“I hate him,” Austin said. He jerked away from Stephen’s touch and set the plate down. He glared at them across the table, looking Russ in the eye. “I hate you. You told Kellie to get out of my life, and I will never forgive you for it.”
“Austin, I know you’re upset right now,” Russ said. His voice was strained, and Stephen could see the hurt written all over his face. “But—”
“You don’t know anything,” Austin said furiously. “You think you can understand me because your mom left, but you have your sister and your dad and you just want us all to be this perfect happy family. And you don’t get it at all.”
“Then explain it to us,” Stephen said softly.
“I don’t want to talk anymore.”
Stephen sighed, suddenly feeling exhausted. “Fine. Then just sit down and eat.”
Austin scowled but he dropped into the chair and heaped his plate with food. He shoveled it in, glaring at them the whole time. Stephen’s stomach was too twisted into knots to enjoy the food, but he choked a few bites down. Russ didn’t seem to be doing much better.
“Can I go now?” Austin asked when his plate was clear.
Stephen sighed again, unsure if he should just let Austin go or try to salvage what was left of his birthday. “Would you like your birthday gift or not?”
He glared at them. “I guess.”
Stephen retrieved the wrapped package from the kitchen island. This wasn’t how he’d pictured this day going at all. But maybe it would put a smile on Austin’s face. He just wanted him to have at least one happy memory from the day.
“What’s this?” Austin flipped it over to stare at it.
“Well, open it and see,” Russ said.
Austin gave him a murderous look from under his lashes, then ripped into the paper. He stared down at the case in his hands. “This is the software I told you about,” he whispered.
“Yeah, isn’t it great? It looks like there’s all sorts of things you can do with it and—”
Austin shoved away from the table. “So you think you can just buy my love?” he spat as he tossed the case onto the floor.
“What? No,” Russ protested as he reached to pick it up. “We wanted to show you how proud we are of you. That graphic novel you did was amazing. You’ve worked so hard this spring and summer, and we wanted to support your talent—”
“This?” Austin stormed over to the refrigerator and ripped the printed pages off the side. A magnet went pinging to the floor. “This is stupid. It was all a lie.”
“No, Austin. It meant so much to us,” Stephen assured him. “We loved it.”
Austin held it up with two hands and glared at them, his lip trembling.
“Austin,” Russ said as he stood. “Don’t even think …”
Staring them in the eyes, he ripped the papers in two. Russ let out a choked gasp as the pieces went fluttering to the floor, He dropped to his knees, gathering the sheets up, his expression stricken.
“Hurt, didn’t it?” Austin said. “Good. Now you know how I feel.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
Russ stumbled through his morning, bleary-eyed after a night with no sleep. He was too sick to his stomach to eat and the two cups of coffee he’d gulped down to try to wake up had only given him a stomachache and pounding head.
Austin had disappeared into his bedroom last night and refused to come out until the morning. Now that summer school was out for the semester, he was going to art camp for a full day and Russ was the one dropping him off every day. He’d refused to speak to Russ at all and had sat still and stonelike in the car on the ride to art camp before slamming the door behind him after he got out in front of the building.
Since then, Russ had been attempting to work, but he couldn’t focus on anything, too worried and full of heartache to manage a coherent thought.
He felt like a failure. Like he’d let Austin down in every conceivable way. He’d ripped apart the story about their family like it meant nothing, and he’d torn Russ’s heart in two along with it.
Russ had tried so hard. Tried to be there for Austin, tried to love and support him and give him everything he needed. But maybe he’d been wrong. Maybe he wasn’t what was best for Austin. Maybe he was only fooling himself to think he was ready to be a father.
He’d spoken without thinking and alienated Austin’s sister. Pushed her completely out of Austin’s life. He’d failed Austin in the worst way. If Stephen had been there, he would have known what to say, known how to assure Kellie there was a place for her in Austin’s life. Had Russ been hoping for that outcome somehow? Had he made this happen because he subconsciously wanted to erase everyone from Austin’s past?
God, if he had, he was a monster. No, that’s crazy, he reminded himself.
He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes as he fought back a sob. Great. He was going to have a breakdown in the middle of the fucking office. He couldn’t even go into Stephen’s office. He’d tried to talk to Russ last night and this morning. He’d assured Russ that Austin hadn’t meant it. But Stephen wasn’t the one who Austin had screamed that he hated. It hadn’t been Stephen who had pushed away Austin’s sister. Stephen wasn’t the problem. Russ was. He didn’t deserve Stephen’s comfort.
Russ abruptly stood and Sherri gave him a curious glance as he grabbed his phone and stalked away from his desk. He ducked into the first empty conference room he found and shut the door behind him, fingers trembling. He didn’t turn on the light, just walked over to the wide window that looked over midtown and downtown Atlanta.
He let out a gasping sob that he choked back as it hit him that they could lose Austin completely. What if Austin left? What if he decided he didn’t want to stay with them anymore? What if he talked to Marcus about finding a new home?
What if that was better for him?
But no, that was crazy too. We love Austin. He belongs with us.
Russ closed his eyes and leaned his elbows on the window ledge as he tried to calm himself. What would his dad say? What would he do in this situation?
Take a deep breath, son, Alan would remind him. Russ dragged in a deep breath, then another. Now think rationally. Don’t let your panic get in the way of your brain.
Russ’s frantic thoughts slowed a little. No, he couldn’t give up now. Not when they’d come so far. When they’d taken Austin in, they’d agreed that it was for better or worse. That they’d work on whatever problems came up.
This wasn’t the end. It couldn’t be. He needed to do something, not just sit there and feel sorry for himself. He needed to fix it. There had to be something he could do. Some way he could get through to Austin.
Maybe he could try calling Kellie? Maybe he could convince her he was sorry and that she needed to be there for Austin. She probably wouldn’t answer, but he had to try. Austin had given him her number once, in case of an emergency. It was a long shot, but he was getting desperate.
He dialed the number before he could second-guess himself. It rang and rang, then went straight to voicemail. “Kellie,” he choked out. “It’s Russ Bishop …”
His voice trembled by the time he finished his message. He set his phone down and looked out the window. He needed to get back to work but right now his heart was too heavy to focus on anything.
The sounds of the door opening startled him from his thoughts.
“Jesus, there you are,” Stephen said, his expression drawn and serious. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
Russ stepped forward. “What’s wrong?”
“I got a call from the director of the art camp.”
A sudden spike of fear sent Russ’s heart racing. “What? Is Austin okay?”
“I don’t know. He didn’t make it there today.”
“What are you talking about?” Russ said hoarsely. “I dropped him off right in front of the building.”
“Did you see him go in?”
Russ shook his head. “No. I drove off right away. That’s what I usually do. It h
asn’t been a problem. I didn’t think …”
“I’m not finding fault,” Stephen said. “But he didn’t make into the building. The director said he didn’t make it to any of the classes this morning. In fact, no one saw Austin at all this morning.”
“Jesus.” He glanced at his watch. “They’re just calling us now?” he asked.
“They assumed he was sick and we forgot to call in. They were just getting around to confirming.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Russ muttered. “Okay. I need to think. Do you think he just skipped today?”
“I think that’s our best-case scenario,” Stephen said tightly.
Russ froze. “You don’t think something more serious happened, do you?”
“I don’t know what to think.”
“Me either.” Russ’s mind whirled with possibilities. “Jesus, if his father wasn’t in prison I’d wonder if he’d kidnapped him or something.” Russ ran a hand through his hair. “We need to think through this logically.”
“What we need is to be out looking for him, Russ,” Stephen said tightly.
Russ took the time to look at him. His voice was tight and strained and he looked like he’d aged ten years. Shit. He had that same helpless look he’d had when they were in Putnam. Only there was so much more at stake here. Jesus, it was like they’d completely flipped their usual script, but if Stephen was freaking out that meant Russ needed to be the calm, rational one. And he’d just been going to pieces twenty minutes ago.
“We need to be methodical,” Russ said gently, knowing he was going to have to take the lead on this. “Come here, sit down.”
Stephen sat down at the conference room table, but his back was ramrod straight and he looked ready to fly out of there at the slightest provocation. Russ snagged a notepad and pen that had been left on the table and grabbed Stephen’s hand.
“What have you done so far?”
“Called Austin’s phone.”
“No answer, I assume?”
“No answer. It just went to voicemail.”
Russ scribbled that down.
“Look, it’s possible Austin started to feel sick this morning and went home or something,” Russ pointed out.
“How? On the city bus?”
“I know it’s not the most plausible scenario, but it’s possible,” Russ pointed out.
“But why wouldn’t he answer his phone?”
“Maybe he fell asleep or forgot to charge it?”
“I hope you’re right.” Stephen’s tone was grim.
Russ didn’t think it was very likely, but he hoped so too. “What about Kellie?”
“What about her?”
“Maybe he called her, and she picked him up?”
“After the fight yesterday?”
“I don’t know.” Fear made Russ’s stomach clench, but he pushed it away. “I tried calling her earlier and got no answer either.”
Stephen gave him a vague, puzzled glance. “Why?”
“I wanted to see if I could fix what happened yesterday,” he said with a sigh. “Okay. I think our first step is to make sure Austin isn’t at home. Let’s rule that out and go from there.”
Stephen rose to his feet immediately. “I’ll get my things.”
“I’ll tell Peter what’s going on. Meet you at my desk in about ten?”
Stephen nodded tightly and disappeared out the door.
Where did you go, Austin? Russ thought as he strode to his boss’s office. Russ walked in, past Peter’s startled looking personal assistant.
“I have to leave, Peter,” he said tightly. “Austin’s missing.”
He stood, a worried look crossing his face. “Missing? Jesus. What happened?”
“We don’t really know. We just know he didn’t show up at the art camp he was doing this summer. I dropped him off in front of the building this morning, but no one saw him go in. Stephen and I are heading home to make sure he’s not there.”
“Of course,” Peter said. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
“We will.”
Russ went to his cubicle next. His team gave him a curious glance and he repeated what he’d told Peter. “I’m sorry guys, I hate bailing on you, but …”
Sherry gave him a sympathetic look. “You take care of your kiddo. We’ll handle stuff here.”
“Thanks. Peter said to talk to him if there’s anything you need,” he said absently as he mentally scanned through everything he’d brought to work that morning. He looked around for Stephen but didn’t see him, so he grabbed his bag and went in search of him. The faster they left, the faster they could get home and figure out a plan.
“Where the hell are you going, Stephen?” he heard Jerry say furiously as he passed an open door. Although he wasn’t overly loud, the sound of the company’s CEO made Russ snap to attention. He turned back and saw Stephen and Jerry standing in the small reception area nearby. Stephen had his arms crossed over his chest and a furious look on his face.
“I am going home to find my son.”
“We have a board meeting today!”
“I don’t give a flying fuck about the board meeting,” Stephen said tightly. “My son is missing and there isn’t a thing in the world that is more important to me.”
“I have cut you plenty of slack when it comes to dealing with this kid, but this is getting ridiculous, Stephen. I knew a foster child would be nothing but trouble.”
“I suggest you watch your mouth about foster kids, Jerry, because I am this close to quitting,” Stephen said, his voice low and cold. Russ didn’t doubt it for a moment, but he stepped closer anyway and touched Stephen’s arm. He softened slightly as he glanced at Russ and took his hand.
“We both will,” Russ said calmly. “I know this is inconvenient for business, Jerry, but I am in perfect agreement with my husband. Our son comes first. For both of us. I haven’t given nearly as much of my life to this company as Stephen has, but I won’t hesitate to walk away either. If you can’t understand why he’s our first priority, we will find a company to work for who does.”
Stephen nodded.
Russ swallowed hard. “Come on, Stephen, let’s go.”
“Jesus,” Russ said as he got behind the wheel of his car. It hit him like a ton of bricks what had just happened. “Did we just quit our jobs?”
Stephen sighed as Russ backed out of the parking spot. “I don’t know and honestly I don’t care. I’ll deal with it once we know Austin’s safe.”
Russ nodded. “I’ve been trying to run through all of the possible places he could be.”
“I’m trying not to think of all of the worst-case scenarios.”
“I know.” Russ reached blindly for Stephen, steering with one hand as he navigated the parking garage. “I know.”
They were silent as Russ drove home, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel to release some of the nervous tension coursing through him.
He parked and they both flew out of the car, striding toward the lobby.
“You haven’t seen Austin today, have you?” Russ asked as he approached the desk.
The concierge, Ken, looked up, startled. “Not since you left with him this morning, Mr. Bishop. Why?”
“I dropped him off at art camp, but he never made it in the building,” Russ said grimly. “We were hoping he came back home.”
“Oh no. I’ve been at my desk most of the morning. He could have come in while I stepped away for a bathroom break or to grab coffee,” Ken offered. “Or maybe he came in one of the other entrances.”
“Let’s hope so.”
“I could look at the security footage,” Ken offered.
“That would be great,” Russ said, relieved. “Call us if you find anything. Please.” The last part came out more desperate sounding than he’d intended.
“Of course.” Russ turned to leave. “Let me know if I can do anything else!” Ken called after them as they strode away.
“We will,” Russ said tightly. They skipped
the elevator to take the stairs two at a time. As Russ unlocked the apartment door, there was no sound except for their harsh breathing. Russ’s heart pounded in his chest, but he wasn’t sure if it was from climbing six flights of stairs at what felt like a dead run, or fear.
As he pushed open the heavy door, Russ prayed he’d hear a movie or music playing, but the apartment was silent.
“Austin!” Stephen called out. “Are you home? We’re not mad, we just need to know you’re safe.”
No answer came and his voice seemed to echo around the space. Everything was just as they’d left it this morning. Neat and tidy, except for a few of Austin’s belongings strewn about.
“He could be in his room,” Russ said as he strode toward his closed bedroom door. “With headphones on.” But that sounded hollow, even to his own ears.
He held his breath as he knocked on Austin’s door, then pushed it open. Damn. The room was empty. The bed was disheveled—not rare for Austin—but it looked the same as always. A little rumpled but semi-tidy. There was no note and other than the backpack he’d taken with him that morning, everything was there. His laptop was on his desk and a graphic novel he’d been reading was on the floor by his bed. The framed picture of his mom was on the dresser. If he’d run away, he clearly hadn’t taken anything with him besides his backpack. They checked their bedroom on the off chance he’d gone in there. They even checked the balcony, but Austin was nowhere to be found. The apartment was empty.
“The pool?” Russ suggested.
Stephen nodded tightly. Russ held his breath as he opened the gate and scanned the area. Wild scenarios of Austin floating facedown in the pool made his stomach clench, but there was just a mom and a couple of kids swimming. Austin was nowhere in sight.
They turned back, staring out at the city of Atlanta. It looked so big all of a sudden. So hard and unforgiving for a young boy. Russ’s heart ached. God, what if he’s out there alone? What if something’s happened to him? “What now?” Russ whispered.
“We tear this city apart,” Stephen said through clenched teeth.
Full Balance (The Peachtree Series Book 3) Page 32
