Chapter 137

“My God, Lance!” Leila yelled. “Where is he?”

I ignored her, looking under tables as quickly as I could. Then, I lifted the skirt of the last table and there he was, sitting under the table, hiding. “Jase! What were you doing?”

“Playing Hide and Seek,” he said.

“I found him!” I announced, and Leila rushed over. I quickly scooped him into my arms and hugged him to my chest. “Do not ever do that to me again, Jase! Do you hear me?”

He nodded as his eyes welled up with tears.

I didn’t want to have to tell him this at such a young age, but it was necessary. “Jase, there are a lot of bad people out there that could have taken you, do you know that?” I said, looking into his eyes. “And if that happened, Mommy and Daddy would never see you again.”

Jase’s lip began to quiver.

I quickly calmed myself, but I wanted to impress upon him the