"I swear to God, if anything happens to my baby, I'm going to kill you."
My voice came out low, shaking, almost feral. I pointed a trembling finger at him, eyes blazing, heart pounding like a war drum. The air around us crackled.
Killian raised a brow, tilting his head slightly to the side. His expression wasn't anger. No. It was worse. He looked amused—like my fury was a challenge. Like he was waiting to see if I'd make good on my threat.
"Is that so?" he said calmly, arms folding across his chest, dressed in all black like he was headed to a funeral—maybe Leo's.
God. My heart twisted painfully at the thought.
"You lost him. You fucking LOST him, Killian!"
"He's not lost. He's missing. There's a difference."
"Don't you dare split words with me right now!"
He sighed, slow and deliberate. "We were just walking through the park. He wanted to feed the ducks. I turned to take a phone call—two seconds, Noelle—and when I turned back, he was gone."
I was already grabbing my phone, fingers shaking as I hit Max's number.
"Pick up, pick up, pick up—"
Her voice crackled on the other end. "Hello? Elle?"
"Leo's gone. He wandered off. Killian—Killian let him go out and now he's gone."
Max gasped, all trace of laziness gone from her voice. "I'm on my way. Which park?"
"Lincoln Gardens."
"Stay there. I'll bring the whole damn cavalry."
I hung up and whirled on Killian. "You let your guard down. You. Mr. Obsessed with control, forgot to WATCH MY FUCKING CHILD."
Something flickered behind his eyes—a tightening, a clench of his jaw.
"I didn't forget," he ground out. "I was distracted."
"By what?! Your empire? Your ego? Your need to pretend like you care when all you want is to own us?!"
He stepped closer, voice lower now. "I told you I would protect him."
"And yet here we are."
He didn't answer that.
---
The moment we got back to the park, everything blurred. I was running through paths, calling Leo's name, ignoring the curious eyes and confused glances. Killian stayed close but didn't say a word.
My hands were numb. My chest burned.
"Leo!" I screamed. "Leo, baby, where are you?!"
A pair of police officers came into view. One of them, a tall dark-haired man with a clean badge, approached.
"Mrs. Rhys? We got a call about a missing child?"
I nodded frantically. "Leo. Four years old. Curly hair. Brown hoodie with lion ears. He has a small scar on his left cheek. Please, he doesn't talk much with strangers."
Killian handed the officer a photo from his phone. "This is him. The most recent picture."
The officer nodded. "We're locking down the park perimeter now. Is there anyone who might want to take him? Any enemies? Custody battles?"
I froze. My blood turned to ice.
"Marcus," I whispered.
Killian stiffened beside me.
"Who's Marcus?" the officer asked.
"My ex-husband," I breathed. "His father."
---
Ten minutes passed. Then twenty.
Max arrived with her cousin Elias, a nerdy-looking tech genius she once dated in high school and now keeps around for "situational emergencies."
Elias cracked open his laptop on the hood of Killian's black SUV, his fingers flying over the keys. "There are traffic cams along the east exit of the park. Give me ten."
Max clutched my shoulders. "We're going to find him. I swear. If Marcus took him, he won't get far."
I shook my head. "I should've waited. I should've said no to the walk. He begged and I said yes and then I left for FIVE MINUTES."
"This isn't your fault," she snapped. "You trusted the man who swore he'd protect you. Let him stew in the guilt."
Killian's jaw ticked. He remained silent. But his eyes never left the tree line. His entire body radiated rage.
Elias waved a hand. "Got something!" He turned the laptop toward us. A blurry feed showed a tall man leading a small boy out of the east gate.
Killian leaned forward. "That's not Marcus."
"You sure?"
He nodded once. "That man works for Dorian Locke."
Max blinked. "Who the hell is that?"
"A trafficker. And an old debt of Marcus'. Looks like he's calling it in."
My heart dropped.
I staggered back, mouth open. "They took him. They have my son."
Killian was already making calls. "I want eyes on every fucking exit from the city. Anyone who sees Dorian Locke, you call me directly. I want to gut that bastard."
He hung up, turned to me, and for the first time since I met him, he looked...
Uncertain.
"I failed you," he said quietly.
I didn't answer.
I couldn't.
---
It was nearly nightfall when the call came.
"We found them," one of Killian's men reported. "They're in an abandoned warehouse near the docks. We're sending the coordinates."
Killian was already moving.
"You're not coming," he told me, grabbing his coat.
"The hell I'm not."
"Noelle. It's dangerous."
"He's my son. I will be there. You want to keep me alive? Then bring him back."
He didn't argue again.
---
The warehouse stank of oil and old death.
Killian and five of his men swept in, guns drawn, sharp eyes scanning every crevice. I waited in the car with Max and Elias, heart pounding.
And then—
A scream.
A child's scream.
I was out of the car before anyone could stop me. Running. Barefoot. Heart wild.
And then I saw him.
Leo.
His face was tear-streaked. His hoodie torn. But he was there. Alive.
Killian held him in his arms like he was made of porcelain, whispering something in his ear I couldn't hear.
When he saw me, he walked over and handed him to me.
No words.
No explanations.
Just a child... and his mother.
I cradled Leo against my chest, sobbing, pressing kisses to his cheeks, his forehead, every part of him I could reach.
Killian turned to walk away.
"Wait," I called out, voice broken.
He stopped.
"Thank you."
He didn't turn back. Just said, "He's mine too."
And then he disappeared into the dark.
---
Later that night, when the world was quiet and Leo was asleep beside me in bed, I stared at the ceiling.
Killian had almost broken me.
But he'd also found my son.
And I didn't know which side of him scared me more.