Walk Through Fire (Chaos #4)(149)

Oh God.

God.

How had I not noticed him getting out?

“Chief,” I called, my eyes darting around as I quickly roamed the courtyard. “Come on, baby. You out here? Chief?”

“Chief.” I heard Cleo call. “Here kitty-kitty. Here Chiefy-Chiefy.”

I then heard the gate to the backyard open and looked that way to see Logan prowl through it with a flashlight.

“Chief!” I cried, moving toward the studio. “Come here, kitty. Come to Momma, baby.”

Cleo called. I called. I felt and saw her searching with me. I skirted the entirety of the outside of the studio. Cleo and I then moved down the drive and searched the front of the house. Cleo was edging toward my neighbor’s yard when I headed the opposite way and saw Logan stalking down the drive.

I raced to him.

“Nothing?” I asked, my voice pitched high with panic.

He looked toward his daughter. “Clee-Clee. Come back with me.”

I grabbed on to his thermal for the second time that day but in an entirely different way.

When I got his attention, I cried frantically, “Did you find something?”

“Open space up here, baby,” he said gently. “More hiding places back there. Need two sets of eyes. You keep lookin’ up here.” He glanced around. “Where’s Zadie? She not helpin’ you up here?”

I didn’t know where Zadie was and the only thing on my mind in that moment was where Chief was.

“I don’t know.”

“I’ll go back with you, Daddy,” Cleo said, already rushing up the drive.

“Keep lookin’,” Logan urged to me as I stood frozen and stared after Cleo.

I aimed my eyes to him. “He’s so tiny.”

He lifted a hand to curl it around the side of my neck. “Keep lookin’, baby.”

“He’s so tiny, Low. Just a baby. What if a dog—?”

He gave my neck a squeeze. “Keep lookin’. Hear?”

It was the hear? that got me.

I pulled my shit together, nodded, moved away, and hurried toward my neighbor’s yard. I sensed Logan going back up the drive.

I barely got into the yard, calling out to Chief and heading to my neighbor’s door to knock on it and ask if they’d seen my cat, then beg them to help us look when I heard Logan bellow, “Millie!”

I sprinted toward his voice, which meant up the drive and into my courtyard.

When I arrived, I saw Cleo was standing at the back gate. Logan was standing several feet away from the back door to my house.

Zadie was standing in the opened door, holding Chief tight to her throat.

“I found him—” she started.

She didn’t get it all out. I flew to her and tried (but failed) to keep my shit together as I pulled Chief out of her hold and into mine.

I cuddled him close, whispering, “Oh, God. Oh, baby. I’m so glad you’re safe.”

“Where’d you find him?”

My relief was pierced when this was barked by Logan.

“In-inside,” Zadie stammered her reply.

At her tone, I took a step back so I could look at her.

She was looking at her father and doing it looking terrified.

And guilty.

Then I looked to Logan, who simply looked infuriated.

He’d read his daughter’s look.

“M-m-maybe I was wrong,” she went on. “Maybe I-I-I didn’t see him run out.” Her eyes glanced off me before looking beyond me. “F-f-found him curled up on that long chair in your bedroom.”

“Everyone inside,” Logan snarled, and I held Chief closer as Logan waited for Cleo to dash inside before he strode purposefully toward the door.

I darted a hand out when he got close to me, wrapping it around his forearm to waylay him.

He looked down at me and he was my man, I knew him. I knew the old him and the new him. And I knew, even with the fury burning into me from his gaze, he’d handle this and not lose it (too much).

But still, at the look on his face, I had to fight back quailing.

“Take a second,” I whispered, still holding a now squirming Chief close. “Take a breath.”

He didn’t take a second and he didn’t take a breath. He twisted his arm from my hold but in turn took hold of my hand and dragged me (and Chief) into the house.

He slammed the door and Chief jumped in my arms, starting to claw when he heard the loud noise.

Then Logan dragged us into the living room where Zadie was now standing, looking more terrified and still guilty. Her sister was standing several feet to her side, looking at her like she wanted to shake some sense into her.

Logan let my hand go, and before he let loose the wrath I felt sweltering from him, I hurriedly spoke.

“Okay, everyone,” I started. “It’s all good.” I kept talking as I bent to release Chief on the floor. He scampered away and I straightened. “Chief’s here. He’s safe. Let’s all take a quick moment to collect ourselves—”

Logan cut me off.

“Right now. The truth,” he demanded of his youngest. “You see that cat run out the door?”

“I thought—” she began.

He bent forward and thundered, “The truth!”

Her chin quivered and it took her some time to get up the nerve, the time she took building more heat in her father, so it was fortunate she found the courage before he exploded (again).