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 ...

The noise level of the woman went down, but the man’s voice just got louder, until Makai heard another male yell, “Enough! Pay for your meal and get out, both of you. Frank, you’re barred from this building for two weeks.” Makai realized it was Stuart, Leah’s husband, taking charge of the situation.


Frank Matthews soon marched through the diner and sneered at Makai when he caught sight of him. A pretty, harried-looking blonde rushed after Matthews with makeup running down her face.


Makai turned his head slightly, just to see what the Matthewses did when they got out. He grimaced when he saw Frank grab his wife’s wrist and all but toss her into their vehicle. He understood now what Emil meant when he said everyone in town knew but nobody could prove it, and Mrs. Matthews never pressed charges.


Chapter 65