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 ...

“Because you’re in a hospital, Emil.”


“I’m not in a hospital, Makai is.”


“Really? So… this right here”—she gestured around—“is not a hospital room?”


Emil shook his head and still refused to look at her properly. “I’m not the patient.”


“No, you’re not. But if you stop taking care of yourself immediately, it won’t take long for you to become one, now will it?”


He flinched at her words, even though the tone was kind. “I just ate. What more do you want?”


He shook his head. She meant pills. “I don’t want those.”


“I know you don’t. So I’ll make you a deal.”


Suspicious, he looked at her and saw her smile slightly. “I’m listening?” But only because he knew she was right about him. If he didn’t take care of himself now, he would be of no use to Makai when he woke up.


Chapter 74