Fractured (Josie) novel Chapter 246

Chapter 0246 

Theo’s POV** 

+25 BONUS 

I finally get the kids to settle down and watch a movie in the cinema room. Trying to act like everything is fine in front of the kids whilst one of them is missing is damn near impossible. When Sammy and Jensen begin to argue over seats, it takes everything in me not to completely lose my temper over something so minor. I force a smile on my face and talk to them calmly, trying to reason with the that there are plenty of seats to choose from when inside I’m screaming. I want to shake the pair of them and ll them there are much bigger issues to worry about than a seat right now. 

I creep from the room and quietly close the door behind m before leaning against the wall and sinking to the floor, allowing myself a few moments to process everything. Harper is missing, in a realm she does not know and Mason is in self–destruct mode, blaming himself for being bad father. I had tried the soft approach with him, assuring him this wasn’t his fault and teenagers are just stupid sometimes, but that hadn’t helped. So I’d gone for the harsh approach, reminding him that his pity party wasn’t what we needed right now and that we had to support each other and find Harper. That had backfired, and he had turned the blame on me. 

He had accused me of breaking my promise that I’d make sure he was a good father. I hadn’t. He is a good father, and I’d had no input in making him one. He’d done that all on his own. I’m not hurt that he thinks I failed him. I’m hurt that even after all this time, he still doubts himself I thought we were past all this. 

I want to mind link with my bond group and ask for updates, but it has barely been 5 minutes since Josie updated me that they had spotted Harper on CCTV near the water park with Dillon. They know which direction they went and are trying to track them via CCTV of businesses along the route. 

Now we know for sure that Harper left of her own free will and wasn’t taken. I’m more confident she will be okay. I’m almost sure of it. She is so resilient like her mother and has Mason’s unwavering determination and independence. She will probably turn up back here, dragging that boy along with her. My biggest worry is that the boy, Dillon, turned 18 a few months ago, according to his employment record. This means he has his gifts and knows this realm, but Harper doesn’t, making her more vulnerable if he is not a good person. I just hope the boy realises who’s daughter he is with and doesn’t try anything 

I hear a bang from upstairs and instantly go on high alert. All the kids are down here, there should be no one upstairs. From down here I can just about make out multiple sets of footsteps. 

“Is that you guys upstairs?” I ask into the mind link as I push up to my feet. 

“No, but it might be the team I sent, or Harper,” Deacon responds. 

“Unless Harper brought a group back with her, it’s not her. I’ll go check it out,” I say as I move to the stairs, pausing at the bottom to listen. 

“Clear,” I hear a male voice call out and I walk up the stairs This must be Deacon’s team. 

I’m not sure why they are searching the house though. Don’t they think we have done that multiple times already? 

“The girl said there are more kids here, they have to be somewhere, check the gardens.” I hear someone bark out an order and I freeze on the stairs. 

This is not Deacon’s team, they wouldn’t be looking for the rest of the kids. I look back down the stairs to where the kids are watching a movie. If I go up there and give myself away, I’ll leave the kids vulnerable, but if I wait here, and they find me, I’m dead, and they’ll take the kids anyway. I wish I had Mason and Josie’s skill at molecular manipulation. I’d simply seal the door closed until help arrives, but I’m more likely to just dissolve the door than seal it. 

“SOS. There’s a group here looking for the kids. We are hiding in the basement. I think they have Harper,” I say 

1/2 

+25 BONUS 

Chapter 0246- 

into the mind ink. 

“On our way,” they respond as one, pante and anger flooding our bond. 

“Fuck, they have a wand. We can’t port in,” Lake curses. 

“Get as close as you can and run. We are in the basement b if they find us I can’t hold them back alone,” I say, trying not to break under the crushing weight of fear. 

I creep the rest of the way up the stairs, praying they dismiss the door to the basement as a pantry, which is exactly what it looks like from the kitchen. It’s painted to catch the kitchen cupboards. If I can sneak out of it, I could cause a distraction and then run, and hopefully lead them away from the kids. I put my hand on the door and press my ear to it, listening for sounds of movement in the kitchen. 

A glass smashes very close to the door and I hold my breathe tightening my grip on the door handle. 

“You’re so fucking clumsy,” a male voice grunts. 

“Fuck off, it’s just a glass, I’m sure it won’t be missed,” another voice says.