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 ...

“Yeah, I guess not. But I don’t have access to the internet right now. Might have to leave that for another time.” Makai shuffled his feet a little, looking embarrassed.


“Understandable. Once you get a laptop, though, they’ll set it up in the shop if needed, or I can take a look. I’m not much of a computer geek, but I know my way around the basics,” Emil offered, and his heart did that thing again when Makai smiled at him shyly.


“I might just take you up on that.”


“Can we go back outside?” Joey asked and held his can of soda for Emil to take.


It was halfway done, but Emil doubted Makai would mind. He went to put the can on the kitchen counter and listened to Makai and Joey talk as they went out of the door.


Emil followed them and dug out a folded piece of paper from his pocket. It was today’s main assignment for him and Joey.


Chapter 29