25. Allie
Allie
“ Y ou’re sure that you’re all right?” Sienna, dressed as Wednesday Addams complete with thigh-high socks and a black, braided wig, squeezed my arm.
“I’m fine.” I smiled at her. “Caden took care of me.”
Tessa re-adjusted her Wonder Woman headband. “I knew you two would work it out.”
“Well, we had hot, delicious sex, but we haven’t really talked. Well, we talked a little bit. He shared a bit about his time in the military.”
Jazz clasped her hands together. She was rocking the Cowboy Barbie look in a lipstick-pink pantsuit and white cowboy hat. “He opened up to you. And we’ve all seen the way he watches you.”
Sierra nodded. “Like he wants to wrap you up in protective bubble wrap and keep you all to himself.”
“With this sort of sexy, slightly obsessive glint in his eye,” Tessa added.
“I like it.” No, I loved it.
But how I felt about Caden was too new to share. It was something I needed to work out with Caden first.
Still smiling, I turned.
And saw Blake.
My heart hitched. He was across the crowded area, standing by a food truck.
He winked at me.
The asshole . My hands clenched. I lost sight of him.
“Allie?” Tessa said.
“I just saw Blake. The ESG ringleader.”
Tessa stiffened. “Where?”
I scanned the crowd. “I can’t see him now. The prick winked at me.”
Sierra’s gaze sparked.
“We need to tell Caden,” Jazz said.
I nodded. I wanted Caden. “Let’s go and?—”
A commotion broke out on the other side of the Spectacular.
“What’s going on?” Tessa said.
We pushed our way through the crowd. Then it parted, and I saw Caden on the ground. He was giving a girl chest compressions.
I gasped. Oh God.
Tessa swung into action. “I see the paramedics coming.” She raised her voice. “Clear the way. Move out of the way, please.”
Hugh shouldered into view. “Everyone move back.” Unsurprisingly, people started leaping out of the way of the giant Viking.
Enzo was with him, wearing a hooded, black Grim Reaper robe. “Narcan.” He tossed something at Caden.
Caden leaned over the young girl and administered the medication, spraying it into the girl’s nose.
A second later, the girl’s eyes opened and she gasped in air.
Caden sat back on his knees and blew out a breath.
Then the girl started sobbing. The paramedics arrived, dropping down beside her, and setting their bags on the ground.
It was so scary. Then I looked around for Ollie.
There was no sign of him.
I spun, looking everywhere. I saw other kids in costumes, some clinging to parents and grandparents.
No Peter Pan.
“Ollie! Ollie!”
I hurried over to Caden who was talking with Hugh and Enzo.
“Caden, where’s Ollie?”
His face hardened. “He was just here. I told him to stay back.” He turned and pointed. Then his mouth flattened.
There was no Ollie.
“Ollie!” Caden called.
Fear and panic twisted inside me. I hadn’t felt like this since the day I’d gotten the phone call that my brother and sister-in-law had been murdered. “You lost him.”
I was too panicked to see the way he stiffened.
“You lost him,” I yelled, fear choking me. “We have to find him.” My voice cracked.
I couldn’t lose Ollie.
“We’ll find him.” Caden touched his ear. “Lock down the perimeter. We have a young child missing. Male, five years old, Peter Pan costume. His name is Oliver Ford.”
“What’s going on?” A tall muscular man I’d never seen before stepped up beside Caden. He wasn’t wearing a costume, had silvery-brown shaved hair, and massive, muscular shoulders. Emily was with him, worry on her face.
“Ollie is missing,” I said, my voice shaking.
“Oh no,” Emily said. “He can’t have gone far.”
“Gunnar, you’re with me,” Caden barked. “Hugh and Enzo, check near the food trucks.”
Enzo gave a clipped nod. “Sure thing, Caden.”
The men splitting into pairs, stalking into the crowd.
My throat closed. God, I shouldn’t have left him. He was mine. It was my job to take care of him.
“Hey, calm down.” Tessa pressed a hand to my back. “Slow your breathing.”
I pulled in two ragged breaths.
“He’ll be fine.” Her voice was calm and reassuring. “Caden has security at all the exits. Ollie can’t leave.”
“Okay.” I pulled in another breath. “Okay.”
“Caden will find him.”
I nodded. I knew Caden wouldn’t stop until he did. “God, what if he’s hurt, or some sicko took him?—”
“Deep breaths,” Tessa ordered.
Suddenly, I saw Caden striding toward me.
He was carrying Ollie on his hip.
“ Thank God .” I raced forward and snatched Ollie into my arms. “Where did you go?” I hugged him tightly.
“Allie, you’re squishing me.”
“I was so worried.” I set him down and cupped his cheeks. “I couldn’t find you.”
“Caden was helping the sick woman.” Ollie looked at his feet. “It was scary. Then your friend came and said you wanted me to go with him.”
I stilled. “My friend?”
“In the black jacket. He was nice. He took me to see the animals at the petting zoo.”
The air shuddered out of me. “Blake.”
Caden’s face turned into a terrible mask.
Ollie read the tension and his face fell. “He’s not your friend?”
“No, Ol-ster, he’s not.”
“I’m sorry.” He started crying.
“It’s okay, baby.” I pulled him back against me.
“I’ll find him.” Caden shoved a keycard at Tessa. “Take them up to my suite.”
Then he was gone.
I shivered, pulling Ollie close.
“Come on, you two,” Tessa said. “Let’s get you inside and find some hot chocolate.”
I let her lead us inside, still feeling numb.
Blake had taken Ollie. He was messing with me. He’d touched my kid.
I couldn’t think about him right now. For now, my focus needed to be on Ollie.