Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 97185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
God, he felt so good. Even though he smelled like smoke, he still felt like my Otto. He turned his face into my neck, and I held him even tighter. I knew we were on display for anyone to see, but I didn’t give a shit. I felt like I’d truly just gotten him back after all these years and now was going to have to watch while the same justice I’d fought for in the police academy and in my job as a peace officer was used against the one person I felt didn’t deserve it.
He pulled back and took my face in his hands, forcing me to look at him.
“I am not going to fight this, Seth.”
I opened my mouth to argue with the idiot, but he stopped me.
“This is a state jail felony since no one was targeted or hurt. The most I’ll get for that is two years. Instead of spending god knows how many more months fighting this, I’d rather just start my time.”
I barked out a laugh. “That’s ridiculous. I’ve never heard something more insane in all my life. You’re pulling my leg.”
I could tell by the look on his face, he was not, in fact, pulling my leg.
“No,” I growled. “No fucking way. You’re insane if you think I’m going to let you plead guilty to a crime you didn’t commit.”
“Baby—”
“No!” I shouted. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Doc and Grandpa jump, but I kept my gaze locked on the motherfucker in front of me. “No martyr bullshit, Otto. Over my dead body.”
He let out a sigh and then smiled at me, fucking smiled. “You have to trust me, Walker. I’m doing the right thing here. Please trust that I know what I’m doing.”
I ran my fingers down the familiar planes of his face. “Who are you protecting?” I whispered.
His smile only deepened. “You once sacrificed a whole lot to give a kid a strong start in life. I don’t know if I ever told you how proud I am of you for being such a good man, Seth Walker.”
“Stop,” I begged. “Please, stop. Please.”
I could feel myself losing my cool. As if I’d still had it to begin with.
Otto pulled me in for another hug and cradled the back of my head in his big hand. His mouth landed near my ear and he began murmuring words of love one after the other like a prayer.
“Do you have any idea how much I love you? You left here when you were still a kid and you had to grow up so fast, sweetheart. But you did it. You went to college while you had a newborn and then you graduated from the police academy and now you’re the county’s youngest sheriff. You’re an incredibly devoted father and uncle and son and boyfriend. Hobie locals love you, and I love you. So, so much.”
“Otto…” I breathed against his skin. “This is stupid. You’re not going to jail for these fires. Forget it.”
I pulled back and tried to shake off the sadness he was rubbing off on me. A couple of discreet swipes of my face, and it was like it wasn’t even happening.
“No,” I said, taking in a deep cleansing breath. “I’m calling Honovi Baptiste, and we’re getting you out of here.”
I turned to leave the cell, but Otto reached for my hand and pulled me back against him, my back landing against his chest. “When I get out of here, I have a surprise for you.”
My eyes closed at the sound of his low rumble. “You gonna give me a hint?” I asked.
“Nope. Just wanted you to have a reason to wait for me.”
I turned to him and gathered the fabric of the front of his shirt up to yank him closer until we were eye to eye. “I will never, ever leave you again as long as you draw breath on this earth. And if they send you to the farthest jail from Hobie, I will move there while you serve your time, jackass.”
Otto just grinned and looked at me with those gorgeous green eyes and his face full of freckles so faded, you could only see them from up close. In that beautiful face I saw it all—my past, my present, and my future.
When I stepped out of the cell and turned back into the sheriff, I breathed easier.
Because I did trust Otto Wilde. And if copping to a crime he didn’t commit was something he felt compelled to do, then I would make sure he went through the process as smoothly as possible.
But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to find the bastard who set those fires and wring his goddamned neck, and no amount of Otto’s good intentions were going to keep me from searching for the real arsonist.