Page 22 of Savage Angels
For tonight, at least, we are one, and nothing will tear us apart.
***
Pulling up in front of the safe house, I glance at Sal, but his eyes are glued to the front door. It opens, and Tony is the first person out, followed by Emily and Sal’s children. I open the car door as Jesse and Kristen emerge.
“Dad!” Jesse yells as he runs toward me and wraps himself around my leg. My hand goes to the top of his head, and I ruffle his hair. Kristen holds back, her eyes scanning the interior of the car.
“Is Mom with you?”
Looking at Tony, I shake my head. “No, princess. We’re still looking for her.” Tony hangs his head and walks back inside the house.
Emily hugs me. “Tony has been beating himself up ever since Kat went missing. It’s not his fault, Dane.”
I glance at Sal and nod once. Rehashing what should and should not have happened won’t bring my wife back. Bending, I pick up Kristen and put Jesse’s hand in mine. “Come on, you two, I’m starving, and I want to know what you’ve been doing here in paradise.”
“Uncle Truth says you’re going to get Mommy back. You will, won’t you, Dad?” asks Kristen.
I walk them inside the house. “Where is your room?”
Jesse tugs on my hand. “Up the stairs.” He runs ahead, and I follow him.
The house is a blend of sleek lines and Hawaiian architecture. Massive windows showcase the Pacific Ocean. Jesse opens a door, runs, and sits on a bed. Still with Kristen in my arms, I sit next to him and position her on my lap as I drape an arm around him.
“We will find your mom, I promise. But until we do, I need you to be strong for me.”
Jesse tilts his little head to the side. “For you, Dad?” he asks.
“Yeah. Sometimes daddies need help too.”
Kristen puts her arms around my neck and squeezes.
“Do you like our room, Dad?” asks Jesse.
The room has two single beds separated by a bedside table. On it is a book with a bookmark sticking out of it.
“Yeah, bud. What are you reading?”
“Mom was reading us Charlotte’s Web.”
My heart skips a beat. Kat loves reading to the kids. “How about tonight I pick up where she left off?”
Kristen shakes her head. “You don’t do the voices.”
‘Yeah, Dad, Mom does the voices,” Jesse says.
“How about I try to do the voices?”
Kristen leans back to look in my face. “Promise?”
“Promise.”
Jesse asks, “Mom won’t mind, will she?”
Hugging my children tight, I say, “No, bud, she won’t mind at all.”
***
The sun dips below the horizon, painting the sky with hues of red and orange as I stand on the edge of a rocky cliff overlooking the ocean. The wind whips through my hair, carrying with it the salty scent of the sea. It is a beautiful sight but one that brings me no comfort. Despite our efforts, Kat remains lost to us. The gnawing worry in the pit of my stomach grows more insistent with each passing day.