Juniper Hill (The Edens, #2)

by Devney Perry

“No. It’s just . . . her.” Memphis cringed. “I don’t like her. I’m tired of him crying when I pick him up. Maybe that won’t change with your mom, but that’s different.”

“Agreed.” If Drake loved Mom, it would be because she was his grandma.

he’s my son. Not hers.”

Actually, he was ours. But that was a correction I’d make once the ring in my pocket was on her finger.

It was like Jill didn’t put him down all day. Like she intentionally spoiled him so that he’d want her.

there was something slimy about her. Something that had rubbed me wrong.

“The last jailbreak.”

stopping inside the door to do a quick sweep of the room. “Hi. Um, where’s Drake?”

“Hi.” A woman who was not Jill glanced at the clock. “You’re early to pick him up.”

“So?” I stood behind Memphis and crossed my arms over my ch...

“They, uh . . .” The woman swallowed hard. “She’...

“Where’s our kid?”

“Jill, um . . . she just left about thirty minutes ago. She took him to her place for a little bit to change some laundry or something. She promised to be back by five.”

“She took him?” Memphis’s jaw fell open. “She doesn’t have my permission to take my c...

I stood at Memphis’s back and watched her read the riot act to the ladies and immediately pull Drake from their facility.

“Jill said you didn’t mind. That he could go with her.”

“Finish that sentence and I’ll call my sister-in-law, the chief of police, and let her know that your staff is taking children off premises without parental permission.” I leveled the women with a glare. “I believe they call that kidnapping.”

“What the fuck?” I backed away, scanning the street.

The color drained from Memphis’s face. “Where’s my son?”

In just minutes the street had filled with police cruisers. Winn pulled in last, getting out of an unmarked SUV, and rushed over to where we stood.

“She loves him. She acts like she loves him.” Maybe she loved him too much.

and locked her gaze with Knox. The message passed wordlessly between them made my stomach knot tighter. There was dread there. Fear. And sympathy.

Harrison answered on the first ring. “Hi, Knox.”

“Dad.” One word and Harrison heard the tremble in Knox’s voice. “What’s wrong?”

“We came to get Drake from daycare. He’s gone. Jill, the woman who wa...

“Thank you for calling The Eloise Inn. How can I help you?” Eloise answered.

“Eloise. It’s Knox.” He repeated the same message and when Eloise gasped on the line, I had to squeeze my eyes shut to keep from crying.

“Is this a bad dream?” I whispered. He set the phone on his thigh and looked to me, his own eyes full of unshed tears. “It has to be.”

“What if we don’t find him?” “Don’t go there.”

They made sure to keep their heads down and not glance our direction as we sat motionless,

Find him. Find him. Please, let us find him.

not just from my phone, but from all the other people. The AMBER Alert.

For my son.

Other parents were beginning to show to pick up their own children. Their faces were clouded in confusion and sudden worry before they each rushed inside.

Except inside, they’d find their children. While I had not.

“We need to tell Winn the whole story.”

“What whole story?” she asked. It took me a moment to read his face. Then realization hit me and my stomach did a cartwheel.

Oliver. My parents. The woman who’d tried to blackmai...

“Memphis.” Winn placed her hand on my shoulder, pulling me out of my head. “Talk to me.”

Knox was Drake’s father. In all of the important parts of that label, Knox was Drake’s dad.

“You made it clear that you didn’t care about the outcome. You had your chance⁠—”

“My son is missing.” My voice cracked. “What happened? Please.”

“Just tell me!” I screamed the words, the hold on my sanity beginning to break.

Knox ripped the phone from my hand.

“Talk....

I stared up at Knox. His jaw ticked and his nostrils flared at whatever my father said. Then he dropped the phone...

“No. This isn’t on you.” Knox took my face in his hands, his thumbs wiping furiously to dry the tears. “We made this decision together.”

“It was the wrong decision.” The anguish on his face only made my tears fall faster. “I know.”

“You’re going to call Oliver,” Knox guessed.

I nodded and dug out my phone, finding the number I’d hidden under a fake name.