Page 23 of Hot Lovin'

“Damnit!” My fist connects with the wall, leaving a mark that’ll be hell to explain later. Alicia and Mike Hartless are monsters parading as human beings, but shooting one of my officers and kidnapping their child from school? In broad fucking daylight? That’s a new low, even for them.

I scan the hallway, my gaze catching on a crumpled flyer for the school play on the floor. Did Aiden do that? Did he clutch at anything he could grab as they carried him away?

Six of my deputies enter the school, careful, watchful, and cautious. I give them directions, jobs to do, and post two of them at the doors, the only entrance to the small school.

“Deputy Miller, you’re with me,” I bark, turning on my heel without waiting for the other man, already dialing Lottie.

The phone rings once, twice, and then her voice, usually so full of laughter, sounds small and tight. Has she already heard about Aiden, or is my unexpected call a signal that something is wrong? “Quinn?”

Her uncertain tone tugs at my chest, making my stomach tighten with anxiety. She’s so perceptive that beating around the bush trying to find a way to lessen the blow would be useless. Lottie’s the kind of woman who wants bad news delivered as plainly and simply as possible.

“They took him, Lottie. Aiden’s parents injured my deputy and snatched him right outside the school.”

I hear her sharp intake of breath. “No, no, no! This is my fault. I should’ve seen this coming. I shouldn’t have sent him to school.”

“Lottie, listen to me.” My voice softens because if one thing can break through my gruff exterior, it’s the sound of her hurting. “You didn’t put him in this situation. His waste of space parents did. You tried to get him out. We’re going to fix this.”

Her sniffle carries down the line. “How can you be so sure?”

“Because I’m the damn sheriff, remember?” I try to infuse a bit of humor, a lifeline for her to grab onto.

“The big, bad sheriff, right?” She’s not quite smiling, but it’s close. I can hear it in her voice. It’s something.

“Stay where you are. I’m coming to get you.” I don’t wait for her response before hanging up and heading back to my car. The gears shift into place with a satisfying clunk as I prepare for the ride to Lottie’s., checking that Deputy Miller is behind me. Every second counts, and I feel like I’m moving through molasses.

When I pull up to her place, Lottie is pacing her front porch like a caged animal. Her hair, usually a cascade of golden waves, is pulled back in a hasty ponytail, and her eyes are rimmed red. As soon as she spots me, she launches herself down the steps. I catch her as she throws herself into my arms, gathering her close and inhaling her citrus scent to ground myself. I need her steadying presence as much as she needs mine right now.

“Quinn, what are we going to do?” Her hands grip my arms, her fingers digging in hard enough to bruise.

“First, we breathe.” Her body is a bundle of nerves against mine, trembling like a leaf in a storm. “We’re going to find Aiden, and we’re going to bring him back safe.”

“How can you be so certain?” Her voice quivers against my chest.

“Because I’ve got you, and you never give up. So neither will I.” It’s the truth. Lottie might be all sunshine to my grump, but she’s also the fiercest person I know.

For the first time since the call, she chuckles, a small, watery sound. “Is the big, bad sheriff going soft on me?”

“Only for you, Lottie. And only outside the bedroom.”

That earns me the smile I love so much—and a punch on the arm. “So not the time or the place, Sheriff.”

“I know, but I needed one of these,” I say, tracing the smile lingering on her lips with my thumb. “They keep me going. Remind me what—who—I’m fighting for.”

Her honey-colored eyes fill with tears as she whispers, “We need to find him, Quinn. He’s meant to be with us.”

I nod. “I know. Stay inside, Lottie,” I command as I guide her through the front door of her modest clapboard house. The familiar creak of the porch swing in the light breeze is oddly comforting.

She stops in the doorway, turning back to me.

“Quinn, I should be out there with you,” she protests, her voice laced with a stubbornness I know all too well.

“Your place is here, where it’s safe.” My tone brooks no argument, but the look in her eyes tells me she’s not about to back down easily.

“Safe? Aiden isn’t safe! How can I just sit here?” Her words are coated in fire, her hands on her hips as she gears up for a fight. But this is one battle I’m determined to win.

“Lottie,” I say softly, stepping closer, needing her to hear me and understand, “you’re no good to Aiden if something happens to you. And Mike and Alicia Hartless are at their most dangerous right now. If we push them too hard, they’ll react in a way we don’t want them to. Plus, I need to know that at least one of you is safe. If you’re out there chasing after him, my attention will be divided.”

I see the conflict in her gaze, the need to act warring with the understanding that she can’t rush into this headlong. Finally, she nods, her body sagging. She’s going to listen to me, thank goodness.

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