Page 83 of Reckless and Rooted
“I need to see Grandma, honey,” I say, walking inside and letting her shut the door behind me.
I stalk toward voices and am not surprised to see Logan and Stetson with their girls sitting around the table, waiting for us for dinner.
“Finally!” Stetson says jokingly. “I’m starving.”
My mom—and it seems the other three—catch on quicker when they see my expression. “What’s wrong?” she asks, standing and coming to take my son from me. I hold him a little tighter, this feeling in my gut tightening with fear.
I don’t want to let them both go. What if I don’t get them back?
“Felicity’s in trouble,” is all I can manage to get out, and suddenly, Thea and Bonnie are there, taking the diaper bag from me gently and encouraging me to give Law to my mom. I let out a breath as soon as he’s out of my arms, and my tense muscles that have been holding me up relax as reality hits me.
“Where is Felicity, Jax?” This comes from Logan, and I appreciate his blunt, no-nonsense way about him.
“I don’t know,” I choke out, trying to take in a slow breath before I close my eyes and explain what happened.
“Why would her boyfriend take her?” Bonnie asks softly. “It’s not like she’s not a huge celebrity. People would just notice her.”
A feeling slithers around me, and I can’t quite figure out what it is or why I’m allowing it to control me, but there’s something there, on the edge of my mind just out of reach that tells me this was not Zack’s doing.
As pompous as he seems, he also doesn’t seem like the brightest person in the world. Felicity would eat him alive.
Faintly, I hear the sound of a motorcycle before it’s abruptly shut off. The front door to my mom’s house slams open, making us all jump, and a worried voice calls my name. “Jax!”
I stand quickly, walking down the hall and coming up abruptly on Mitch. His eyes settle once he sees me, and his fear dissipates. “Oh, thank God.”
Then, he does something I never would have expected. He reaches out and pulls me into a hug.
I hesitate for a minute, the whispering group behind us ceasing their chatter at what must be a shocking sight, then I wrap my arms around my brother, my fear at Felicity being gone bleeding out into the hug.
“I thought he got to you,” Mitch says when he pulls away, looking from me to the family. “He just snuck in under our radar. I found out not even ten minutes ago.”
“Who is under your radar, Mitchell?” Our mother’s voice questions sharply, drawing our attention. She’s passed Lawson to my sister-in-law and looks concerned, but not yet pissed.
That was definitely going to come.
Then, it hits me what Mitch is saying. “Dad’s here?” I start moving without knowing where I am going or who I am going to talk to. I just need to move, to get to her before something bad happens.
“Your father?” Mom’s voice follows. “Hold on one damn minute.” Her voice is what whips my attention back, and despite the war raging inside of me, I can’t miss the hurt that laces her tone. “You two have been seeing your father?”
“Mom…” I start, unsure how to explain anything right now. Not to her and not to my two other brothers, who looked on with confusion.
“Mom.” Mitch cuts in, turning to her. “Keith is incredibly unstable, dangerous. When we were on the circuit, he buddied up to Jax, telling him all sorts of lies and promises.”
I hang my head, feeling the slither of shame all over again. If I hadn’t been hurt, if I hadn’t been desperate, I could have turned him away.
Now, we are in this situation because of me.
“So, you’ve seen your father? More than once?” Mom looks like she’s hanging on by a thread, and I don’t blame her. Problem is, so am I.
“We will tell you everything, but right now, with him on the loose, Felicity is not safe. We need to find her.” I don’t think anyone has heard Mitch say so many words in a row since being home.
Thea and Bonnie take Lue and Lawson down into the den, gracefully giving me and my family a moment to talk. Logan looks disappointed, as does Stetson, and I get that being their focal point, but right now, mine is my girl.
“I can’t believe you’ve been seeing Dad. Like, for years?” Stetson asks, sitting on the edge of the sofa’s armrest.
I nod my head. “It’s one of my biggest mistakes, Stets. I fell for all of his bullshit.”
I look to my mom, and she comes to stand in front of me, her hands reaching up to cup my cheeks. “This is not your fault, honey. Your father is a piece of shit who only cares for himself. He’s manipulative, he’s controlling, and he’s charming. He can lie through his teeth and tell you what you want to hear without making you think otherwise.” She pulls me in, hugging me tight even though, anymore, it is hard for her to wrap her armsaround me. But it is still my mother’s hug and something I need right now.
