Ready or Not (Ready #4)(77)

I’d never been much of a religious person, but in that moment, I nearly fell to my knees in that backseat, begging any deity within earshot to please hear my silent plea and protect my family.

Within minutes, two of the officers were racing back out of the building toward the entrance. My head darted back and forth as I searched for any sign of Noah or Jackson, but neither were visible.

My heart raced frantically as I watched them storm the lobby.

Minutes later, the redheaded cop walked back out with his arms wrapped around Noah.

I leaped from the car and raced across the parking lot toward him.

“Liv!” he cried, tears racing down his cheeks, as he flung himself into my arms.

“Oh, thank God!” I sobbed.

My hands went everywhere, searching every single hair on his head and up and down his body, just to be sure he wasn’t injured.

“I’m okay. I’m okay,” he kept chanting.

“I was so worried,” I said, tucking him into my body. “Have you eaten? Were you scared?”

“Yes, and not all the time. I mean, yes, I was scared when it started to get late, and she wouldn’t take me home. I knew then that I’d made a bad decision going with her. But she was never mean to me. When she’d first shown up, we talked about me and school. I could kinda tell that she was distracted, you know?”

I nodded, urging him to continue.

“Then, when it got dark and we showed up here, she stopped talking and just began to pace—back and forth, over and over. That was a little scary. After a few hours, she calmed down and started asking me about my teachers and stuff. I think she actually listened then,” he said.

“But this morning, when she woke me up, she looked agitated and distracted again. She told me to go downstairs for the continental breakfast, and she made me swear I wouldn’t run off.” He looked frightened.

“You were brave,” I assured him.

The police officer escorted us back to the squad car where I’d promised to stay, but I obviously hadn’t. As he opened the door, I looked over and saw her.

Her hands were handcuffed behind her back while two uniformed officers were on either side of her. They swiftly walked her to the opposite side of the parking lot where a police car was parked and ready to take her away.

As she passed, our eyes met, and I saw the raw pain radiating through them. Her gaze quickly darted to Noah, and then she looked away as if it hurt too much to do so.

As I was pondering what the hell I’d just witnessed, Jackson appeared, and he was immediately covered by two sets of arms. Noah hugged his waist while I wrapped myself around his shoulders as I softly kissed him.

It was over.

“Let’s go home.” He breathed out a sigh of relief as he bent down and kissed Noah’s forehead.

“I’ve never agreed with you more.”

~Jackson~

“I should have known,” I said. “I should have done more—helped her.”

Liv’s hands trailed down my naked chest as we lay in bed, watching the moonlight dance around the room. Hours had passed since we sat outside of Noah’s room, waiting for him to fall asleep. We’d spent almost the entire day on the phone, assuring everyone that we were all fine and safe, and all I’d wanted to do was sit there and listen to him breathe.

Walking away had been difficult, but I knew now that he was safe. Natalie would most likely be serving time well into his geriatric years. The thought should have given me relief, but I felt little.

Could I forgive the woman who had kidnapped my son? No.

I couldn’t help but question if I hadn’t played a slight part in everything that happened.

Had I really known the woman I claimed to be in love with? Or had I not cared enough to learn?

Looking back, there was so much about her I didn’t know—chunks of her life I’d never bothered asking about. Had she purposely kept them from me or did I not care enough? I could blame it on youth, but deep down, part of me wondered if I just hadn’t wanted to know the real Natalie.

“You can’t help someone who doesn’t want it, Jackson,” Liv urged.

“I just can’t stop thinking that if I’d taken the time early on to be more…caring or attentive, maybe she would have found the help she so desperately needed, and none of this would have happened.”

Her hand cupped my cheek, and I found myself staring into her deep brown eyes.

“You can’t be responsible for everyone, Jackson. I know you have this innate sense of duty to protect those you love, but don’t be pulled down by the actions of others. Each of us makes our own path.”

“I hated her for what she did to me and to Noah. But seeing her break in front of me…I only wish things had worked out differently for her. I don’t long for the life we could have had, but anything is better than where she ended up,” I said, nuzzling my head close to hers.

“You’re a good man, Jackson,” she whispered.

“Would you think less of me if I told you that I never want to leave this bed again?”

“Considering the barrage of concerned calls we’ll both have to face all over again tomorrow and the police coming back for our statements once again, I wouldn’t blame you one bit.”

I smoothed down her dark hair, loving the way it almost seemed to glimmer under the light coming through the window. It had been a long day. After we’d rescued Noah, everything had seemed to unfold in a great blur of events. We’d received endless phone calls and questions, and an onslaught of media attention had swarmed the house when word had gotten out that a suspect was captured.