Can two broken men build one life? Ten years. That’s what Makai lost for a crime he didn’t commit. He’s been exonerated, but the abuse he suffered in prison isn’t so easy to leave behind. He heads to the one place he remembers being happy: Acker, Wisconsin, where he spent summers with his grandpa. Unfortunately, not everyone wants Makai there. Ten days. That’s how long Emil, now twenty-one, was held prisoner as a teenager. The mental and physical injuries he suffered at the hands of a drug trafficking ring still haunt him. Nightmares, anxiety, and PTSD challenge the connection forming between Makai and Emil, though together, they might find a way to move beyond their pain and into a future -- and a relationship -- that both had thought impossible. Now they just have to convince Emil’s father, the town sheriff. It won’t be easy with danger closer than they know ...

He ended up needing a cart because he found the pet section in the back of the store and realized all the things he needed to get for the cat. Food that cost a lot to buy but would probably last her for a while—he also got some extra meat, trying to tell himself her babies needed the extra nutrition right then—along with a litterbox, kitty litter, a bunch of toys, and yes, a cat carrier.


When he got to the front of the shop, Mr. Miller was manning the cash register and his eyes twinkled at Makai.


“You ain’t gonna give her back, are you?”


Makai grinned sheepishly. “Depends on whose she is. I mean, she could just be lost. She’ll still need this stuff, so….” He ducked his head and packed his groceries and all the cat things while Mr. Miller chuckled at him.


A former convict, biracial, bisexual, and now the fucking resident cat guy.


Chapter 14