Page 76 of Far from Destined

“You are so strong. You did all of that on your own when you didn’t need to. But you’re not alone now. We’re going to find your son. We’re going to find Joshua. We’re going to make sure Adam never gets a chance to do this again, and then we’re going to think about futures and everything that you and I can do together. Because, Dakota? I’m not letting you do anything else on your own ever again. I’m always going to be here.”

I hadn’t meant to declare as much as I had, but I needed to. Dakota needed to know that she wasn’t alone.

But it hurt to think that I couldn’t do more than that. That I couldn’t help.

She was hurting, and there wasn’t much I could do.

“Macon m—”

“Dakota! Where the fuck are you?”

Dakota turned, looking at the window.

“Adam?”

“I’m going to get the cops in here.”

“Don’t fucking call the cops or he’s dead.”

I looked down at my phone, then at Dakota, and the two of us ran towards the back door, afraid of what we might see.

“Hey there, baby. Miss me?”

Chapter 18

Dakota

Bile rose upin my throat, and I felt on the edge of an abyss.

This couldn’t be happening.

Adam couldn’t be here.

Where.

Was.

My.

Son?

“Where’s Joshua?” I shouted as I stood on the back porch, Macon right beside me. He held his arm out, blocking me from moving forward.

I almost kicked at him, slapping at him to stop him from pushing me back, but then I saw the gun in Adam’s hand, and my entire world turned on its axis as I tried to take a deep breath and wonder what exactly was happening.

“Wherever the fuck we need him to be,” he singsonged, and I almost threw up.

He was high as a kite. That much was clear. I could practically see his dilated pupils from here.

And he was pointing a gun at us.

And I didn’t know where my son was.

Suddenly, my brain caught on a word he’d said.We. So, there were others with him. Others we couldn’t see. Were they with Joshua? Or surrounding the house?

I knew the authorities were near and would come at any moment—it was the only reason Macon had even let me out of the house onto the porch to begin with. But I needed them to get here soon.

I needed them to help me save my son.