Page 74 of While He Breathes

One day, you have nothing to live for.

And the next, you have everything.

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

ORION

Max looks like he’s about to hit something.

Actually, he looks like he’s about to hit me, and I’d probably let him.

He and Darius arrived two hours after we called to let them know the plan went to hell and we have no idea where Ember is, and there hasn’t been a moment since that he hasn’t looked ready to kill me for the part I played in all this.

“You two fighting isn’t going to help,” Darius reasons, but his body is coiled just as tightly as ours are.

The more time that goes by without any new information, the more hopeless everything feels.

I won’t give up.

I’ll never give up on finding her.

But that doesn’t mean I can protect my mind from all the ways they could be hurting her right now.

I’ve seen the way Lucas looks at my girl, and allowing myself even a moment to think of the vile things he would do given the chance makes me crazy.

“I can’t believe you let her walk into that bar,” Max says for the tenth time in the last hour. I know, because I’ve counted every single one.

It’s one of the ways I’m stopping myself from doing something rash, like burning down every building Lucas has ever stepped foot in.

“It was the best plan we had,” Killian reasons…again.

“It was a stupid plan,” Max snaps.

I run my hand down my face, fatigue beginning to get the better of me.

It’s been six hours since we found her trackers and earpiece in an abandoned van down by the marina, and every single minute has felt like an eternity.

We have every person who works for us, plus a bunch of security specialists that Max hired, scouring the city for her, but in a city the size of Los Angeles it could take days, weeks even, to get so much as a lead.

Darius contacted an old hacker friend of his from college, and they’re helping, but it’s taking too long.

It’s all taking too long.

I drop my head into my hands. It’s getting late, and we all need some sleep. Tensions are running high, and if we keep going the way we are, we’re going to kill each other before we ever have a hope of finding Ember.

But I know I won’t sleep.

There’s no way I’ll be able to while thinking of all the things Ember could be enduring right now.

“I know we’re all anxious to get Ember back, but right now we’re no good to her. We have people looking for her, we’re not giving up, but I think we all need to take a breather to regroup,” Killian says carefully, and is met by three men glaring at him.

“No,” Max growls. “No way. I’m not going to rest until we have her back. Absolutely not.”

“Max.” Darius squeezes his shoulder. “Killian’s right. We’re burned out already, and we’ve only been here for a few hours.Ember needs us at our best, and right now, we’re not that. We’re a mess.”

Max looks as if he’s about to argue, but instead nods. “Maybe we could sleep for a few hours,” he hedges.

Killian breathes a sigh of relief before tapping out a series of messages on his phone. “I’ve got everyone reporting to me, so if they find anything, I will let you know immediately.”