Page 63 of Storm and Tempest

Jax nodded. “When he showed up in Colorado, I tried to get him to tell me what agreement he had that made my mother and my sister off-limits, but then they were kidnapped anyway. Ifigured there was something he didn’t want to do, and they were taken as leverage.”

Maizie frowned. “I thought they were kidnapped because of Kenna’s thing?”

“I wondered about that as well. But it seemed like there was far too much he wasn’t saying.” Jax ran his hands through his hair. “I’ll call him, then we can go.”

She nodded. “I’ll keep working until you’re ready.”

Part of him needed to rush to that hospital and find out if Kenna had ever been there. She might even be there now. The whole airport lead might have simply been a smokescreen—or a plane had taken her to Flagstaff. Jax needed information, and the closest place he could get it was from his father.

He had to show his father the photo. Marcus Buzard standing beside his father, both cutting a wide red ribbon with a pair of ridiculously oversize scissors.

Jax left the laptop and went into the garage, calling his father’s number while he paced the concrete floor. Too much of the house reminded him of Kenna. Enjoying it alone, or even thinking of her there, would seem like too much of a betrayal.

The phone rang, giving him something to focus on. A way to get answers about his family connection to their enemy.

He didn’t want to believe his dad had something to do withDominatus, but there was far too much evidence not to ask.

“Oliver?”

“Mom?” He quit pacing. “Why are you answering Dad’s phone? Is everything okay?”

His mother’s voice had been shaking when she answered the phone. Now a dog barked in the background.

“Mom?”

A shuffle came over the line, and then a woman said, “Jax? It’s Elizabeth Stairns.”

That meant the dog barking had been Cabot, since Kenna’s dog had gone with Craig and Elizabeth when they dropped Maizie in Phoenix and went to California to watch out for his family.

“What’s going on, Elizabeth?”

A pause. “Your mother called me a little while ago to come over.”

In the background he heard his mom’s raised voice. “He’s never done this before!” She sounded distressed.

Jax’s breath quickened.

Elizabeth said, “Your father left in a hurry. He packed a few things, but didn’t take his phone. It was on the sideboard in the front hallway.”

“He took his wallet?”

“Yes, I believe so.”

“And we’re sure he packed his things and left?” Jax put the phone on speaker. “Is there any way he could’ve been taken?”

He sent a text on the group thread between him, his sister Laney, and Elizabeth’s husband, Craig Stairns, to give them the rundown. He figured Stairns could investigate where Jax’s father had gone while Laney supported their mother. Even if Elizabeth was a trained counselor, he wanted his mom to have someone with her.

“I’m still asking those questions,” Elizabeth said. “As soon as I know, I’ll fill you in.”

“Thank you.”

Before he could ask, she said, “Adrielle, would you like to speak to your son again?”

Jax heard his mom answer, then she spoke into the phone. “Why would he do this?”

“I don’t know, Mom.” Jax tried to be reassuring. “What did he say the last time you spoke to him? How did he seem?”

“We had breakfast like always. He was on his iPad, and I was reading a nice devotional Laney gave to me.” She took a breathy pause. “Are you going to come here?”