Page 36 of Lay Me Down
They immediately get to work. Daisy, Diesel, and Duke immediately split off in separate directions, beginning their search of the house. I wasn’t sure those dogs could look any more intimidating than they already do, but watching them in action is always a different sight entirely. They look wound so tightly that if someone were to even stick a hand in their direction, they’d bite it off. Zeke envelops me with his arm again, and leads me over towards the couch.
“Sit down while the dogs do their job,” he orders me in a quiet but stern tone, and I comply without question. I don’t want to get in their way, and my legs are trembling so harshly that I might fall over anyway. As soon as I hit the couch, Zeke stands in front of me with his arms crossed like he’s standing guard. He’s never been this way with me, and the devastated look in his eyes is just as scary.
Something is definitely wrong, and they know it. Alex is fidgeting, and Zeke is as still as stone. I’ve never seen them this nervous before. My chest feels empty, like deep down I know something horrible has happened, but my mind won’t catch up. I’m too busy looking at everyone else, silently begging for an answer, but they’re just as clueless as I am.
Everyone stands off to the side as the dogs sniff their way through the first floor, and as Daisy makes her way around the living room, I can’t help but keep my eyes on her. We’ve obviously spent more time with her than the other dogs, and while I know she’s working, I just want to pet her. I crave her softfur and her warmth, almost believing that cuddling her could take the worry away. As if she can sense my needs, she smells her way over to me and sits in front of Zeke. She takes a moment to inhale him like she’s sizing him up, and then she walks around him to stand directly in front of me.
“Daisy,” Darnell calls out, instantly grabbing her attention. I turn my head as well to look at him with worried eyes.Is she going to be in trouble? I didn’t distract her, did I?“Guard,” he commands. The moment she hops onto the couch and lays beside me, a relieved sigh escapes me. Her warmth instantly seeps into my body, and as she nudges her head into my small belly, my heart breaks in the softest way.
This can’t be happening. Thisisn’thappening. Damien’s going to walk through the door any minute now and yell at everyone for overreacting. I know it. He probably ran to the store because we’re out of avocados.Yeah, that’s it.He’s always checking that damn app and incorporating whatever food it tells him into the meals we eat. It’s sweet, truly, but I swear to God…if that’s what caused all of this panic? I’m deleting the damn thing.
“I called Ser to check. Damien isn’t there, and there haven’t been any John Does admitted into the hospital today. She’s on her way here now.” Carter walks back inside and stands behind the couch, mimicking Zeke’s protective stance.
John Doe? Does he think Damien could be hurt? He could be. What if he’s lying on the side of the road in pain? What if someone hit him and they just drove away? If he did go to the store, he could’ve seen something in an alleyway and tried to stop it. He could’ve been shot, or even hurt his back. Out of all the wounds he’s healed from in the past month and a half, his back was one of the worst. What if he aggravated it again, and he just can’t call for help?
I start to stand up, feeling the overwhelming urge to get in the car and find him. The moment my ass lifts from the couch,Daisy nudges her snout into my belly, and I take that as a cue to keep sitting. My legs are softer than limp noodles, so I probably wouldn’t get very far anyway. Cries try to bubble up my throat, but I swallow harshly to keep my voice from shaking when I speak.
“Do we have people out looking for him?” I turn my head to look at Carter, and his face is firm with dread, but he grins anyway, like it actually softens the harsh blows.
“Yeah, Ash. Ezra’s starting a search party right now.”
“The dogs aren’t picking anything up,” Darnell reveals, walking around with the canines instead. My heart sinks, and Alex steps up to the rest of us.
“We need to talk about calling it,” he says softly, like he’s trying to make sure we’re the only ones that can hear him, and Zeke’s head snaps in his direction.
“Absolutely fucking not.”
“Call what?” I ask and shift my eyes to the three of them. Alex opens his mouth to speak, but as the front door flies open, I flinch. A burst of panic explodes in my chest, and I reach out to grip Daisy’s fur. It’s hot as hell out, but somehow, an ice-cold breeze sweeps through the room. Satori and Kade walk in the entryway, and the house feels even emptier with their presence.
“What the hell is going on?” Satori asks, and Daisy jerks her head up. She growls softly, like evenshecan sense the bad aura surrounding him, and I pet behind her ears to calm her down. I’ve seen what she can do to a person, and the last thing we need is blood to contaminate our house.
“This isn’t your fucking concern, Macher. It’s family business,” Zeke says harshly and stands a little straighter. I know that his dislike for Satori—and Sahara in general—is pretty extreme, but he’s not being very subtle about it right now.
“Where’s Damien?” Kade asks, but I keep my focus on Daisy and try to ignore them. I focus on how my fingers disappearbeneath her fur, and the way it stays raised as my hand retreats. This distraction is better than thinking of the possibilities. I don't want to answer Kade. I can’t bear to say it out loud.
“That’s what we’re trying to find out,” Alex replies in a smartass tone, and I’m kind of taken aback by it. He’s normally the calm, cool, and collected one out of us all—even more so than Carter. So, the fact that he’sthishostile towards them is strange. I don’t know what’s going on between all of them, but this silent war isn’t necessarily helping right now.
“His phone is off and he isn’t home,” Carter clarifies in a nicer tone. I finally look up at them, and immediately regret it. Kade’s face is hinted with concern, and Satori has that exasperated look that predominantly shows in his brows and eyes.
“So…because he’s late coming home, that requires all of this?” Satori asks, clearly annoyed, and twirls his index finger to gesture around the house. The motion kind of pisses me off. He doesn’t know Damien. He doesn’t understand how this issoout of character for him. Plus, this isourfucking house! Who does he think he is?!
“If you aren’t worried, then why the fuck are you here?” Zeke asks angrily.
“Everyone at the Attic started asking questions when the dogs were taken out! I came to see what was up!” he yells back, and everyone stays quiet for a minute. Daisy must sense my rising anxiety because she scoots a little closer, and even though she lays her head back down on my belly, she continues to growl lowly. The sensation feels strange on my stomach, but I’m not daring to move her.
“Come on, you two can look with me upstairs.” Alex gestures with his hand, and even though they follow, Satori takes a look back at me like he’s expecting someone to dish out repercussions—like he's mad at me for worrying everyone. It instantly reminds me of my father, and I unwillingly shiver. He used to always giveme the same looks when CPS would leave our house, and I knew exactly what was coming once they were gone. The same feeling flushes over me, and now I'msureI never want to be alone with Satori.
No matter how much I want it to be, this isn’t a false alarm. Damien would never be out of reach, and he certainly wouldn’t make himself this hard to find. If he were planning something and had to have his location off,someonewould know about it, and yet, everyone is drawing blanks.
A few moments later, they come trampling back down the stairs, and somehow, Alex looks even angrier than he did before. His face is red, and I don’t miss how he clenches and unclenches his fist. I’m somewhat afraid that he’ll lash out at them. Kade’s worry has only deepened, and Satori’s annoyance has obviously multiplied. He raises his hands to get everyone’s attention, and I hate how we all look to him.
“Alright, everyone. Take a deep breath. I’m not sure this is as serious as it’s being made out to be,” Satori says in a deprecating tone, and my stomach drops.
“What the hell are you talking about, Satori?” Carter asks, clearly angered. Kade looks up at Satori with a curious glance, but then steps away like he doesn’t agree with what he’s about to say.
“Well, to me, it looks like he left on his own.”
My whole world comes crashing down around me, and my heart pounds against my ribs. I want to scream and throw my fists out into the open air, or stomp my foot like a child having a tantrum, but I’m frozen. It’s like a door that’s been locked in my mind for so long is starting to creep open, and my worst fears have come back to haunt me.
