The search of the grounds turned up no sign of Felix. It made no sense. He had a phone. He was meticulous about keeping it charged. He had several research apps he liked to consult, as well as a few games that soothed him during stressful moments. He always kept his phone with him. They turned his bedroom upside down, but it was nowhere to be found. The logical conclusion was that he’d taken it with him. So why wasn’t he using it? He hadn’t called Julie, Savannah, Sarah, or anyone else she could think to ask.

A horrible thought kept nagging at Julie. That fateful night outside Ben’s house, her attacker had taken her phone. Had the same thing happened to Felix? Had someone snatched him? He was the son of a movie star and the grandson of the richest family in town. Was someone planning to hold him for ransom?

The terrible scenarios that ran through her brain were driving her nuts.

The Reinhards’ property swarmed with people. The household staff, Will Knight and his intern, Chase. Tobias and Carolyn, along with Sarah. But the person she longed for most, Ben, still hadn’t called her back. Of course, she knew he was still busy with his mother, but my God, all of the crappy timing. She’d never needed him more.

Finally, he arrived, pulling up in a rooster tail of gravel. He ran across the lawn to her and swooped her into his arms. She clutched at him, burying her face in his chest, his familiar scent flooding her with comfort.

“Any news?” he murmured.

“No. He’s gone, his phone is gone, no one’s heard from him.” Panic bubbled close to the surface, but his strong arms around her kept Julie grounded.

“Looks like the whole town is here to help.”

“I know.” She drew back and wiped her eyes. “Mrs. Reinhard thinks he ran away, but I’m not so sure. Felix isn’t the type to run away. He’s too cautious.”

He gazed down at her with sober eyes. “So, what do you think happened?”

“I just…I have this horrible feeling that it’s something even worse.”

A jaunty voice interrupted them. “I can see that I’ve arrived in the nick of time. Things are getting entirely too dire around here.”

They both turned.

In dark sunglasses and a white swing coat, Savannah Reinhard—Savannah St. James to her fans—aimed her famous megawatt smile at them. Even Julie felt the impact, and she was used to Savannah’s presence.

They exchanged a quick hug, then Savannah focused her attention on Ben.

“Well. If I’d known you’d grow up this nicely, I would have fought a little harder for you.”

“Savannah!” Julie frowned at her friend. “You can’t flirt with Ben when Felix is missing.”

“I doubt it.”

“Excuse me?” Julie glanced toward Ben, who looked just as mystified.

“It’s a Reinhard thing. Do you think I don’t know my parents and the lengths they’ll go to? I worked it all out while I was driving down here. I think my parents have him stashed somewhere. I’d bet my Austin-Healey on it. This is a negotiation tactic, like everything they do. And it worked, didn’t it? I’m here. And I guarantee that nothing else would have gotten me to Jupiter Point, so it’s fucking brilliant.”

“That’s insane,” Ben said. “Even for your family.”

“Yeah, I think I’ve finally managed to push them over the edge.” Savannah shoved her sunglasses on top of her head, turning her wild black hair into a rich waterfall down her back. She had an old-Hollywood curvaceousness that somehow managed to make everyone else look thin and washed out. Even Julie, who wasn’t exactly a lightweight. “Only took twenty-nine years.”

Julie finally broke out of her temporary state of shock at Savannah’s suggestion. “I don’t think so, Savannah. Your mom seemed really shocked when she told me he was gone. I can’t believe she’d make us go through all this.”

“That’s because you’re a kind person and always think the best of people. I don’t. Look at what my parents did to you and Ben. They lied to you. We can’t trust anything they say or do.”

Julie and Ben exchanged a wary look. Savannah made a good point. The Reinhards could be manipulative, but would they go this far? On the other hand, if they had Felix, at least that meant he hadn’t been kidnapped.

“Let’s go talk to them,” Ben said grimly. “It’s time they answered for some of the shit they’ve pulled.”

“Agreed,” said Savannah. Together, they all headed for the portico, where Priscilla was talking on her cell phone. “Finally, I have company for this sort of conversation. I never had that before.”

Julie’s phone buzzed with a text and she stopped to check it.

The message came from Felix’s phone, and said in big capital letters—SAY NOTHING AND ANSWER THE PHONE ALONE.

Oh my God, oh my God.

She was right, someone had Felix’s phone. Did they have Felix, too?

She scanned the surrounding area in a panic. Answer the phone alone. How was she supposed to manage that in this crowd of searchers? Especially around Ben and Savannah, both of whom knew her far too well?

Luckily, they were a few steps ahead of her.

“I thought of somewhere else to check,” she called to them. “I’ll be right back. Two seconds.”

Ben looked over his shoulder at her. “Want me to come?”

“No, no. Go ahead.” She waved him away, while Savannah tugged on his arm. He nodded and continued across the lawn toward the portico.

Julie swallowed hard as she watched him walk away from her, so tall and strong.

She had the terrible sense that this could be it for them, the end of their second chance.

Alone, the message had said. Whatever was coming, she had to handle it by herself, for Felix’s sake.

She withdrew behind a flower delivery van. A moment later, her phone rang. Did that mean the caller could see her? That Felix was somewhere nearby? Or at least his phone was?

“Hello,” she answered in a low voice. Please be Felix on the line. Please.

“Hello.” It wasn’t Felix. It was a strange voice, deep, probably distorted. “I have the little boy. If you want him back, you have to do exactly what I say.”

“Who are you? What do you want with him?”

“He’s leverage, that’s all. He won’t get hurt. But I need you to follow my instructions. No negotiating.”

“Put Felix on the phone. I want to make sure he’s okay.”

“That’s negotiating.”

“No, it isn’t. I’m not going to argue with anything you tell me to do. I’ll do it. I want to know you’re not lying, that’s all.” There was an expression for it, they’d even made a movie out of it. “Proof of life,” she burst out. “That’s the phrase. I need proof that Felix is alive.”

“I have no interest in killing him. Jesus.”

Who was he? His voice wasn’t familiar, but something in his intonation was. Her singer’s ear caught it, a certain downturn at the end of the sentence. Where had she heard it before?

“You weren’t supposed to come back. I warned you. If anything bad happens to this kid, it’s on you.”

Julie froze, the world spinning around her.

That was why he sounded familiar. He was the man who’d grabbed her outside the Knights’ house. “You.”

“Me,” he said smugly.

She thought quickly. If his goal was to get rid of her, no problem. “Listen. This is a big misunderstanding. I came back only so Felix could meet his grandparents, but it’s not a permanent thing. I don’t intend to stay.”

“Then why have you been talking to Will Knight? You’ve been digging up the past, haven’t you? You should have stayed in LA.”

“I’ll stop. I’ll leave. Right away. Just let Felix go. I’ll leave and never come back.”

“I don’t believe you. I’ve seen you with your old boyfriend. I can’t be sure you’ll stay away.”

“Yes, you can. You can be absolutely sure. If that’s the price of Felix’s safety, I can guarantee no one will see me in Jupiter Point ever again. Let me talk to him. That’s all I ask.”

“No specifics, no questions about where we are or anything like that.”

“Understood.”

The man disappeared from the phone, while Julie’s blood hammered in her ears. After what felt like forever, Felix came on the line. “Hi Julie.”

“Hey, buddy boy. Are you okay?”

“Are we going back to LA? I heard what that man said.”

“Yes. We’re absolutely going back to LA. Tell him I said so, that I’m really looking forward to it.”

“But what about Ben, and Sarah, and everyone else?”

Julie could tell from his voice that the thought of leaving Jupiter Point actually made him sad. Unfortunately, she didn’t have time to savor the irony. “I’m sure we’ll see them all again. LA isn’t that far. Everything’s going to be fine…especially if you pull a Felix. Okay, Kiddo? Hand your phone back to the man and I’ll see you really soon.”

A pause while he absorbed her words. Would he pick up on her “pull a Felix” request? If he could focus his mind on accumulating information, he’d stay calm. “Okay. Bye Julie.”

The man came back on the phone and directed her to a gas station just outside of town. As she listened to him, she realized something else. His intonation was familiar, yes—because she’d heard his voice recently.

“Not a word to anyone until you’re a hundred miles out. Then you can call off the search. Tell everyone you found the kid and you’re taking him home to Los Angeles. And then you stay there. You got it?”

“I got it.”

Yup, she got it. History was about to repeat itself. Once again, she had to leave Ben behind with no word.

And this time, she had to stay away, for good.

Ben had managed to catch a couple of Savannah’s movies over the years, but her confrontation with her mother had to be her best performance of all time. She tore into her, flinging accusations of kidnapping and worse. But no matter what tactics she used, Priscilla held firm that she hadn’t hidden Felix anywhere. She’d given him the best guest room in the house, and when she went up to find him, the room was empty.

Mr. Reinhard, who’d been at a doctor’s appointment most of the morning, backed her up. He even apologized to Ben for their deception all those years ago. “We went too far. We shouldn’t have lied, no matter what our reasons. But faking a kidnapping? That’s over the line. We’re not criminals.” He turned to Savannah. “Come on, Savannah. Please. Kidnapping? Look at all the law enforcement crawling all over this place. Does that seem like a smart move?”

“Then why did you file for custody of Felix? Why are you pulling all this crap?”

“We can talk about that later. Right now, we just need to find him.”

Slowly but surely, Savannah’s face registered the horrifying reality. “Oh my God. You guys are telling the truth. He’s really missing.”

“Yes. On my watch!” Priscilla burst into tears, something so uncharacteristic, it had to be real. “I can’t believe this happened! With security guards here, and so many people. I’m so sorry, Savannah. I feel terrible. I never wanted this to happen. Everything’s so awful…first Adam getting sick, now Felix is missing. I just—”

Adam put one arm around her, and Savannah took her hand. It was probably the closest the Reinhards would ever come to a group hug.

Ben stepped away to give them a moment of privacy. He looked around for Julie and realized she was nowhere to be seen.

He called her and got no answer. Had she joined a search party? She wouldn’t just disappear without telling him, would she? He scanned all the cars and delivery vans parked on the property. No red VW Jetta.

He called Will, who was searching the woods adjacent to the Reinhard property. “Something’s wrong. Julie wouldn’t just leave like that.”

“Any chance she found Felix and decided to get him away from the Reinhards?”

“Maybe, but why wouldn’t she answer my call? Something’s wrong, Will. I feel it. This is going to sound crazy but…can you track her car? Put a call in to your buddies at the sheriff’s department?” He scanned the busy crowds of searchers, caterers, and staff members. With so many people on the property, anyone could have snuck in here.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Will was saying. “Remember Julie’s suspicions about the police?”

“Is there a channel that just the sheriff uses? A private one that no one else can access?”

“I’ll see what I can do. In the meantime, keep trying to call her.”

They hung up. Ben stood for a moment, feeling utterly lost and useless. Will’s suggestion made a certain amount of sense. If Julie had found Felix, her first priority would be getting him to safety. And if she thought the Reinhards weren’t safe, she could very well take off without a word.

Not even to him.

Felix came first, after all. He had to accept that. Julie wouldn’t be Julie if she didn’t give her all for someone she loved.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when Will called him back. “We’re in luck, sort of. Deputy Jernigan spotted Julie in her Jetta on Highway 29, heading out of town.”

Heading out of town.

“Does she have Felix with her?”

“No, she’s alone.”

“Okay. Thanks, Will.”

“Sorry, man.”

Ben clicked off. So Julie was leaving Jupiter Point. But she wouldn’t leave while Felix was missing. She must know something. Why was she cutting him out? Why wouldn’t she tell him, let him help?

Didn’t matter.

This time, he wasn’t a kid anymore. He was a grown man who could handle a fucking setback. And he wasn’t about to give up on Julie, not until she looked him in his face and told him to go away. This time, he was going to trust their relationship. He was going to keep the faith that Julie loved him, and she was shutting him out because she had to.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t provide backup.

He strode toward his truck. Savannah spotted him and tried to wave him over, but he gestured toward his phone, as if it was an important call he couldn’t get out of. Until he knew what was going on, he didn’t want any reinforcements—at least any that weren’t named Knight.

His brothers—that was another matter.

He called Tobias, who was circling in the chopper above the property looking for anything that might help. “T, I need you to make a little flyby over Highway 29.”

“What am I looking for?”

“Red Jetta. Julie’s car. Last spotted heading east on 29.”

“Ten-four. Stand by.”

God, he loved it that in a time of crisis, he could ask his brothers for anything and they didn’t argue. He got into his truck and started it up, ready for whatever Tobias might find.

“Yup, got her. She’s pulling into that gas station outside of town. What do you want me to do?”

Ben thought fast as he started up his truck. He was a good fifteen minutes out, but he could shave some time off that. In the meantime, he didn’t want to freak Julie out. “Can you hover discreetly? I don’t want to set off any alarms, but I want to know what’s going on.”

“Okay, I might need a few more details here. This isn’t more of your Ben-and-Julie relationship drama, is it?”

He let out a snort of laughter, then felt guilty for finding any kind of amusement in this situation. “Yeah, I’m using up our precious fuel stalking my ex-girlfriend. Totally normal. Honestly, I don’t know what’s going on but I have a bad feeling. Can you just trust me?”

“Yeah, I can trust you, but discreet hovering ain’t a thing, pal. Oh, hang on. She’s out of her car. Looking around, like she’s meeting someone. Shit.”

“What?” Ben nearly drove into one of the cypress trees lining the drive. “What’s going on?”

“It’s Felix. Some man has him. He’s wearing a hat and scarf and sunglasses, hard to tell who he is. Looks like a disguise. But he’s definitely got a tight grip on the kid. Damn. I can’t tell if he has a weapon, but I don’t think so. Okay, what now, Ben?”

Shit. Ben slammed his foot on the accelerator. He needed to be there, now.

“Gain altitude. I don’t want them to suspect anything. Let me know what happens.”

“Got it. Gaining altitude.” The background noise shifted as Tobias pulled up on the collective.

Ben reached the highway and floored the accelerator. The pine trees whipped past, punctuated by telephone poles passing at a rate that felt like the beating of his pulse. Get to her. Keep them safe. Please, Lord.

“Julie has Felix now,” said Tobias. “The bad guy is walking away, back into the gas station.”

The gas station must have a security camera. They could find out who the guy was—maybe. He’d call it in to Will as soon as he got off the phone.

“Now Julie’s hugging Felix. They’re getting in her car. Driving away. Heading out of town. What’s going on, Ben? Why are they leaving?”

“I don’t know.”

“We need to call the cops. Call 9-1-1, call the state troopers. Call everyone!”

“And tell them what? That Julie now has her kid back? Tobias, something is going on but we have to trust her. If she isn’t communicating, there’s a good reason. Promise me. Give me an hour, that’s all I ask.”

The drone of the chopper filled the silence that followed. “One hour,” Tobias finally said. “Want me to keep on her tail? Or stick with the man at the gas station?”

“Gas station. I’ll go after Julie. The dude is probably going to ditch his clothes for something else, so keep a sharp eye out.”

The gas station was up ahead. He was tempted to pull over and see if he could spot anyone who matched the description Tobias had given, but it didn’t seem as important as finding Julie. What if she was being threatened or coerced in some way? What if she thought she was safe, but she wasn’t?

Tobias came back on the line. “Another car just drove away from the gas station, going in the same direction as Julie. I don’t know, Ben. Could be nothing. But something about the way he’s driving looks fishy. Keep an eye on a gray Taurus, okay? Just to ease my mind.”

“Got it. Thanks, T.”

Shortly after Ben passed the gas station, he spotted the gray Taurus. He wanted to get a look at the guy, but without giving himself away. He rummaged for his gym bag, which he kept in the backseat. He had a sweatshirt in there, one with a hood. Once his head was covered, he waited for a convoy of semis to catch up with him. As they passed on the left, he picked up speed and slipped between two of the big trucks.

He risked only a quick glance at the driver as he passed the Taurus. The man, probably in his fifties, now wore a cowboy hat and big aviator glasses, with a hefty growth of beard. Definitely not recognizable, at least to Ben. Maybe it wasn’t the same man who’d taken Felix. He certainly didn’t pay any attention to Ben. He stayed in the right-hand lane, keeping a sharp focus on the road ahead…and the splotch of red that Ben quickly realized was Julie’s car.

The semi slowed down, forcing Ben to do the same. The Taurus slipped past him. He changed to the right lane, keeping far enough behind not to draw attention.

It was getting close to evening now. How far was Julie planning to drive? Assuming she’d filled up at the gas station, she could go for a while. But Felix was a kid, and he’d get hungry before long or have to pee, or something. Other worries multiplied like rabbits. What if the man in the Taurus had noticed him? What if he was the wrong guy?

Thirty minutes later, Julie pulled into a rest stop.

The Taurus followed.