Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty-Two

Blake

A police car sits parked in front of Sapphire Towers when we pull up, and my chest squeezes with anxiety. The entire drive here, I kept hoping to hear from Mrs. Reynolds that they found Quinn, but the phone never rang.

Nathaniel clasps my shoulder. "It will be okay. We'll find her."

I nod, and we slide out of the company SUV. I let Sprinkles jump out of the back and grasp his leash as we head inside.

The elevator ride up to the penthouse takes forever, and when we step off at her floor, my stomach sinks when I see her door ajar.

"Hello?" I call out as we enter.

"We're in the kitchen, Mr. Harris!" Mrs. Reynolds responds.

I expect the apartment to look ransacked, but as we stride through it, everything appears neat and tidy, without a hint of my sister overdosing here or my niece going missing. The air even holds a muted mixture of lemon cleaner, and the television plays an episode of some reality show.

The two police officers standing in the expensive apartment look out of place in their black uniforms, the only sign that everything is not okay.

The car keys dig into my palm as my fists clench.

"Mr. Harris." Mrs. Reynolds hurries over to us, her eyes red and swollen from crying. The soggy tissue she clutches in her hand looks ready to dissolve. "I'm so sorry. I don't understand how it happened! She was right here, and then?—"

"Hey, it's okay, Mrs. Reynolds." I try to reassure her, my pulse racing with worry for my niece. "We'll find her."

Nathaniel nods in agreement before walking over to speak with the police officers. I'm glad he came with me. His level head keeps me from crumbling.

"Let's double-check the apartment," I suggest, needing to focus on something or I'll freak out. "Quinn could be hiding somewhere inside."

God, I hope she's just hiding somewhere. While she's a clever little girl, the thought of her being alone outside terrifies me.

As we search, I become more aware of the unimportant details in each room. The softness of the carpet beneath my feet, the smooth texture of the kitchen counter, the faint sound of the clock ticking away seconds on the wall.

Every sense is heightened as we look for any sign of Quinn.

Nathaniel's gruff call comes from the living room. "I've got nothing in here."

"Same here," I respond, closing yet another empty cabinet door. My frustration grows, along with the sinking sensation in my gut that Quinn isn't in the apartment.

We continue our search, checking any possible hiding place - inside cabinets, on the top shelves of closets, under beds, and behind furniture. Sprinkles helps, too, his nose to the ground, sniffling everything.

But there's no trace of her. The apartment is too quiet, and it only serves to heighten my worry.

"Blake." Nathaniel places a hand on my shoulder. "We'll find her, okay? We just need to keep searching."

Swallowing hard, I nod, trying to hold on to hope.

I turn to one of the officers. "There are security cameras near the entrance. They may have caught sight of her."

"I'll go down with you," he offers, his expression sympathetic. "We don't have a warrant, but sometimes people are more cooperative with an officer present."

"Thank you, I appreciate that."

Dread settles in as we head our way down to the lobby, passing dozens of floors where Quinn could have gotten off. She could be anywhere in the massive building.

Nathaniel's comforting hand on my shoulder does little to ease the tension coursing through me.

The security guard watches us with a mixture of curiosity and caution as we approach, and Nathaniel and I step aside to allow the police officers to take the lead.

"Excuse me." He steps up to the desk. "We're looking for a little girl named Quinn Patel. She lives on the twelfth floor. She went missing when the paramedics took her mother to the hospital. Did you see her?"

The security guard's face turns solemn, and he shakes his head. "I didn't notice her, but a lot was happening."

"May we review the surveillance footage?" The officer leans on the counter. "It could save a little girl's life."

I flinch at his wording, but it has the desired effect. The security guard puffs up with importance as he nods. "I'll pull it up now."

We walk around to join him as he rewinds the video feed from earlier. As he does, my fingers toy with the rainbow bead bracelet Quinn gave me, seeking comfort from the small gift. Sprinkles rests his weight against my leg.

The recording begins to play, and we crowd behind the man's chair, attention fixed on the screen as the paramedics rush to the elevator with a stretcher.

My heart clenches at the sight, though it's familiar enough not to cause the panic it once had.

"Jump ahead to when they bring her down," the police officer instructs.

People gather in fast forward, talking and pointing toward the flashing lights of the ambulance parked outside the doors.

The security guard drops the video back to normal speed when the paramedics come back downstairs with Sadie strapped to the stretcher. The poor image quality makes it impossible to judge her condition, but they have an oxygen mask over her face.

They push through the curiosity seekers, making it a chaotic mess of movement. I can almost hear their hushed whispers as they try to catch a glimpse of what's happening.

"Can you slow it down a little?" I squint, trying to make out any details through the throng of people.

"Sure thing." The guard adjusts the playback speed.

I lean closer, searching for any clue, any sign of Quinn in the chaos.

Nathaniel's hand grips my shoulder, grounding me as we scrutinize every frame. The lobby buzzes with activity, but through the sea of legs, a flash of familiar brown hair catches my attention.

"Wait! That's her!" I point at the screen. "That's Quinn!"

"Good eye," the officer says, impressed.

In slow motion, Quinn weaves through the crowd, her favorite stuffed animal—a black dog I gave her when I had to take Sprinkles away—clutched tightly to her chest. With her free hand, she pulls a small suitcase behind her.

"Quinn, baby girl, what are you doing?" My breath hitches as she slips from the lobby amid a group who go outside to watch the paramedics load Sadie into the ambulance.

"I'll put out an alert." The police officer reaches for the radio on his shoulder.

"Thank you." I turn to Nathaniel. "I'm not waiting around."

"Of course not." He takes Sprinkles's leash from me. "Let's go find your niece."

The sun dips lower in the sky as Nathaniel and I walk in expanding circles, our search growing more frantic the farther we move away from the Sapphire Towers without finding Quinn.

"Have you seen this little girl?" I thrust my phone toward a passerby, showing them a picture of Quinn.

They barely glance at the screen before shaking their head.

This scene repeats itself time and again, and each denial adds to my worry.

But as the day wears on and shadows stretch across the pavement, fear gnaws at me. What if we don't find her? What if some creep snatches her up?

At a streetlight, I pause and turn to Nathaniel. "I can't keep doing this. Quinn needs a family that's not broken. Once we know she's safe, she's not coming back here. I want to fight for guardianship."

He faces me, his expression softening. "We'll figure out how to make it work."

"My dad has to see reason, right?" Hopelessness claws at me. This cycle has to stop. "Sadie's been in the hospital three times in the last two years, and I've lost count of how many rehab centers she's stayed at. It's not stable for Quinn to be in this environment."

My vision blurs, and Nathaniel pulls me into a hug, enveloping me in the calming scent of his pheromones.

We stay like that until the threat of tears passes. I can't afford to break down now. There will be time for that after we find Quinn.

As I pull back from Nathaniel's embrace, I hesitate on my next words, but this entire experience pushed home my desire for a complete pack. I need it.

"I'm serious about Chloe, too." When his lips part, I raise a hand to stall his protest. "I understand that it's only been a week and that it's not logical, but she's the one."

Denial is written across Nathaniel's face, but I press on, determined to make him see that this isn't a passing fancy to me. "I'm sorry it happened this way, that it's not the right time, but I'm not sorry for pursuing her. She's the first choice I've made for myself in our entire lives."

I grip his shoulders. "Since we were kids, I've always been following you, or doing what Dad wants, or picking up after Sadie. I've fallen into line with what everyone else needs from me, but I need Chloe. So, I need you to stop being logical for once in your life and follow my lead."

Nathaniel's jaw clenches, and his scent sharpens. "Adopting Quinn and inviting Chloe into our pack is a lot of change to process, not only for me, but for them, too. And there's still the issue with Dominic…"

He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "But… I'll try to be more open to the possibility."

Relief washes over me. "Thank you."

As I yank him into another hug, my focus settles on the playground on the other side of the street. My pulse quickens at the sight of a wooden castle, so much like the one in Sprinkles's room.

"Look!" I spin Nathaniel, Sprinkles's leash winding around his legs. "It's just like the one back at home. Maybe…"

I don't finish the thought, but Nathaniel understands. He disentangles himself, and we wait for the cars to pass before rushing across.

As we step onto the rubber bark that surrounds the play equipment, Sprinkles lets out an excited woof, his tail wagging.

Relief sweeps through me. "Quinn?"

"Blake?" The tiny squeak comes from within the castle structure, and Quinn's tear-streaked face appears in one of the windows, her pale brown eyes wide with fear. "Blake!"

"Quinn, stay right there! I'm coming up!" I race past the other toys and scramble up the castle's ladder, wedging myself through the narrow doorway.

The moment I reach her, Quinn flings herself at me, her slender arms wrapping around my shoulders as if her life depends on it. Her tears dampen my shirt as she sobs.

"Hey, it's okay, princess." With her small body held close, I pass her suitcase and dog stuffy to Nathaniel, who stands below, Sprinkle beside him wiggling with excitement.

Carefully, I wiggle back out of the castle without letting her go, and Nathaniel's hands on my legs help me down to the ground.

Nathaniel joins the hug, his relief clear as he rubs her trembling back. The smell of sugar and baby powder fill my nose, and I sag against the wooden structure.

Quinn is safe, and she's coming home with us.

I stroke her tangled locks. "Why did you leave the apartment, princess?"

Quinn sniffles, her grip on me tightening. "When they took Mommy away, I knew you'd come get me. I wanted to be a big girl and meet you at the dock so you wouldn't have to come all the way here. But then I couldn't remember how to get there, and I got lost and couldn't find my way back, either. Am I in trouble?"

My heart aches at her words. She's been through too much in her short life.

"You're not in trouble." I press a tender kiss to her forehead. "Next time, though, please wait for me, okay?"

"Okay." She sniffles again. "Can I still go home with you?"

"Of course, princess." I hug her tighter. "Uncle Holden will have a mountain of cookies to welcome you."

"Snickerdoodle?" she asks with excitement.

"Peanut butter, too," I assure her, knowing my bondmate will have made all of her favorites.

As we talk, Nathaniel's phone rings, and he steps aside to answer it.

His face pales as he listens, and my stomach drops at the worried crease between his brows when he turns to me. "We need to go to the hospital."

My arms tighten around Quinn, afraid that my sister pushed her limits too far this time.