Page 24 of Hot Lovin'

“Fine,” she concedes, a reluctant sigh escaping her lips. She turns away from me, but not before I catch the shimmer of unshed tears in her eyes. “Why, Quinn?” she whispers. “Why have they taken him? Why do they even want him? They don’t love him. They just hurt him.”

I sigh, turning her into my arms and hugging her close. “Who knows, Sunshine? Maybe they’re using him as a pawn, a bargaining chip to try to get out of the county. Or they could be so deluded that they’re in denial about their abusive behavior and genuinely believe that Aiden belongs with them.”

I don’t say that, in extreme cases, abusive parents can derive a sadistic pleasure from having control over the child and inflicting pain. They might see Aiden’s removal as a challenge to their “authority” and want him back to continue their abusive behavior. Sounds fucked up, but it happens, and Lottie doesn’t need to hear that right now.

Lottie’s cold hands cup my cheeks, and she kisses me softly before whispering, “Come back to me safely. Both of you.”

“We will,” I promise. “Deputy Miller will be right outside.” I nod at the younger man as he steps onto the porch, his posture rigid with responsibility. “He won’t let anything happen to you.”

“Thank you,” she murmurs, directing a small, grateful smile at Miller before disappearing inside.

“Keep your eyes open, Deputy,” I instruct, clapping Miller on the shoulder. “You see anything or anyone unusual, you call it in.”

“Understood, Sheriff,” he replies, pulling himself up to his full height, which isn’t much, but what he lacks in stature, he makes up for in determination.

“Good man.” I give him an approving nod and start toward my car, feeling the weight of duty settle firmly on my shoulders.

Before I open the driver’s side door, I glance back at the house, half-expecting Lottie to come charging out, ready to join the hunt despite my orders. But the curtains remain still, and the front door closed. This time, she listens.

I climb into the car, gripping the steering wheel until my knuckles turn white. Time is slipping through my fingers like grains of sand, and Aiden’s trail grows colder with every passing minute.

“Come on, Quinn, think,” I mutter to myself, turning the key in the ignition.

The engine roars to life, a rumble of power that steadies my racing heart. I throw the car into gear and peel out of Lottie’s driveway, gravel spitting out behind me.

As I drive, my mind races alongside the vehicle, piecing together the Hartless couple’s possible moves. They’re obviously desperate, which means they’re dangerous, but desperate people make mistakes. I just need to find one, a single mistake, to lead me to Aiden.

“Dammit, Aiden,” I whisper, almost as if speaking directly to the boy might summon him to safety. “Hang in there, kid.”

My phone buzzes with incoming calls and texts, reports from my deputies, sightings, and leads. I field them one by one, discarding the dead ends, following up on the maybes. The feds are coming to lend us a hand, but I want to find him before then. Every second Aiden spends with those two lunatics is another second closer to the boy being harmed.

“Anything yet?” I bark into the phone at my second-in-command, Deputy Tate.

“Nothing concrete, Sheriff. We’re combing through surveillance footage from around the school, but it’s taking time.”

“Time we don’t have,” I snap, more to the universe than to Tate.

“Understood, sir. We’re on it.”

“Keep me posted.” I end the call with a frustrated tap, almost dislodging it from the cradle.

The sky darkens as the day wears on, shadows stretching long across the road as if pointing the way. I push harder, driving faster, the lines on the asphalt blurring beneath my tires. I head through town, wondering if the couple has taken Aiden to one of the abandoned buildings on the outskirts or if they’re still even in the same county. They have an old beat-up car; they can’t go far.

“Come on, come on,” I urge myself, the mantra a pulse in my blood. I can’t fail, not Aiden, not Lottie, not this town that trusts me to keep it safe.

“Where are you, you bastards?” I growl, thinking of Alicia and Mike Hartless, their twisted actions driven by fear and selfishness.

Then, like a beacon through the fog of my thoughts, a piece clicks into place, an oversight, a detail so small anyone could’ve missed it.

“Gotcha,” I murmur, a grim smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. It’s not much, but it’s enough. It’s a starting point.

“Miller, you keep Lottie safe. You hear me?” I say aloud, though the deputy can’t hear me from Lottie’s porch. There’s no room for error, not when lives hang in the balance.

“Aiden, I’m coming for you, son,” I vow, the words a silent oath that fuels my resolve.

The road stretches out before me, endless and winding, but I’m ready for the chase. For Aiden’s sake. For Lottie’s. And yeah, for mine, too.

Because if I fail the boy, I fail them all. And failure isn’t an option.

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