Page 174 of His Boys to Protect

Their Sky was probably lonely. And sad. They needed to go after him. Save him. Bring him home.

But Ward was right. Skylar could have gone anywhere. There'd be no way to find him.

Charlie lowered his phone with a sigh and looked up. He spotted Ward's truck, but they weren't going that way. Ward was following Dakota and the others instead. Charlie stopped and pointed. “Hhnn.”

“No, you're going back home with your brother,” Ward said.

Charlie refused to budge. “Hhnn!”

Ward turned to face him. He crouched down, putting them at eye level. “Charlie, not now. Besides, it's Thanksgiving tomorrow. You should be with your family.”

Charlie frowned. He wanted Ward to be his family. And Skylar, too. They should be together!

But Ward insisted, and Dakota pulled Charlie away. Charlie shuffled along after his brother, letting Dakota put him into Beau's SUV while Ward trudged off in the other direction.

Charlie sank into the passenger seat, barely cooperating when Dakota tried to put on his seatbelt for him. He stared down at his phone again. It wasn't fair. They were supposed to be with their Sky!

He opened the tracking app again. The airport seemed so impossibly far away now, knowing that Skylar could have gone anywhere from there. Charlie started to close the app, then gasped and quickly opened it again.

Skylar's phone was on!

Charlie stared at the screen. He held his breath, watching as the signal captured an address. Charlie gasped. He recognized that address! Skylar's phone had been there before.

He sat up straight and looked around, but Ward was too far away. The man was already in his truck, backing out of a parking space.

Charlie reached over and beat on the horn.

“Charlie?” Mav asked from the back seat just as Beau was climbing in on the driver's side.

“What the hell?” Dakota added, sitting beside Mav.

Charlie held down the horn again.

Ward looked around, frowned in confusion, and drove his truck over to stop beside theirs.

Charlie frantically tried to open his door.

Ward got to him first, getting out and opening the door for him. “Charlie? What's wrong?”

Charlie bounced in his seat, too desperate to sign. He shoved his phone into Ward's hands and frantically pointed.Our Sky! Our Sky!

Ward stared at the phone. “Holy shit.” His eyes started to go wide, only for his face to turn sad a moment later. “Damn it. He went back.”

We get him! We get him!Charlie signed insistently.

Ward looked at him, and Charlie saw something change on the man's face. His jaw set, and his eyes hardened. But it wasn't an angry look. Whatever it was, it gave Charlie hope.

“Okay,” Ward said. “I'll go right now.”

Charlie was just about to say he'd go, too, except he knew he'd hold things up. They needed to get to their Sky as fast as possible, and it would be easier for Ward alone.Go! Go!

“Okay, buddy. Okay. I'll go find him. I'll do whatever it takes to bring him back.”

Back forever, Charlie insisted.

Ward studied his eyes. “Charlie?” He glanced at the others, a hint of color showing on his cheeks, but he focused on Charlie again as he crouched down and looked up at him. “Do you mean that? Forever?”

Charlie nodded emphatically, jerking his chin up and down.We get new house. Together always. No leave! Nobody else. Us together!

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