Theo

“And, here's the kitchen, overlooking the outdoor entertaining area.” Susan led us through the living room to a large kitchen that had been outfitted in all the latest upgrades, including marble waterfall countertops and a Viking range.

It was nice, if a little too trendy for my taste. Fortunately, the guys deferred to me in matters of style, so as long as I satisfied the other items on our wish list, they would be happy.

Not that it would be easy to find a home that would fit all our requirements. It was going to take time, and considerable patience, to find what we were looking for. I'd already spent hours pouring over online listings, and this was the first property we'd toured since making the decision to start looking for a new home, a bigger home. While it could easily accommodate the six of us, I wasn't sold.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I glanced at it, surprised to see Kara's name flash across the screen. I gestured for Liam to continue and paused by a wall of windows overlooking the pool.

“Hey, Kara. What's up?”

“Hi, Theo. Have you heard from Haley? She was supposed to text when she was done with training, but I haven't heard from her, and it's getting a little late.” I pulled my phone away to check the time and saw it was close to six. “I wondered if maybe she had gone home first to change.”

“I'm not at the loft right now, but I can call her.”

“It's probably nothing,” Kara said, but I could hear the worry in her voice. “I'm sure she'll be here any minute. Sorry to interrupt your evening.”

After saying goodbye, I immediately navigated to the Favorites screen to call Haley. Her phone went straight to voicemail, which wasn't unusual when she was in class, so I left a quick message. Not sure if there was reason for concern, I sent a text message asking her to call.

But would she? I'd barely seen her since Taco Tuesday, and I was at a loss for what to do now. We'd given her space, we'd tried talking to her, and I just wanted things to go back to normal. Why else would I entertain the idea of buying a multimillion-dollar home with the guys so we could all live together?

Susan's melodious voice wafted to me from the kitchen, clearly making her sales pitch. “It's a gorgeous property with everything a young couple like yourselves could want for entertaining.”

Liam chuckled, and I couldn't wait to hear his response. “We have a girlfriend, but the house is a surprise.”

I rejoined them in time to see a very flustered Susan flapping her hands in the air. “I'm so sorry, I just . . .” She gulped and smoothed her hands down her skirt, the color of her cheeks darkening to a deep pink. “Many of my clients are same-sex couples. I apologize for making the assumption.”

“Liam is quite the catch.” I slung my arm around his neck and grinned, amused by the entire exchange. I wondered how long it would take Susan to realize what Liam had actually said.

He slid out from under my arm. “I'd like to see the rest of the house, unless something came up?” he asked with a raised brow.

“Kara wanted to know if I'd seen Haley, since she's running late for dinner.”

Liam lifted a shoulder. “I'm sure Kenneth kept them late. You know how he can be.”

I nodded in agreement before turning my attention to Susan and clapping my hands. “Now, let's see those walk-in closets.”

She laughed nervously and led the way upstairs to the second level. After we'd finished touring the rest of the property, we returned to the front entry.

“What do you think? Is the location and size what you’re looking for?” she asked, gripping her satchel.

“The location is good, definitely in the area we wanted,” Liam said.

Lest she think we were ready to buy, I interjected. “The size is in line with our needs, but some of the amenities from our wish list are missing.”

She nodded thoughtfully. “I have a few other listings you may be interested in. One isn't far from here, although it’s a bit of a fixer-upper.” She pulled out a tablet and swiped the screen. “Here,” she said, holding it out to us.

I scrolled through the images while Liam looked on from beside me. The house was nice, even if outdated. Fortunately, I could see past bad style to good bones, and it had promise.

“How many bedrooms?” I asked, while Liam excused himself to take a call.

“Seven, and four baths, not including the detached guest house.”

Susan extolled the features of the home, and was explaining her thoughts on the asking price, when Liam rejoined us with a tight smile. Something had him visibly shaken, and I was immediately on edge.

“I apologize, but we have a family emergency. Theo and I have to leave immediately.”

My eyes darted to him, trying to read his face. Family emergency?

“Oh, okay.” She quickly shook our hands. “I hope everything is okay. Please contact me when you're ready to proceed.”

“Thank you for your time. We will.” Liam rushed toward his R8, and I followed on his heels. I could feel the tension rolling off him, and it was only increasing my anxiety. He waited until we were alone in the car before saying, “Haley's missing.”

“What?” My head jerked back, but Liam was already shifting the car into drive, the tires squealing as he sped out of the driveway. I had whiplash, and not just from his impetuous driving.

“She didn't return from the assignment, so Kenneth contacted Patrick. Chase and Knox are at the loft. Jax will meet us there.”

“Missing?” I repeated, still not willing to believe it.

I checked my phone for calls or text messages from Haley. Nothing. Staring ahead, I mentally kicked myself. I should've expected that this was coming, but I'd been in denial, choosing to believe that she would talk to me, talk to us. Fight for us.

We made it to the loft in record time and found Knox and Chase huddled around several laptops spread over the dining table. Jackson had his back turned to us, his ear to the phone. He soon ended the call with a terse goodbye.

“Here's what we know,” Jackson said, addressing the room. “Haley was last seen at the training center around two this afternoon. She left in the Jeep and didn't report back by the five o'clock deadline. She and Kara had plans to meet for dinner, and Kara still hasn't heard from her. Kara will contact us if she hears anything.”

He looked at Chase. “Any luck with her phone?”

“It went straight to voicemail, but I tracked it to the training center.”

Jackson nodded. “We'll deal with it later. Knox?”

“GPS puts her Jeep in a shitty part of San Jose about forty minutes from here.”

I slumped into a chair, feeling numb. How could Haley do this to me? She knew how gutted I was when she vanished to Portland. I couldn't go through this again—the worry, the search, begging her to return, waiting for it to all fall apart.

Jackson continued speaking, but I didn't hear anything until he barked my name, and I snapped to attention. “What?”

“Grab your gear and get in my Jeep. The others will meet us there.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “If Haley doesn't want to be here, I'm not going to force her to return, again.”

Knox and Jackson shared a look before Knox crouched beside my chair. “Look, Theo, I know you've been burned. Trust me, I get it. But I don't think she ran this time.”

I turned to stare at him, assessing eyes that weren't so different from my own. I could see honesty and fear reflected in their depths. The idea of Knox being afraid of something terrified me.

“Jax will explain en route. Please, let's just go. We're wasting precious time.”

Despite my insecurities, my issues with abandonment, I knew that Knox wouldn't beg if it wasn’t important. So, I stood and collected the backpack he'd prepared for me.

Jackson sped down the highway, threading through traffic and passing the city in a blur. He connected a call through the steering wheel, and the phone rang over the speakers.

“Kenneth James.” There was noise in the background, and if I had to guess, he was at a busy restaurant or bar.

“Kenneth, it's Jackson Hart. My team and I are mobilizing to find Miss Jones, and I have a few questions since you were overseeing her assignment.”

“I'd be happy to help in any way I can. She's one of the best students I've ever had.”

My chest warmed with pride at Kenneth's statement. I knew Haley was remarkable, but it was nice to hear someone else recognize her abilities. But then I felt a pang of betrayal, remembering how she'd used her skills to evade us. Maybe she was doing so again on an even more elaborate scale.

Fuck. My thoughts were all over the place.

Jackson didn't comment on Kenneth's praise, instead focusing on the facts. “Can you give me a quick overview of her assignment?”

“Sure. Each trainee was assigned a building to evaluate and was expected to provide a comprehensive security plan. They had to locate the site and complete a form detailing their suggestions within the allotted time.”

“Haley was assigned 18869 Enterprise Drive, correct?” Jackson asked.

“Enterprise Drive? That doesn’t sound familiar, but I’ll have to check the dossier to confirm. I’ll head back to my hotel now and text you the address shortly.”

“Hmm,” Jackson mused. “Okay, thanks. Anything else you can think of that might help?”

“No, but I’ll be sure to let you know if something comes to mind.”

“Thanks, Kenneth. I appreciate it,” Jackson said with an expression I couldn't decipher.

Fifteen minutes later, a text finally arrived with the address for a building on Camden. After a call to Knox, informing him of the new plan, Jackson exited the highway and headed for San Jose. We'd left Chase, Knox, and Liam to scope out the location of the Jeep and retrieve it while we headed to the address from her assignment. Assuming they didn't find Haley there, Chase would drive the Jeep to the office after swinging by the training center to pick up her phone.

I stared at the white stripes on the highway, disappearing one after another beneath us.

“I don't think she left of her own accord,” Jackson said. “Neither does Knox.”

“Mhmm.” I wasn’t convinced.

“First of all, her room was intact—photos in their frames, guitar in its case, no clothes noticeably missing. The safe was locked and, before you ask, we checked the interior. There was a stack of money inside, as well as a few other items.”

“That doesn't prove anything. She's been shutting us out since the rumors started, and she left her phone at the training center.”

“Maybe it was an oversight.”

I glared at him, and Jackson glanced at me before returning his attention to the road. We both knew Haley was too responsible to accidentally leave her phone, of all things, behind. Was it possible she had forgotten it? Yes, but it wasn't likely.

“What about the Jeep?” he asked.

“What about it?”

“She wouldn't ditch it in a shitty part of town where it could easily be stolen or stripped. She has too much respect for Knox for that.”

“But discarding a thousand-dollar iPhone is okay?”

He sighed. “No, but I've run through all the arguments in my head. And, as corny as it's going to sound, I know in my gut that something's wrong.”

“Yeah, she left. That's what's wrong.” I clenched my jaw.

“No.” He shook his head, his hands gripping the wheel even as he spoke in a calm voice. “She's too invested, too in love with the five of us, to run. And,” he added in a quieter voice as he pulled into a parking lot, “she knows it would tear us apart.”

After Jackson killed the engine, I waited a minute, then followed him to the front of the building. I would never admit this aloud, but Jackson and Knox were usually right. Not all the time, but enough of it, and they both seemed convinced.

I shoved my feelings down deep and allowed myself to consider the alternative. If she hadn't run, then she could be hurt, or worse.

Oh, dear Zeus, what if she needed me and I wasn't there for her? I couldn't live with myself if I allowed something to happen to her. Maybe she had run, and maybe she hadn't. Either way, I had to know.

“You ready to find our girl?” Jackson asked in the dark.

“Hell, yes.”