Expecting it to be Brian, he frowned when he saw it was an unknown number. Usually, he’d hang up – he’d had his fair share of stalkerish phone calls – but something made him accept it.
“Hello?”
There was no reply. Then some heavy breathing. Damn it. “Listen, whoever you are, I’m not in the mood for games. I’m hanging up now.”
A sob. Not in a high, female voice. But low and cracked. “Don’t hang up… I need… we need you.”
“Michael?” Cam ran his tongue along his dry lip. “Is that you?”
“Josh is missing.”
Cam’s heart skipped a beat. “What?”
“He’s gone. Disappeared. It’s all my fault.”
Cam opened his mouth but no words came out. His chest felt so tight it was hard to breathe. “How long’s he been gone? Are the police involved? How about your mom? Is she holding up?”
“She’s with the police. They’re following a few leads.” Michael sounded frantic. “But nobody’s seen him since this morning when Mom dropped him off. I don’t suppose he called you?”
“No.” Cam looked at his watch. His stomach turned at the thought of Josh being gone so long. “I wish he had.”
“Can you come here? Help us look for him?” Michael begged. “I know I was an asshole to you. I’ve been an asshole to everybody. But Mom needs you. I do, too.”
“Did your mom ask me to come?” Hope made his breath catch in his throat.
“No. But I know she’ll want you here.”
Yeah, Cam wanted to be there, too. Wanted to support the woman he loved, help protect her children. Josh was just a kid, a tiny kid who made everybody smile. He loved playing games and drawing and throwing a ball. Where the hell could he be?
What if somebody took him? Somebody bad…
Cam swallowed the thought down. It tasted bitter on his tongue.
“I’ll catch the first flight out.” He glanced at the mess in his bedroom. Who gave a shit about that? “Hold on, okay? I’ll be there.”
“Thank you.” Michael’s voice was small. “And I’m sorry. For everything I said.”
“It’s not your fault. It’s mine. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry, too. Now hang in there. Hopefully Josh will be back before I get there.”
Ending the call, he threw some clothes in the bag he’d just unpacked, then grabbed his phone and wallet, shoving them into his pockets. His heart was clammering against his chest as he quickly typed out a message to Brian, who was expecting to meet him here late at night after his traveling, and grabbed an Uber to take him to Logan International Airport.
“If you make it fast, you’ll get the tip of your life,” he’d told the driver as he climbed into the backseat.
“Okay.” The driver grinned. “I like the sound of that.”
&n
bsp; Thankfully, the roads were almost empty, and the driver knew how to put his foot down. Sitting on the backseat next to his bag, Cam messaged Logan to ask for his help, then pulled up Mia’s number. He pressed the screen, holding his breath as he waited for the call to connect.
“Hello?” She was breathless. “Cam, I need to keep this line free. Josh is missing.”
“I know. I’m on my way to help.”
“You are?” She sounded wary. “What do you mean?”
“Michael called and told me everything. He asked me to fly back. I should get to Hartson’s Creek later this evening.”
She let out a ragged breath. “Okay. That’s good. Thank you.”