CHAPTER FOUR
Kamden
T
he last couple of weeks have been absolute chaos. Avery’s disappearance flipped our world upside down, leaving nothing but a gaping void where she should be. Every waking moment has been consumed with searching, hoping, and grasping at any sliver of information that might lead us to her.
My brothers and I, along with Roman and Dan—Avery’s dad—have been relentless. We’ve joined every search party, attended every press conference, and pushed her case into every media outlet we could. We refuse to let the world forget about her, not for a damn second.
Jaxton didn’t hesitate—he quit the movie he was working on the second we realized she was gone, walking away without a backward glance. Liam and Lennox cleared their schedules, canceling every remaining contract for the year without regret. As for me, I handed over the reins of my restaurants to my executive chef, stepping away from everything I built to focus on the only thing that matters—Avery.
The latest press conference is another punch to the gut. The police just announced they have nothing—no leads, no new evidence, not even a whisper of where Avery might be. And now, they’re officially done with the crime scene, handing the house back over to her father.
It feels like a death sentence.
None of us say it, but we’re all thinking the same thing—this was supposed to be the place she came back to. Instead, it’s just another reminder that she’s still missing. Our hearts fracture all over again.
And then there’s her .
Sarah shows up, again, draped in fake sympathy while subtly— or not so subtly —flirting with Jaxton. It’s disgusting. She’s trying to worm her way back into his life, and we all see right through it. The only reason she’s tolerated right now is because her presence is keeping the media’s attention on Avery’s case. When Liam had to explain to Dan who she was, he merely grunted in displeasure, unimpressed but not particularly invested in her existence. His focus is solely on his daughter—where she is, and why the hell we haven’t brought her home yet.
The press conference wraps up with the same gut-wrenching disappointment as the last one. No new leads. No new evidence. Just another dead end while Avery is still missing. The weight of it sits heavy on my chest, suffocating, like an iron hand pressing down.
Dan stands off to the side, arms crossed, his face unreadable, but I know him well enough now to see the exhaustion in his posture, the grief that’s eating him alive. His daughter is gone, and no matter how much money, media, or manpower we throw at this search, we keep coming up empty.
“We should head over to the house,” Jaxton mutters, running a hand through his hair. “Make sure everything’s still in order.”
Dan exhales sharply through his nose. “I can’t go back there. Not yet.” His voice is gravel, like it physically pains him to admit it. “It—it doesn’t feel right. Not without her.”
Liam steps forward, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. “We get it. We’ll go for you.”
Dan nods, his eyes glassy, but his voice is steady. “Just—just make sure everything’s alright. Water her plants. She’d be raising hell if they started dying.”
A sad chuckle ripples through the group because it’s true. Avery loved her plants like they were part of her family, fussing over them, making sure they had the perfect amount of light, water, and nutrients.
“She’s got a few new ones in the backyard,” Dan continues. “The heavy work was supposed to be done already… We were gonna finish it together.” His voice cracks slightly at the end, and he clears his throat, masking the emotion threatening to spill over. “Maybe—maybe you boys could take care of that for her.”
Jaxton nods. “Of course. Consider it done.”
Before any of us can say more, Sarah steps closer— too close—pressing herself into Jaxton’s personal space like she belongs there. “I could come with you,” she suggests sweetly, placing a manicured hand on his arm. “Help keep her house in order, maybe go through some of her things—”
Jaxton steps back instantly, shaking her off like an annoying mosquito. “No.” His tone is sharp, leaving no room for argument. “We’ve got it covered.”
Sarah’s expression tightens, her saccharine facade slipping for a fraction of a second before she plasters on another fake smile. “I was just offering support, Jaxy. You know how much I care about you. About all of you.” She lets her gaze sweep over us, as if that bullshit is going to work.
Lennox snorts. “Yeah? Then why don’t you support us from a distance?”
Sarah flicks her eyes to him, batting her lashes in what I assume she thinks is a coy expression. “I just thought—”
“No,” I cut in, my patience running thin . “You thought wrong. This is a private matter. You aren’t part of this.”
Her nostrils flare, her mask slipping even further, but she doesn’t argue. She just lets out an exasperated sigh, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “Fine.”
She lingers a moment longer, like she’s waiting for Jaxton to stop her, but when he doesn’t even glance in her direction, she finally stomps off, her heels clicking against the pavement.
Liam exhales, muttering under his breath. “She’s getting desperate.”
Jaxton scrubs a hand down his face. “She’s always been desperate.”
Dan shakes his head, looking after her retreating form. “You boys better be careful with that one. She’s a rattlesnake waiting to strike.”
“You don’t have to tell us twice,” I mutter.
The tension clings to the air even after she’s gone, but we push it aside as we exchange quick goodbyes and head toward our cars. There’s work to be done at Avery’s house, and if this is all we can do for her right now, then we’ll damn well do it right.
The moment we pull up to Avery’s house, an eerie silence settles over us. The engine hums to a stop, but none of us move. We just sit there, staring at the place that should be filled with her laughter, her warmth, her life. Instead, it’s a ghost of what it once was, a painful reminder that she’s gone.
Liam is the first to break the silence, his voice rough. “I don’t know if I’m ready to see it like this.”
Jaxton exhales, running a hand down his face. “We have to be. This is her home, and we’re the only ones who can take care of it for her.”
Lennox grips the door handle but doesn’t open it yet. “It’s going to look exactly how it did that night. The cops didn’t clean up. They didn’t move a damn thing.”
That truth settles deep in my chest like a rock. The police had done their investigation, dusted for fingerprints, and searched for any clue they could find—but once they’d finished, they’d left it untouched. As if preserving the chaos would somehow bring us answers.
I nod toward the house. “Let’s go.”
The moment we step inside, the air shifts, thick and suffocating. Time hasn’t moved in here. It’s frozen in the nightmare of that night.
The roses—those goddamn roses—are still strewn across the floor, their petals brittle and lifeless, stained with the memory of what happened. The scattered furniture, the faint smudges of blood on the floor, the shattered glass—it’s all the same. The sight of it sends a fresh wave of rage crashing through me.
“Fuck,” Liam mutters, his jaw tight as he steps forward, his boots crunching over dried petals. “It’s like she was taken yesterday.”
Jaxton doesn’t speak. He just stands there, fists clenched at his sides. I can practically hear the thoughts racing through his head, the what-ifs, the blame, the torment.
Lennox walks toward the plants by the window, his fingers grazing the leaves that have started to wilt. “She’d be pissed if she saw this.”
I force myself to move, to shake off the paralyzing grief. “Then let’s fix it.”
Without another word, we get to work. It feels wrong—cleaning up the scene of her abduction like we’re trying to erase what happened—but this is her home. And if we’re going to bring her back, we want it to be exactly how she left it.
We start with the plants, giving them the water and care she would have. We pick up the broken glass, put the furniture back in place, and sweep away the dried remnants of the nightmare that unfolded here.
When everything is back in order—at least as much as it can be—I look around and take a deep breath. It still doesn’t feel right. It won’t until she’s home.
Liam leans against the kitchen counter, arms crossed. “We should ask Dan if we can stay here.”
Lennox turns to him. “Permanently?”
Liam nods. “We were supposed to move in with her the next day anyway. What difference does it make if we do it now?”
Jaxton rubs his hand over his jaw, considering. “We’ll be closer. We can keep everything exactly how she left it. Make sure nothing happens to the house.”
“And we’ll be here when she comes home,” I add, because saying if isn’t an option. “She’ll need us.”
There’s a beat of silence before Lennox sighs. “I don’t think Dan will say no.”
Jaxton shakes his head. “He won’t. He doesn’t want to see this place without her.”
Liam pushes off the counter. “Then it’s settled. We’ll talk to him about it tonight.”
I glance around the house one last time, my chest tightening. This place is Avery. Every detail, every plant, every piece of decor—she put it here. It’s only right that we stay, that we keep it safe.