knew was that her instinct was to believe him. And that instinct terrified her.
He couldn’t be trusted. She should know that better than anyone. And she hated herself for thinking, even for an instant, that she could trust him now, when Davy’s safety was at issue.
“I—”
“Don’t believe him,” Zoë interrupted as she rushed over from the far side of the enclosure. Lane closed her mouth, grateful not to have to finish voicing her thought. She wasn’t sure what she’d intended to say, and at the moment she didn’t trust herself. With relief, she stepped back, happy to let Zoë handle the situation.
“I saw him,” Zoë continued, taking a step toward Jason. Her hands clenched into fists. “He took Davy somewhere, and if it’s the last thing I do, I’m going to find out where.”
One of the white-cloaked Protectors sidled up to Zoë and whipped off a neat little salute. She turned to face him. “Well?”
“The rest of the park is closed and the few patrons who remained after the storm have been evacuated,” he reported.
“How—” Deena began.
“The MLO handled it,” Zoë answered, then turned her attention back to the Protector.
“Our search is continuing,” he said, answering her unspoken question. “But there’s no sign yet of the boy. The Council is exploring every possible location where the boy could have been taken off-site, and everyone who might have reason to take him.”
Zoë nodded, then motioned for the Protectors flanking Jason to leave. The one in white left as well, and Zoë‘s expression hardened as she faced Jason once more.
“Dammit,” Jason said, speaking before she could open her mouth. “You’re not listening to me. That wasn’t me. I would never harm Davy,” he added, his face turning a deep shade of red under its tan. “
Never
.”
Lane rubbed her temples, completely confused and more than a little scared. With her free hand she grasped a handrail, grateful for the solid metal under her fingers. At the moment she needed everything solid she could get. Her world was tilting out of control. Her son was missing, her ex-boyfriend was being held by Protectors, and the stench of Hieronymous overlaid the whole scenario.
She squinted at Jason, not sure why he wasn’t more weirded out about being detained by superheroes. She’d deal with that later, though. Right now, she needed two things: her son and some answers.
As far as she could tell, everything possible was being done to locate Davy. She intended to do more; she intended to get the truth out of Jason.
She pulled herself up straight, and he turned to face her, his eyes unreadable. Yet even so, she couldn’t escape the impression that, despite so many years, those deep, unfathomable eyes still could see straight into her soul.
That feeling used to make her feel loved and special. Now it just unsettled her, and she grappled for a firmer grip on her handhold.
“Lane?” Zoë asked, concern evident in her voice.
Lane mopped her forehead with the back of her hand, realizing she’d broken out in a cold sweat. Despite starting out well, today had descended into a total nightmare. Her first instinct might be to believe Jason, but she’d trusted him once before and been burned. Now Zoë was here, saying he’d tried to take her son away.
Lane clutched the rail, a terrifying possibility hitting her. What if Zoë was wrong and Hieronymous wasn’t involved at all? What if Zoë had only assumed that? What if Jason was here because he wanted complete custody of his son?
Never.
She’d fight him to the ends of the earth. Who the hell did he think he was? Did he think he could hide the boy somewhere and she’d ultimately give up? Fat chance. He’d blown his opportunity to be a daddy, and if he didn’t like it, that was just too damn bad.
Spurred on by a renewed burst of adrenaline, she marched forward and poked Jason’s bare chest. “You
aren’t
taking my son,” she said. “Not in a million
He couldn’t be trusted. She should know that better than anyone. And she hated herself for thinking, even for an instant, that she could trust him now, when Davy’s safety was at issue.
“I—”
“Don’t believe him,” Zoë interrupted as she rushed over from the far side of the enclosure. Lane closed her mouth, grateful not to have to finish voicing her thought. She wasn’t sure what she’d intended to say, and at the moment she didn’t trust herself. With relief, she stepped back, happy to let Zoë handle the situation.
“I saw him,” Zoë continued, taking a step toward Jason. Her hands clenched into fists. “He took Davy somewhere, and if it’s the last thing I do, I’m going to find out where.”
One of the white-cloaked Protectors sidled up to Zoë and whipped off a neat little salute. She turned to face him. “Well?”
“The rest of the park is closed and the few patrons who remained after the storm have been evacuated,” he reported.
“How—” Deena began.
“The MLO handled it,” Zoë answered, then turned her attention back to the Protector.
“Our search is continuing,” he said, answering her unspoken question. “But there’s no sign yet of the boy. The Council is exploring every possible location where the boy could have been taken off-site, and everyone who might have reason to take him.”
Zoë nodded, then motioned for the Protectors flanking Jason to leave. The one in white left as well, and Zoë‘s expression hardened as she faced Jason once more.
“Dammit,” Jason said, speaking before she could open her mouth. “You’re not listening to me. That wasn’t me. I would never harm Davy,” he added, his face turning a deep shade of red under its tan. “
Never
.”
Lane rubbed her temples, completely confused and more than a little scared. With her free hand she grasped a handrail, grateful for the solid metal under her fingers. At the moment she needed everything solid she could get. Her world was tilting out of control. Her son was missing, her ex-boyfriend was being held by Protectors, and the stench of Hieronymous overlaid the whole scenario.
She squinted at Jason, not sure why he wasn’t more weirded out about being detained by superheroes. She’d deal with that later, though. Right now, she needed two things: her son and some answers.
As far as she could tell, everything possible was being done to locate Davy. She intended to do more; she intended to get the truth out of Jason.
She pulled herself up straight, and he turned to face her, his eyes unreadable. Yet even so, she couldn’t escape the impression that, despite so many years, those deep, unfathomable eyes still could see straight into her soul.
That feeling used to make her feel loved and special. Now it just unsettled her, and she grappled for a firmer grip on her handhold.
“Lane?” Zoë asked, concern evident in her voice.
Lane mopped her forehead with the back of her hand, realizing she’d broken out in a cold sweat. Despite starting out well, today had descended into a total nightmare. Her first instinct might be to believe Jason, but she’d trusted him once before and been burned. Now Zoë was here, saying he’d tried to take her son away.
Lane clutched the rail, a terrifying possibility hitting her. What if Zoë was wrong and Hieronymous wasn’t involved at all? What if Zoë had only assumed that? What if Jason was here because he wanted complete custody of his son?
Never.
She’d fight him to the ends of the earth. Who the hell did he think he was? Did he think he could hide the boy somewhere and she’d ultimately give up? Fat chance. He’d blown his opportunity to be a daddy, and if he didn’t like it, that was just too damn bad.
Spurred on by a renewed burst of adrenaline, she marched forward and poked Jason’s bare chest. “You
aren’t
taking my son,” she said. “Not in a million
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