’m not leaving my sister. I still think it’s asinine to split up, but you guys do you. Make sure the old guy’s fine and put a leash on those kids.”

“I’ll stay with Malakai,” Aspen said. “I think if we’re going to split up, we shouldn’t spread our groups too thin. Anyone else want to stay behind with us?”

Their conversation came to another standstill as they picked up on the footfall of two pairs of boots, one with a much heavier gait than the other.

Darien and Loren came around the corner, looking miles worse than when they’d left. Travis would be willing to bet they’d circled back to last night’s argument, and whatever words they’d exchanged had prompted the black shining in Darien’s eyes. He shadowed Loren like a bodyguard—protecting her back while his lethal gaze picked apart everything in front of her in search of threats. As for Loren, she looked dejected and plain tired, but regardless of what she was feeling it wasn’t strong enough to make her step away from Darien.

Roman rose. “We should go. Paxton’s missing, and from what these guys are telling me, he’s got Shadowmasters on his tail.”

“We don’t know for sure if he’s missing,” Max clarified for Darien and Loren’s benefit. “We’re hoping Dominic and Blue are hiding him and his friend someplace safe.”

“Hope isn’t good enough for me,” Roman snapped. “As far as I’m concerned, until I see Paxton standing in front of me with my own two eyes, he’s missing and he needs our help.”

“Your truck survived,” Lace said to Darien. “It was easy enough to get here, so we shouldn’t have any problem driving to Roman’s.”

“Who’s all coming?” Darien asked.