Fractured by N.O Darling

Chapter 299

**Josie’s POV **

+25 BONUS

Luke wakes us up in the best way possible. He’s found Harper, and she’ll be coming home soon. I can already feel the excitement bubbling inside me as I pace the kitchen, imagining the moment when I can finally wrap my arms around her. The thought that she is safe fills me with overwhelming joy, and I can’t wait to see her again.

Axel informs Raff, who arranges to have Archie’s parents brought here. I expect them to be a little hostile towards us because it’s our fault that Archie was lost in the first place, but when they arrive they just seem to be reviled and as anxious as the rest of us.

It has been less than an hour since Luke confirmed he had Harper, but it feels like a lifetime. The anticipation is killing me and the air feels thick with tension.

Mason is no better. He’s a prolific pacer at the best of times Now I’m worried he’s going to pass out from exhaustion before she even arrives at this rate.

Theo is sitting at the kitchen table bouncing his knee and Axel is resting his head in his hands. Deacon

is the only one of us that is not showing any outward signs that give away his emotions, but I can feel he is just as keyed up as the rest of us.

The last weeks have been a chaotic mess of frantic searches, desperate pleas and unanswered prayers, until now. We have barely spoken since Luke gave us the news.

I can barely see past the haze of my own thoughts and tear–blurred eyes. There are so many questions running through my mind. How is she? What has she been through? Will she need healing? Some therapy? The uncertainty

gnaws at me.

my heart skips a beat. I turn to see my daughter running towards me from

that I’ve moved before my arms are wrapped around her, and we sink to the floor in floods of happy tears. My guys are around us in seconds, enclosing us in the biggest of hugs. A thousand unspoken words pass between us and my heart feels as though

you,” I say pulling back to look at Harper’s face, which looks

if they’ve seen too much, and she looks more mature in a way that only happens with life experiences. I hear my guys all talking to her, but their words all mix into one jumbled

I pull her towards me again, kissing the top of her head as she presses. her face

safe. Just don’t ever do something like that again. We would have come with you to get Dillon if you’d told us. We had

mind link, and seconds later

of them go again. I want to lock them away in the house and never

an exasperated laugh once he has had a moment to hold both me and

13

Cluster 209

happened?” Theo asks.

I could think of

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blows out a breaths and shakes his head. “Oh

tells us how she had told Mandy, one of her captors, that Lake was one of her bonds and Lake had gone along with it to buy Harper some time to find Archle and Dillon and get them back to Robert. Luke had spent almost an hour dodging: Mandy’s advances and making up excuses to delay their ‘bonding. Both he

similar situation to Harper, is parents surrounding

against the wall and looking a worrying shade of grey. Dillon kneels beside him, a

scrambling to my feet to get to him.

he gives

says, his voice sounding as weak as he

He is not in a good way. “Let’s get him on the couch,”