by Katie Ruggle
“So, Alice, you were hiding from your brother?” Hugh asked. He was also sitting, but his chair was arranged right next to Grace’s, close enough that he could keep an arm around her. Grace didn’t seem to mind. Otto glanced at Sarah despite himself. They were seated on the same side of the table, although there was an empty chair between them. Even with that wooden chaperone, they were still close enough that sweat beaded on the back of Otto’s neck. He resisted the urge to wipe it away, knowing that eagle-eyed Hugh would notice his nervous tic. Sometimes, it was hard to work with people who knew him as well as Hugh and Theo did.
“Call me Sarah. I don’t want to be Alice anymore. And yes. My mom passed away when I was a baby. I don’t remember her. My father wasn’t a good man, and my brother’s even worse. They didn’t share details of the business with me, but I lived in the middle of it. It wasn’t too hard to figure out. Both my father and Aaron were very controlling and cruel. A…friend helped me escape.” Although she was sitting, Sarah wasn’t still. She shifted in her chair, leaning forward and back, occasionally chewing on her thumbnail before jerkily returning her hand to her lap. Otto fought the urge to reach across the chair and put a soothing hand on her arm or rub her back or… The back of his neck prickled, and he rubbed at it instead.
“What’s wrong with you?” Hugh asked.
Otto jerked his hand back down, but it was too late. Hugh was starting to smile. He looked from Sarah to Otto, his gaze a little bit knowing and a whole lot devilish.
“What?” Sarah asked faintly.
Hugh laughed. “Oh, I didn’t mean you. I was talking to the offspring of Paul Bunyan over there.”
“Hugh,” Theo said sharply, pausing in his pacing to give Hugh a glare. “Focus.” He looked at Sarah. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-three.” She sounded a little confused by the question, but Otto knew where Theo was going.
“Why did you have to run?” Theo asked, glancing out the window as he passed the sink. “You’re an adult. Why not just move out? Your brother doesn’t have any legal authority over you.”
“He doesn’t seem to care about that.” Although his words came out mildly, Otto was seething on the inside, remembering the pain on her face as her brother tried to yank her back into the basement.
Sarah shot him a grateful look that warmed Otto’s belly. “He doesn’t. If I’d told him I was moving out, he would’ve locked me in my room until I was eighty—no”—she corrected herself—“until my wedding day.”
Needing something to do with his hands, Otto picked up a spoon that was sitting on the table. Even as he did so, he marveled at his strange behavior. He wasn’t a fidgety person. Something about Sarah, though, made him as twitchy as Bean, the horse that was his newest rescue project.
“Your wedding day?” Grace repeated. “If you’re locked in your room, how are you going to find a groom?”
Sarah’s face tightened in a way that made Otto want to go to the police department, corner Aaron in his holding cell, and choke the life out of him. It was a good thing that Aaron wouldn’t be in Monroe for much longer. The FBI had been very excited to hear that the Monroe police had arrested Aaron Blanchett, and they were sending agents to pick him up as soon as they could arrange a transfer. The entire Monroe Police Department—what was left of it, at least, since three quarters of the officers left for the winter—had joined Theo in searching for Logan. There’d been no trace. The Texas authorities were notified, but Logan hadn’t been spotted yet. Otto wasn’t too hopeful that they’d find the fugitive. He had a feeling Logan would disappear.
“Aaron’s already found the groom,” Sarah said, and Otto’s whole body went stiff. “Logan Jovanovic.”
“Ugh!” Grace groaned. “I met him briefly at the police station where he tried to kill me.”
Sarah stared at Grace, but everyone else had heard the story, so she was the only one shocked. Otto did notice that Hugh scowled and tucked Grace closer to his side, though. “Logan Jovanovic tried to kill you, too?”
“What?” Jules stood in the entrance to the hallway, her face chalk white. Theo immediately strode over to wrap an arm around her. She leaned in to him but kept her gaze locked on Sarah. “What about Logan Jovanovic?” Her voice shook a little as she said the name.
“He tried to kill Grace,” Sarah said.
“I know that part.” Jules still looked too pale, although her voice was fairly even. “How do you know Logan Jovanovic?”
“He shot out Otto’s car window today, and I’m supposed to marry him.” Sarah was trying to sound brave, but her voice quavered. “Aaron thought that giving me to Logan would give him an opportunity to take over the Jovanovics’ business. Supposedly, the Jovanovic family is a mess right now, with Noah and Martin in jail.”
“What the hell did you just do to that spoon?” Hugh asked, looking at Otto’s hands.
Otto glanced down, staring blankly at the twisted metal clutched in his white-knuckled grip. He looked at Jules. “Sorry.”
“What?” She waved a hand. “It’s just a spoon. Don’t worry about it.” Still pale, Jules turned back to Sarah. “Your brother’s name is Aaron? Aaron what?”
“Blanchett.”
At the name, Jules leaned against Theo. He wrapped his arms around her. “Do you know him?”
“Yeah, I know him—well, of him. I wanted to work for him at one point.”
“Why?” Sarah said, sounding bewildered. “He’s not a good person to work for…at all.”
“I know.” Straightening and turning to face Theo, Jules said, “I tried to keep this a secret. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust you, but I didn’t want to put you in a bad spot. I mean, I broke the law. I’m still breaking the law, and not in a jaywalking, take-the-tag-off-the-mattress way. It’s serious, and I didn’t want you to have to decide between your duty as a cop and how you felt about me.”
“Jules.” Theo cupped her face in his hands, speaking directly to her, as if no one else was in the room. “No matter what you did, I’m on your side—yours and the kids. Are they here?” He glanced toward the hall, as if expecting Jules’s siblings to be listening in.
“They’re still at Steve’s. Dee and the twins are friends with his kids.”
“Good,” Theo said. “Tell us what happened. I’m pretty sure I’ve figured out most of it, anyway.”
Curling her fingers around Theo’s wrists, Jules leaned in to kiss him lightly. “I love you.”
“Okay, okay, okay.” Hugh broke into the tender moment. “You both love each other and complete each other and would climb every mountain for each other. We get it. Enough with the kissy-kissy. Tell us what happened.”
Jules looked a little startled, as if she’d also forgotten about the spectators to her and Theo’s tender scene. “Oh. Okay. Um…my stepmother is a horrible person, and my dad has early-onset Alzheimer’s. I’ve been trying to get custody of my siblings, but I lost my CPA license after being questioned by the FBI, so I had no way to pay for attorney fees. I went to Mr. Es—uh, a slightly shady contact of mine and asked for a reference so I could work as an accountant for the Jovanovics or Blanchetts—”
There was a collective, audible inhale from everyone in the kitchen, and Jules put up a hand. “I know, I know. It was stupid, but I was desperate, and no one legitimate would hire me after the FBI thing. The contact wouldn’t give me the reference, but he gave me money and the name of someone who would set up new identities for me and the kids. So…I kidnapped them and drove from Florida to Colorado.”
There was a pause before Hugh repeated, “Kidnapped them?”
“Sam, Tio, Ty, and Dee. They wanted to be kidnapped, though, so that made it less evil than it sounds.” Jules kept her gaze focused on an expressionless Theo. Otto recognized his partner’s “thinking” face, the one he got when he was processing information.
“Why wasn’t there a huge po
lice response?” Hugh asked. “Four kids—including twins—are pretty distinctive, and I don’t remember an Amber Alert.”
“Mr.…the slightly shady contact has evidence of the worst of my stepmother’s abuse.” Jules’s mouth pulled tight, and her eyes were glossy as she wrapped her arms around her middle. “He told her that he’d release it to the police if she reported the kidnapping. I’m sure she has private investigators working on it, though.”
Theo reached out and gently tugged Jules toward him. As she rested her head against his chest, he wrapped his arms around her.
“Do you hate me?” she asked in a small voice.
Theo cupped the back of her head with his hand. “I could never hate you, especially not for this.”
“I’m a felon.”
“You’re a good sister.” Her body jerked with a single sob, and her hands clutched the sides of his shirt as Theo kissed the top of her head. “We’ll figure this out, Jules. Together.”
“I love you.” The words were clear, despite her tears.
“I love you, too.”
“Why not just turn in the evidence immediately?” Hugh asked, interrupting their sweet moment. “She’d be arrested, and you’d get custody. Problem solved.”
“Sam was her main victim.” Jules turned her head so that her voice wasn’t muffled against Theo’s chest. There were tears streaming down her cheeks. “He doesn’t want anyone to know. He’s so ashamed. I tell him over and over it wasn’t his fault, but he doesn’t believe that. If he had to testify…” She trailed off, her mouth drawing down at the corners. “He wouldn’t be able to do it. If he tried, for us, her lawyers would tear him to pieces. It would destroy him.”
Otto realized that he was torturing the twisted spoon again, and he set it carefully on the table. He’d known that Sam had been abused. The signs were all there—his stutter, his wariness, his whole demeanor. It was still hard to hear it confirmed.
“Now that we’re finally all sharing, how did you end up here?” Hugh asked Grace. Before she could answer, he spoke again. “I know that you were dating Jovanovic—”
“Barely dating,” Grace interrupted to clarify. “Noah and I had been on, like, three dates.”
“You were dating Noah Jovanovic?” Sarah asked in a hushed voice. “He completely freaks me out—his uncle Martin, too.”
“Until Grace met me,” Hugh said with pretend pompousness, “her taste in men was…well, a little sad.”
Grace pinched Hugh’s thigh, making him yelp. “I’ll have you know, I’m still questioning my judgment.” She gave him a teasing, sideways glance when he protested. “Yes, all the Jovanovics turned out to be scary. At least Noah and Martin and some of their other top guys are in jail now.”
“I wish Logan was,” Sarah said.
Theo looked at her with a frown. “Sorry we didn’t get him. Viggy tracked him through the trees, and then his trail ended. We’re assuming he ran to where he’d parked a car earlier. There’s a nationwide BOLO out for him. He’ll be picked up soon.”
“Why did you both come here, though?” Hugh repeated, returning to the earlier conversation. “Why were you—and then Sarah—sent to Jules?”
The three women exchanged a glance that told Otto he and the other cops were not going to get that information. “He asked for a favor,” Jules finally non-answered.
“He who?” Theo asked.
“The slightly shady guy I know.”
“Name?”
Widening her eyes, Jules gave Theo an innocent look. “I can’t remember. I’m sure it was a fake one anyway.”
With a disbelieving snort, Hugh nudged Grace. “You must’ve worked with this ‘shady guy,’ too. What’s his name?”
“No clue.” Grace spread her hands in such a dramatic way that Otto wanted to laugh. It was obvious that the women were protecting the person who helped them escape. He couldn’t blame them.
Theo and Hugh silently turned their gazes to Sarah. As she shrank back in her chair, Otto had the urge to stand in front of her to block the other men’s intimidating glares. “I forget?” Sarah said in a tiny voice. “I just hope Aaron didn’t find him.” Otto saw her widen her eyes at Jules, who gave the tiniest shake of her head as she pulled her phone out of her pocket, wiggling it meaningfully. By the way Sarah’s shoulders relaxed, Otto assumed that gesture meant that the mystery man had texted Jules and assured her that he was alive and well.
“Oh, for Pete’s sake!” Hugh sounded like he was trying not to laugh. “You all are the absolute worst at trying to be sneaky.”
Faint, squeaking protests came from the other room, and Otto stood, even as Sarah jumped to her feet, looking relieved. “The puppies!” She hurried toward the hallway. “They must be hungry.”
Otto followed her out as the others continued their discussion in the kitchen. Sarah glanced over her shoulder and slowed, allowing him to catch up. When they were walking side by side, alone, he immediately lost his ability to talk. Ideas for different topics of conversation bounced around in his head, but it didn’t matter. He couldn’t force any words out of his mouth.
“Thank you,” she said, jerking him out of his mental scramble.
“For what?” His voice sounded gritty, but at least he’d managed to speak.
Sarah smiled at him. “For saving me. If you hadn’t been there, Aaron would’ve pulled me right back into the basement, and who knows where I would be right now.”
Anger rushed through him at the thought of Aaron stealing Sarah away, of hurting her and forcing her to marry that asshole Jovanovic against her will. Otto’s rage was strong enough that he forgot his nervousness and wrapped an arm around Sarah’s shoulders. She stiffened at the contact but didn’t move away. Her bones felt fragile and prominent under his hand, reminding him of the orphaned baby hawk he’d once cared for.
Clearing her throat, Sarah spoke again. “So…um, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” They were standing in the living room, right next to the puppies’ crate, but Otto didn’t want to let go. “Sorry we didn’t get Jovanovic.”
“That’s not your fault, or Theo’s. I told him to help you first. I was so terrified that Aaron would hurt you. I shouldn’t have pulled you into my mess. You could’ve been killed.” She stared up at him, her brown eyes earnest and soft, and Otto couldn’t look away. He’d come so close to losing her, and he hadn’t even had a chance to really get to know her yet. It didn’t matter that they’d met just a couple of weeks earlier. She was already important to him.
Her lips parted slightly, and his gaze focused on her mouth. She was so beautiful and so sweet. Without thinking, he found himself leaning closer. Sarah didn’t move away, and he stopped breathing. Up close, she was even more perfect. It felt like she was drawing him in, pulling him closer without even having to touch him.
One of the puppies gave an especially loud, warbling cry, and Otto jerked back, startled.
“Sorry, puppies,” Sarah said, crouching down to open their crate. “You must be starving. I was so worried you’d wake up and Aaron would find you. I’m putting everyone in danger. The sooner I leave town, the better it will be for everyone.” She pulled out two wriggling, grunting bodies and offered them to Otto. Once he accepted them, she picked up the last two and stood. Sarah looked down at the puppies in her arms, a worried frown on her face. Otto wished his hands weren’t full so that he could give her a comforting hug.
“Don’t leave town. Come stay with me,” he blurted out, shocking himself—and Sarah, from her expression.
“With you?” she repeated faintly, and he could feel the back of his neck begin to itch again.
“Just till we find Logan Jovanovic and bring him in. It’s safer there.” Otto resisted the urge to rub his neck. “There’s a bunker with…ah, tunnels. And food.” He closed his eyes for a moment in self-annoyance. He’d just told Sarah that
she should come stay with him because of tunnels and food. He was hopeless.
She made a noncommittal sound, but she didn’t agree—or disagree—with his plan. A tiny spark of hope glowed in his belly. If she stayed at his place, she wouldn’t leave town. In fact, she’d be around him all the time. Heat from that small fire began to spread, filling him with something a lot warmer than hope.
They returned to the kitchen in silence, although he couldn’t stop himself from shooting quick glances at her profile. She looked thoughtful and conflicted and so pretty that he found it hard to look away. One of the puppies he was holding made a disgruntled sound, wiggling in his hold, and he absently soothed it with his thumb.
As they entered the kitchen, both Otto and Sarah ducked when the spoon Otto had mangled flew through the air, hitting the stove with a clatter.
“Sorry!” Grace said, standing and crossing to where the spoon still spun on the floor. “That wasn’t aimed at you. I actually threw it at Hugh’s stupid head, but he plays really good defense, so it deflected off his hand and that’s when you two walked in.”
“Why were you throwing a spoon at Hugh?” Sarah asked. Obviously, she hadn’t been around Hugh and Grace very much. It seemed to Otto that something was always flying between them, whether it was words or pillows or random spoons. They made up as quickly as they started a fight, and that part was almost as awkward for everyone else involved.
“Apparently,” Grace said, stretching out the word with a long glare at Hugh, “I’m supposed to marry him and move into his house like a good little woman.”
“Oh.” Sarah blinked several times, and Otto had to hold back a laugh. He could’ve warned her that the answer would be something like that. He noticed that Theo and Jules were also eyeing each other in a way that meant they were in the middle of a disagreement.
