Page 18 of One Knight Stand

Before I could open the door, however, Jax stepped in front of me. “Hold on a minute, Red. Let’s go in slow, okay?”

I inhaled a deep breath, withdrawing the key. “Sure. Okay.”

Jax walked in first, with me on his heels. Mr. Toodles shot straight at Jax, growling and baring his teeth until he saw me. I knelt, holding out my arms as all nine pounds of him launched at me, licking my face, wagging his tail, and nearly knocking me backward on my butt.

“He’s so small. What kind of dog is he?”

“He’s a shih tzu. An adorable white fur ball with a black button nose and a lot of personality.”

Jax wrinkled his nose. “I don’t think Mr. Toodles has been for a walk in a while.”

I smelled it, too. Poop.

After a final hug, I set him down and stood. At first glance everything seemed normal. Then I spotted my mom’s purse where she usually kept it on a little table near the kitchen. “Mom?” I called out, moving toward her bedroom. “Are you here?”

I stopped at the doorway of the bedroom with Jax and Mr. Toodles on my heels. The bed was neatly made and the curtains were open, with sunshine spilling inside. Jax strode into the bathroom and came out shaking his head.

“She’s not in there.”

My heart started to beat faster. I couldn’t settle on any one possible explanation for my mom’s disappearance that didn’t terrify me. Mr. Toodles ran around my feet as I stood rooted to the spot while Jax cleared the rest of the place.

“The apartment is empty,” Jax said. “She’s clearly not here and hasn’t been here for a while, as evidenced by the dog piles.”

That spurred me into action. I returned to the living room and checked out my mom’s purse. Her cell phone was nestled inside, nearly out of battery and showing several unheard messages, including calls from me and her work.

“Where is she?” I asked aloud. “She’d never go anywhere without her purse or phone. She definitely wouldn’t have left Mr. Toodles alone for so long.”

“I don’t see any obvious signs of struggle or forced entry into the apartment,” Jax said. “Maybe she went for a jog or a walk or something and got hurt. Maybe we should check at the local hospitals.”

My anxiety skyrocketed. “You think she’s hurt?”

“It’s worth checking out.”

I went into the kitchen and saw Mr. Toodles’s food and water bowls were empty. I filled both while my mind raced through a million possibilities, most awful. “Okay, we can check the hospitals. I know she’d have never left Mr. Toodles alone without food and water.”

Jax’s phone rang, startling me so badly, I jumped. I took a breath to calm myself. I was hanging by a thread here.

Jax studied the number and then returned it to his pocket. “Unknown number,” he murmured.

Now a ping sounded on Jax’s phone, indicating a text. Irritated, he pulled it out again and read the text, his brows drawing together. He turned the phone toward me so I could read it.

If you don’t have your wallet, I’m happy to buy you a cup of hot cocoa and a dessert anytime.

I stared at the text for a long moment, the air freezing in my throat. I might have collapsed if Jax hadn’t steadied me under my elbow. He met my eyes in understanding. We both knew there was only one person who could have sent that text.

My father.

Before I could say anything, another text came in. We both read it at the same time.

Go to the bathroom and turn on the water. Let’s talk.

I had no idea what was going on. I started to say something, but Jax put his finger on my lips to hush me. He pressed his phone into my hand and motioned with his head toward the bathroom. He mimed turning the water on in the sink and shower, until I got what he was telling me.

My mom’s apartment was bugged, and the water would mask the sound of my voice.

“I, ah, need to go to the bathroom, Jax.” He nodded at me. My hands were trembling so bad I thought I’d drop his phone. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

“Sure. I’ll start cleaning up.” Jax’s gaze held mine, but his voice sounded nonchalant when he spoke.

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