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Kaj exhaled, his heart pounding. “I know, boy,” he murmured. He petted Czar’s head, then stepped around him to open the closet door. The clothes were spread out over the safe room door, obscuring it. Jace had to have done that, too.
Jace should have been in the safe room with Elijah. Why did you do it, Jace?
But he knew the answer. Jace was trying to earn safety. A home. Love.
Tears burned Kaj’s eyes. “Elijah?” he called hoarsely. He pushed the clothes aside, exposing the door to the safe room. “Elijah, baby? It’s Dad. Please open the door.”
Czar shuffled into the closet and leaned against Kaj’s legs.
“Elijah?” Fear began to tighten around his heart again. “Come on out, son.” And then Kaj remembered the code word they agreed to only hours before. “Midway, Elijah. Midway.”
Relief swamped him when he heard Elijah disengaging the lock. The door opened and his son flew into his arms. “Dad,” Elijah sobbed.
Kaj dropped to his knees, wrapping Elijah in his arms. “Oh God, you’re okay.”
“Jace. He wouldn’t come in with me.”
“I know, I just saw him. He’s on his way to the hospital.”
Elijah pulled back, his mouth open, his breaths coming too fast as he hiccupped between sobs. His skin was clammy, his face pale. “Corey hurt him?”
Dammit. Of course Elijah hadn’t known. “Yes, but the hospital will fix him up.”
“Where’s Val?” Kaj went still and then Elijah did also. “Dad? Is she... here?”
Kaj knew what his son was asking. Is she alive? They were the words Elijah had used as a little boy when they’d been sitting at Heather’s deathbed, wondering if his mother was still breathing. That Elijah used those same words now nearly broke Kaj’s heart into two.
“Val was taken.” Elijah’s body shuddered and his sobs grew more intense as he cried, “No, no, no.” Kaj held his son tighter, the same words throbbing in his own mind. No, no, no. “We’re going to bring her back.”
I’m going to bring her home.
But where do I start?
With Corey. Corey had taken Val, just like he’d taken Noni Feldman. Corey was still trying to get his hands on Bella. He’d taken Noni either to force her to tell him her source—a traitor in Corey’s organization—or in the hopes that Noni knew where Bella was.
That was why Corey had tried to get to Kaj yesterday. Corey thought that Kaj knew where Bella was hiding. He’d come here today looking for Kaj. Looking for Elijah.
Corey had planned to trade Elijah for Bella’s location. Just like Rick had planned to trade Elijah for Aaron’s freedom. But Corey hadn’t been able to find him, so he’d taken Val. Because they’d seen him with Val yesterday in front of Sylvi’s shop. They knew that Val was important to Kaj.
So damn important.
Aaron had been certain that Corey would go to the camp near Lake Cataouatche. All I need to do is find that camp. He’d have Antoine start searching the property records, but Kaj would also ask Val’s family. Ivan might have left a record. Or a deed. Something.
Kaj backed out of the safe room and closed the closet door. He tilted Elijah’s chin up so that their gazes met. “Did you give yourself insulin?”
Elijah nodded, his eyelids fluttering shut.
“How much?” Kaj demanded, but Elijah didn’t answer. Oh no. He was passing out.
Kaj checked the app that received the data from Elijah’s glucose monitor. It had dropped even lower. Hands shaking, he found a tube of the glucose gel he’d always carried in his pocket since the last time Elijah had become hypoglycemic and squeezed it onto his son’s tongue.
“Swallow it, baby,” he urged, stroking Elijah’s throat until he swallowed. Then he scooped Elijah into his arms and ran out of the room, Czar on his heels.
“What the hell?” the officer standing guard asked. “Where was the kid?”
Kaj didn’t answer. He ran outside, meeting Phin on the front lawn and ignoring the startled cries from the cops at the sight of Elijah. “Get me to the hospital. Please.”
Phin opened the back driver-side door so that Kaj could lay Elijah on the seat, then opened the hatch for Czar to jump into. Kaj sat in the back with Elijah. “Hurry. Please.”
