I kept him close. Kept my eyes pointed toward the sound of hushed voices from around the corner. Kept my ears straining to eavesdrop on what was being said between Izzy, Alessandro, and their parents.

Constantine’s brother had escorted Colin back to me. No word from Constantine himself. Not a one, in fact.

Hudson had called Izzy thirty minutes ago, and she’d relayed that Colin was safe and on his way back.

Constantine didn’t want to talk.

Why?

And now Colin was apologizing for the fact Constantine wasn’t here.

“Talk to me,” I whispered, trying to keep it together. To remember the reassurances Angela and Salvatore had given me repeatedly as we’d waited for good news.

Well, good news was here. In my arms. Now, I needed Good News’s father hugging me, too.

“Please, talk.” I pulled away from Colin, waiting for him to explain his apology, knowing it wouldn’t be for running off. He was his father’s son. Of course, he’d risk his life for his girlfriend and not say sorry about that.

Colin freed himself from my arms and used his sleeve to dry the few tears that had escaped his red, swollen eyes.

“It’s my fault he’s not here. I got mad at him.” He cradled the back of his neck, knocking his elbows together as a shield for his face.

“He’s searching for Lennon with the others.” I followed the heavy sounds of Alessandro’s words lingering in the air to find him hanging back in the hallway, eyeing the two of us.

“I wanted to stay with him to help search for her, but he wouldn’t let me,” Colin sputtered. “But I was . . . mean. I yelled. Pounded my fists against his chest. I told him he couldn’t come back until he rescued her. That my life didn’t matter more than hers.” He broke down, his guilt, along with his worries for Lennon, taking him to his knees. “I’m sorry.” Colin rocked back and forth, tearing at his hair. “I was just so mad that he saved me, not her.”

I’d been on my knees a few times already tonight out of terror and to pray.

My prayers were partially answered because my son was home but without his father.

This time, I knelt alongside my son, hooking my arm across his back, anchoring myself to his side. I lifted my gaze to Alessandro, waiting for him to elaborate.

Alessandro strode over and took a knee, resting his forearm over his thigh. “By saving you, we did save Lennon.”

Colin stopped trembling and looked up at him.

“Lennon was bait to get you,” he continued. “The plan failed. Now they have no choice but to try and use Lennon as leverage to get what they want. If they had you, they wouldn’t need her. They’d have killed her along with her brother.”