Page 108 of Finding His Redemption

Thunder rumbled overhead. The rain was coming down harder now, drumming against the school’s roof and turning the parking lot into a maze of puddles. Through the gym’s windows,she could see Ghost bent over his laptop, coordinating with the various search teams. Maps were spread across folding tables, marked with colored pins and search grids.

So many people looking for Oliver. The entire town, it seemed, plus the men from Valor Ridge, plus federal agents she still couldn’t quite believe were here. All because of her son. All because she’d brought her secrets to this place and now they were spilling over onto everyone else.

“This is my fault.” The words scraped her throat raw. “I should have told him the truth about you. About why I couldn’t... why I had to keep my distance.”

“What truth?” Jax asked, carefully neutral. “Who’s Alek, Nessie? And why are there federal agents here?”

She closed her eyes and lifted her face to the sky. The rain was cold, mixing with her hot tears. “I can’t tell you. Not here. Not now.”

“Then when?” Hurt bled through in his voice despite his obvious effort to keep it contained. “Nothing you’ve done is worse than what I’ve done. Nothing you’ve done will make me push you away. I know it’s a lot to ask, but just… trust me, sweetness. Please.”

She opened her eyes to find him watching her, his expression raw and vulnerable in a way she’d never seen before.

How could she explain witness protection to a man who’d already been burned by the system? How could she tell him that everything about her life in Solace was a lie, that even her name wasn’t real?

“I do trust you, Jax.” She reached out and cupped his jaw, his stubble rasping against her palm. “And I promise when we find Oliver, I’ll tell you everything.”

He stared into her eyes for a long moment, his hand coming up to rest over hers on his cheek.

“Okay,” he said finally, and drew her hand away, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

The sound of boots on wet pavement made them both turn.

“Ms. Harmon?” Principal Martinez’s umbrella was doing little to keep the rain from soaking her blouse and trousers. “I’m afraid I have to get home to my kids. My babysitter has stayed as long as she could. But you’re welcome to use the gym as a base as long as you need. I really am very sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” She didn’t blame anyone at the school. This was all on her.

“If I can find a way to come back tonight, I will.”

“Thank you. We’ll keep you updated,” Jax said.

The principal nodded and hurried to her car, leaving Nessie standing in the rain with the handful of people who hadn’t given up yet. Nearby, Mariah sat in the front seat of her car, using a flashlight and maps to help Ghost coordinate the search teams while her son slept fitfully in the backseat. Brandt paced by his SUV, heedless of the rain soaking his suit, his phone glued to his ear as he called in favors and resources, doing his best to keep the press away after a well-meaning teenager posted about the missing boy on social media.

And scattered throughout the growing storm, the Valor Ridge men continued their search.

“Radio check,” Boone’s voice crackled through the walkie-talkie at Jax’s belt. “Alpha Team, report.”

“Alpha Team, nothing yet,” Jonah replied. “Covered the old sawmill and the dry creek bed. Moving to the railroad bridge, then we’ll head up to the road and continue toward the ranch.”

“Bravo?”

“Negative on the park and playground in town,” River said. “We’re going to stop at Nessie’s just in case he found his way there, then we’re heading to the residential area north of Main Street.”

“Charlie Team?”

“Still searching the woods behind the school,” Anson reported. He was with Bear and King. “Found some broken branches that might be fresh, but no sign of the boy. We’re making our way toward Ridge Road, but King seems confused and keeps doubling back.”

Brandt approached them, his face grim. “I just got off the phone with the weather service. We can expect steady rain for the next several hours, and the temperature’s dropping fast.”

“How fast?” Nessie asked, though she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

Brandt’s expression was all professional, as usual, but she’d known him long enough that she could see the concern under his mask. “Low forties, maybe upper thirties by midnight.”

Low forties.

And Oliver was out there somewhere, just in his school clothes. Jeans and a Minecraft t-shirt. Slide on sneakers, no socks. No jacket.She swayed on her feet, and Jax steadied her with a hand on her back.

Brandt noticed, but he didn’t say anything despite the censure in his eyes.