Forever Saved - Kathleen Brooks Page 0,74

sisters are fit to be tied. Kenna, Dani, and Mom are trying to calm them. Dr. Emma threatened to give them Valium. It’s bad. Now, Jace, you take the front. I’ll take the back. Porter, right side. Parker, left side.” Jackson ordered as if he were sending in one of his teams. “Let Jace knock and then I’ll go in the back. I know you two know how to break into places so find a way inside.”

“What about me?” Jaylen asked as he looked around the huddle.

“You wait by the car,” Jackson told him.

“Come on, fam.”

Jace looked at Jaylen. The man wasn’t going anywhere. “Come with me but stay out of sight to the side of the front door.” Jace looked around at his friend and family. “Thank you.”

“We’ll get her back. Let’s move,” Jackson promised.

Jackson and Bliss blended into the night. Porter and Parker walked in tandem and then silently split up as they disappeared down the sides of the house.

“How do you want to handle this? Whoa, do I get a gun? Wait,” Jaylen said, looking at Jace as they walked toward the house. “Am I the only one without a gun?”

“Yes.”

“Doc Sienna says I need to verbalize my feelings. When I’m the only one without a gun, I feel inadequate. I feel left out.”

“Jackson might let you borrow Bliss,” Jace said, his eyes never leaving the house as they turned up the walkway leading to the front door.

“Naw. That dog could ruin my image if a picture got leaked. You know all these houses have them video doorbells now.”

“Dammit,” Jace said under his breath. “You’re right.” Straight ahead was a video doorbell. This wasn’t going to be a surprise visit when he knocked at the front door. Hopefully, the others would be the surprise factor.

Jace marched up the steps and banged on the door. It seemed an eternity as he waited for the door to be answered. He took a calming breath and knocked again, harder this time.

“No one’s home,” Jaylen said from where he was peeping into the windows off the patio. “Wait, here comes someone.”

Jace flexed his fingers on the gun and then wrapped them back around and flicked the safety off. It was time to get Stella back. His breathing stopped when he heard the deadbolt slide free. The knob jingled as if they were unlocking it and then the door was swung open.

Jace raised the gun. “Where’s Stell—”

“House is empty,” Jackson said, cutting him off. “Stella’s not here.”

Jace pushed past the door. He had to see for himself. “Stella! Come on, sweetheart. Answer me. Stella!”

Jace went room to room even as Porter and Parker joined from opposite sides of the house.

“Doc, she’s not here,” Jaylen said softly as he placed a strong hand on Jace’s shoulder. The physical connection made Jace’s frantic thoughts focus down into one clear thought. He had to find Stella.

Jace pulled out his cell phone and called Kale. “Stella’s not here,” he said, not even giving Kale time to say hello.

“Her watch,” Kale said with a groan. “I’m so stupid. I forgot about her watch.”

“The fancy running one?” Jace asked.

“It has GPS. I just need to find her online account and hack it.”

“Bruh, why is that dog smiling at me?” Jaylen whispered into the silence as Kale worked. The five of them stood in a circle as Jace held out the cell phone on speaker in the middle. Bliss sat across from Jaylen and sure enough, she was smiling. Her big, drooling lips were pulled back revealing impressive teeth and a lolling tongue.

“You like Jaylen, don’t you, baby? Go introduce yourself,” Jackson said to her in a high-pitched baby voice that sent Bliss’s thick tail thumping hard. The big dog bolted up at the word introduce and in a heartbeat was across the circle with her head between Jaylen’s legs.

Jaylen stood frozen as Bliss wedged herself between his legs so that her head was sticking out the back and her tail was wagging wildly in the middle of the circle.

“That’s not right,” Jaylen whispered as he barely blinked. Bliss started stomping her back feet and Jaylen looked ready to run. “What’s she doing, bruh? What do I do?”

“Oh, someone has the stampies!” Jackson said in his excited baby voice. “You scratch her butt. That’s what you do,” Jackson ordered Jaylen with the seriousness of a drill sergeant.

Jaylen slowly reached out and placed one tentative scratch on Bliss’s back. The dog moaned and stomped her feet in excitement, demanding more.

“I