Page 89 of My Alpha Stepbrother's Dirty Secret 2

"Stay here," Killian said, grabbing my hand and pressing a kiss to it.His eyes locked with mine."Stay still.I'll go join the search.I swear to you, Liana, I'll find him.Just stay—"

"No," I snapped, pulling my hand back.My whole body was shaking.My throat was already dry from screaming."I'm not staying anywhere.He's MY son, Killian!I'm not just going to stand here while he could be...could be—"

I choked.

"Something isn't right," he muttered, looking around again.His voice dropped lower."Liana, this is too calculated.The false alarm, the timing...Something's wrong."

"Exactly!"I said, tears blurring my vision as I pushed past him."That's why I can't stand still!I have to find him!"

and then I was running.I didn't even know where.I just kept calling his name, over and over, moving from one section of the skating area to another."Ryan!Baby, please!Mommy's here!Ryan!"

Killian caught up to me, breathless, grabbing my arm to steady me before I could crash into another bench.His eyes were wild now, panic slowly consuming the rage in his features."Ryan!"he shouted, voice raw."Buddy!answer me!"

The guards had spread out now, sectioning off zones, speaking into radios, flashing pictures of Ryan to everyone still in the building.Some kids were crying again, others clung to their parents, and all I could hear was the thud of my own heart smashing against my chest.

"alpha Killian!"one of the guards called, jogging over with a few others behind him.a tall man stood at the front of the group, sharp in a black suit, eyes hard, like he'd been through a war.He looked straight at Killian and bowed deeply.

"alpha Killian," he said formally."We checked the security feed.The fire alarm was triggered manually, from inside the back corridor, near the mechanical controls."

Killian's jaw clenched."So it was truly fake."

The man nodded."It was a distraction.a diversion, alpha.Just enough to stir panic."

My stomach twisted.I couldn't speak.

Then the man continued, pulling up a tablet and swiping to a security camera feed."This was captured moments before the alarm.a black SUV left through the service exit.Unregistered.Not part of staff.Left before the lockdown."

He turned the screen to show us.

a blurry image of a car with tinted windows pulling out quietly and disappearing into the back alley.

Killian stared at it.and then I saw something change in his face, like he'd just been punched.

"He's in there," he said, voice low and deadly."Ryan's in that car."

I couldn't feel my legs.

Everything around me felt like it was spinning.

"No...no, no, no," I muttered, grabbing the screen, as if I could somehow reach through it and pull my baby back.

Killian was already turning."Get the chopper ready.Track the license.Get every camera in the city on this now.I want drones in the air in five fucking minutes.Shut down every road leading out.Nobody leaves!Do you understand me!?"

"Yes, alpha!"they all echoed.

But I was already frozen.

Because my baby was gone.

and someone took him.

and I didn't know who.

Or why.

and all I could think about was his little face, his little smile, his tiny voice saying, "I've never been this happy, ever."

and now...