Page 68 of Fractured Hearts

“The black ones or the brown ones?” he asks. There is no scenario where I can figure out why that would matter.

“Brown. He complained that he was wearing the brown ones instead of the black ones when everyone had to go into hiding. Apparently the black match more,” I say, a smile making the edges of my mouth twitch, but not able to actually form.

“What’s this about, Cal?” Kai interjects, having lost what little patience he had for this. I’m right there with him.

“I may have put trackers in all of Maverick’s shoes after that time he disappeared on us.” The entire house goes silent, like even the old plumbing is waiting for someone to react. Jeanne is leaning over in her seat, her milky blue eyes wide. I know the old woman is enjoying the real-life movie unfolding in front of her.

Cal means the time Maverick turned off his phone after having lunch with Eva and everyone worried he was too depressed to function. He wasn’t even missing. That must have really freaked out Cal, though, if he went that far. Maverick does have a tendency to wander when we’re out shopping or exploring a new city. I don’t think that really calls for being tracked without his knowledge though. I want to be pissed and I will be later, but if this helps us find Maverick, I’ll let it slide. I can hear Harlow muttering something and the sound of typing. Cal will be in enough trouble with his wife after this call is over.

“I’m going to send over the coordinates to your phone, Jo,” Cal says. “This says he’s still in Maine. But like the middle of the woods.” Well, that brings up every horror movie I’ve ever seen right to the forefront of my mind. My phone vibrates in my hand, and I look at the pin Cal sent me on the map.

“This is where they are?” I ask, already writing the longitude and latitude with a quick note on the back of a napkin and sliding it in front of Harrison. He takes the napkin, frowns, and then starts typing on his laptop.

“It’s at least where Maverick’s boots are,” Cal says before I hear another oomph.

“Don’t go all guns blazing. Gather information and do this smart, Jo. I know you, and I know you’ll do anything for the people you care about. What you need to do for them right now is make a plan and then a back-up plan and a back-up plan to the back-up plan. Be prepared or stay where you are.” Harlow’s tone leaves no room for argument. She’s right. I know she is, but as I stare at the location on my phone, I know the best I can do is a single plan. They don’t have time for me to sit here and think. I need to get to them, and I need to get to them now.

“I will, Harry. I promise to call you with any updates. Love you.” I hang up before she can say anything. She knows when I’m lying, and I’m sure she’s trying to wrestle the car keys from Cal right now.

“At least let me have my guy map out the area before we leave. He said he can have it to me in an hour,” Harrison says, looking up from his work for the first time.

“We?” I ask. I didn’t think he would let me go. I was fully planning on sneaking out of the house.

“I’m not letting you go alone, and I know you won’t stay put unless we tie you down.” I don’t know if the tears in my eyes are from the overwhelming anxiety this is causing or because Harrison is the only parental figure that’s ever made me feel loved, so I just nod at him. He returns it and quickly goes back to whatever he was looking at before.

“I’m going too,” Kai says. Everyone around the table says the same. I’m pretty sure I even heard Jeanne’s voice in there.

“No,” Harrison and I say together. The arguments all start at once, and I can’t decipher one voice over the other, but they’re all saying the same thing. They want to help. They feel useless and helpless just sitting around. And I get it, I really do.

“It has to be just me and Harrison. We need to focus on getting them out of whatever situation they’re in right now and can’t have our attention divided by having to protect you.”

I can feel Willa frown next to me. She took a kickboxing class with me a few times when I lived with her and honestly, if anyone in this group could hold their own, it’s her. But I still won’t risk it.

“Jo can kick all of your asses six ways to Sunday,” Harrison says.

“I don’t know what that means,” Declan whispers.

“I trained with Ezra every day, too. He taught me how to shoot.” I leave out the part where I never really mastered it, but I’m hoping I won’t need a gun. I look across the table to see Kai frowning. He must be realizing how much he doesn’t know about his twin. Belle wraps her arms around his shoulders and leans into him.

“How about a compromise?” she says. She’s looking at Kai, but I know the question was directed at me.

“What are you thinking?” I ask, realizing that just like there was no way of keeping me from going to Maverick and Ezra, there might not be a way to keep Kai here either.

“What if we go in separate vehicles and stay a good distance away? That way we’re there when you find them and if you need help.” I bite my bottom lip to stop myself from immediately saying no. “I know how to shoot a gun, too.” I freeze, not expecting that. Out of everyone in our group, Belle is the softest. Not in a bad way, but she definitely feels things the most and tries to be the peacekeeper. Her having a gun in her hand isn’t something I can picture.

“Since when?” Willa asks, sounding offended that she either didn’t know or wasn’t invited to whatever class Belle must have taken.

“Probably about a year ago now,” Belle says. “I hated feeling helpless after everything with Brad, but I hate exercise. So I learned to shoot, and both Kai and I have gun licenses. We keep the gun in our bedroom in a safe.”

“I can throw a pretty good punch,” Declan adds like he was feeling left out. We’re all aware of his on-ice fighting ability, but this isn’t hockey, and Patrick isn’t going to stop himself from killing them.

I groan and drop my head into my hands. I can tell from the look on Kai’s face that he’s not going to be left behind. Agreeing to let any of them come with us is a terrible fucking idea, but at least that way I’ll know where they are. If I tell them no, they’re just going to find a way, anyway.

“Fine. Harrison and I will go in Ezra’s truck. Once he has the information on where they’re being kept, we’ll come up with a plan, but you have to stick to it.”

“Yes, Mom,” Willa says, rolling her eyes. I know she’s trying to break up the tension with humor, but I’m too stressed.

“Lovely!” Jeanne exclaims, making us all jump. “To the armory!” We all watch, slack-jawed, as the tiny old lady bounces up out of her chair and practically skips her way down the hall. “Are you coming?”