34. Felipe

34

FELIPE

T here I was, waiting in a police station, over a billion dollars at my disposal, and yet I had never felt so helpless in my life. Sitting in a stiff plastic chair, I stared at the scuffed linoleum floor, my mind racing with worry.

The building buzzed with activity—phones ringing, officers talking in hushed tones, the occasional outburst from some usual suspect being brought in on a minor charge. But all the noise was a blur, muted by the pounding of my heart and the incessant whirl of my heart threatening to break.

Lila had to be okay. She just had to be.

I glanced over at Aaron and Miles, both of them looking just as tense and restless as I felt. Aaron's jaw was set, his eyes hard with determination. Miles paced back and forth, his hands running through his usually-neat hair in agitation. I'd never seen the latter so discomposed before, and under better circumstances, I would welcome the change. But right now, it only further stressed me out to see Miles visibly frazzled. We had been waiting for what felt like hours, and the lack of news was driving us all to the brink of insanity.

Of the three of us, stone-faced Aaron had taken charge when it came to dealing with the cops. Jamie was his nephew, after all, and his sister was suspected to be involved in the kidnapping scheme. But something about the few years of age he had on me also made him feel like the right person to be in charge here. I trusted him far more than the police, anyway.

At some point in the timeless wasteland, Aaron left the room to ask for an update, leaving Miles and me to stew alone. When he came back into the room, I leapt to my feet.

"Anything?" I asked Aaron, my voice barely above a whisper.

He shook his head, his expression grim. "Nothing yet. They're still looking into it."

Miles stopped pacing and sat down beside me, his knee bouncing with nervous energy. "This is taking too long. They should have found something by now."

I sighed, feeling the frustration bubbling up inside me. "I know. It feels like they're moving in slow motion. We should be out there, doing something."

Aaron placed a hand on my shoulder, his grip firm. "Fuck, I know. But for once, we're not the ones with the power here. The cops are doing everything they can. We just have to wait."

Wait . It was the last thing I wanted to do. Every second that ticked by felt like an eternity, and the fear gnawed at me, making it hard to breathe. I thought about Lila, about her smile, her laughter, the way she lit up a room just by being in it. I thought of her lush body in my arms, the sweet sounds she made when the guys and I gave her the pleasure she deserved. The idea of losing her was unbearable.

I closed my eyes, trying to calm the storm inside me. I had always been a romantic, an idealist, dreaming of a perfect future that lately had grown and centered itself around Lila. But now, those dreams felt fragile, like they could shatter at any moment. Life was short, too short to waste on fantasies. I wanted to make those dreams a reality, to marry Lila, to build a life with her.

As soon as possible.

The thought was like a lifeline, giving me something to hold on to in the midst of the chaos. I envisioned a future with Lila, one that might not be perfect but would be real and full of love. Sharing her with Aaron and Miles was not something I had ever imagined, but it felt right. We were a team, united by our love for her and our determination to bring her back.

"We need to let her know," Miles said suddenly, breaking the silence. "We need to tell her how we feel."

It was as if he'd read my mind. I let out a breathless laugh, no humor in it. "Exactly what I was thinking, my friend."

Aaron nodded slowly, his eyes softening slightly. "When we find her, she needs to know that we love her. That we're here for her. God knows, she's been there for all of us all this time."

I felt a lump in my throat as I looked at the two of them. Despite our differences, despite the complicated dynamics of our unconventional relationship, we were united in this. Lila was the center of our world, and we would do anything to bring her back safely.

"And little Jamie," I added, my voice shaking. "He's just a baby. He must be so scared."

Aaron's expression tightened, the worry lines on his face deepening. "He's been through so much already. I can't imagine—" His voice broke, and Miles, the more experienced of the three of us with this kind of loss, clapped a supportive hand onto Aaron's shoulder.

"We'll find them both," he declared. "We have to."

The door at the far end of the bland room opened and a detective walked in, his expression serious. This was the older man who had led the brief press conference about the kidnapping. He was weathered and experienced, a sergeant at least, though I had little understanding of American police ranks. He made his way over to us, and we all stood up, hope and fear warring within us.

"We've got a lead," the detective said. "Someone on the subway recognized the man, had some information to share that might help. We're following up on it now. I know it's not much, and there are details we can't share yet, but I figured you men deserved some comfort. I can tell these two are, uh…" He started to blush, clearly trying to avoid the massive polyamorous elephant in the room. "Well, they're important to you."

An understatement if there ever was one. If Lila were here, she would let out one of her cute, nervous laughs. God, I missed her.

"Thank you," Aaron said, his voice steady. "Please, keep us updated."

The maybe-sergeant nodded brusquely and walked away, leaving us to digest the news. It was a small glimmer of hope, but it was enough to keep us going.

"We're going to find them," Miles said again, his voice filled with determination.

I nodded, feeling the same resolve. "And when we do, we're going to make sure Lila knows how much she means to us."

Aaron smiled slightly, a rare sight even under normal circumstances. "Hell, she's wise beyond her years. I'd bet she already knows. But we'll make damn sure she never, ever doubts it."