“We’re doin’ everything we can,” Jeff assured him.
“Not good enough!” Gage snapped.
Curtis walked over to Gage, set a hand on his shoulder, then gently steered him around before placing a comforting arm around him. Travis watched as his father hugged his husband, doing what was necessary to offer comfort even though it would do nothing to fix the situation. But it was obviously what Gage needed because it was then that the man broke down.
Travis’s heart squeezed tight in his chest as he watched Gage, a former police officer, one of the strongest men Travis knew, buckle beneath the onslaught. In Travis’s arms, Kylie was doing the same.
Son of a bitch.
No way could he fucking sit here and do nothing. It wasn’t in his DNA.
Reluctantly, he eased back from Kylie, urging her back into Gage’s arms when Gage managed to pull himself together.
“Where’re you goin’?” Gage asked when Travis snagged his truck keys from the table.
“I can’t just sit here and—”
A firm hand settled on his shoulder. “Take a breath, boy.”
Travis turned to look in his father’s eyes, saw the strength he’d always admired in the man.
“I can’t, Pop. I can’t just sit here. Kate’s out there…” His nostrils flared as emotion threatened to strangle him. “She’s out there and I’m goin’ to find her.”
The hand on his shoulder tightened when he attempted to turn. Travis knew it was wrong to shove it off, but he tried. Failed.
Another hand landed on the other shoulder, his father turning him so they were nose to nose.
“Right now, you’re needed here.” Curtis’s voice was low, firm. “There’s no sense in you goin’ off half-cocked. It won’t do a damn bit of good for you to go plowin’ over the people who’re workin’ to find Kate. Let them do their jobs.”
Travis knew his father was right. Hell, he didn’t even know where to go. The capitol? And then what? Kate wasn’t there. In his gut, he knew she wasn’t there.
The keys he’d picked up were slid from his hand, then deposited in Curtis’s pocket, out of reach.
“I’ve got another set,” he grumbled, feeling recalcitrant.
“Take a breath, boy,” Curtis repeated. “Let’s put our heads together and figure this out.”
Swallowing past the lump of emotion lodged in his throat, Travis nodded. He would stay. Not because his father told him to. No, he would stay because he knew that his wrecking ball charm was the last thing anyone needed right now.
He exhaled slowly, nodded to his father. “Fine. I’ll stay.” He narrowed his eyes. “Just know it’s gonna fuckin’ kill me to do so.”
“Trust me, boy. I know.”
As they all stood there feeling helpless, Travis’s brothers began to arrive. Sawyer, Braydon, and Kaleb showed up first. Ethan, Zane, and Brendon weren’t far behind. He caught bits and pieces of information as Ethan relayed that he’d started calling family, letting them know what had happened and that they needed all hands on deck.
“What can we do?” Sawyer asked Jeff, leading the pack that faced off with the sheriff.
“Right now, I’ve ordered searches at the capitol building. They’ll be going over video footage to see if they can locate who she left with, where they went.”
More pain squeezed his insides as he thought about some motherfucker taking his daughter. Rage damn near blinded him, but he fought it back. It was useless at the moment, and the last thing he wanted to do was scare Kylie more than she already was.
“Jessie’s on the way over,” Braydon said as he approached.
Travis nodded. “Did you call Joe and Melissa?”
“Yep. Joe’s scheduled to be home in a couple of hours. Melissa’s on her way over.”
Being that Joe was an airline pilot, they were lucky Kylie’s father could get there quickly. In the meantime, he knew Kylie’s stepmother would be able to provide some support.
There was another knock on the door, Travis’s attention darting in that direction, as though whoever it was might have his daughter with them.
The sheriff opened the door, stepped back so the newcomers could come inside. Although he recognized them both instantly, it took a second to register why they were there.
Glancing back, he saw Gage had noticed them, too. Though he hated to do it, he passed Kylie off to Curtis, then strolled over to greet Brantley and Reese.
“My sister called,” Brantley said, offering his hand. “She’s got a friend who works at the school.”
Travis nodded, understanding, then shook Reese’s hand as well.
“Well, come in,” he said softly. “We don’t have a lot to go on, but—”
“We’re not here to stay, Trav,” Brantley said, his voice low, as though he didn’t want anyone to overhear.
Travis frowned, confused.
“It looks like you’ve got plenty of support,” Reese said. “We’re gonna be your boots on the ground. Just need to get whatever information you have to know where to start.”
Travis’s sharp inhale was full of emotion as he stared at the two men.
