Page 29 of Survive the Night
“He who?” Theo asked.
“The slightly shady guy I know.”
“Name?”
Widening her eyes, Jules gave Theo an innocent look. “I can’t remember. I’m sure it was a fake one anyway.”
With a disbelieving snort, Hugh nudged Grace. “You must’ve worked with this ‘shady guy,’ too. What’s his name?”
“No clue.” Grace spread her hands in such a dramatic way that Otto wanted to laugh. It was obvious that the women were protecting the person who helped them escape. He couldn’t blame them.
Theo and Hugh silently turned their gazes to Sarah. As she shrank back in her chair, Otto had the urge to stand in front of her to block the other men’s intimidating glares. “I forget?” Sarah said in a tiny voice. “I just hope Aaron didn’t find him.” Otto saw her widen her eyes at Jules, who gave the tiniest shake of her head as she pulled her phone out of her pocket, wiggling it meaningfully. By the way Sarah’s shoulders relaxed, Otto assumed that gesture meant that the mystery man had texted Jules and assured her that he was alive and well.
“Oh, for Pete’s sake!” Hugh sounded like he was trying not to laugh. “You all are the absolute worst at trying to be sneaky.”
Faint, squeaking protests came from the other room, and Otto stood, even as Sarah jumped to her feet, looking relieved. “The puppies!” She hurried toward the hallway. “They must be hungry.”
Otto followed her out as the others continued their discussion in the kitchen. Sarah glanced over her shoulder and slowed, allowing him to catch up. When they were walking side by side, alone, he immediately lost his ability to talk. Ideas for different topics of conversation bounced around in his head, but it didn’t matter. He couldn’t force any words out of his mouth.
“Thank you,” she said, jerking him out of his mental scramble.
“For what?” His voice sounded gritty, but at least he’d managed to speak.
Sarah smiled at him. “For saving me. If you hadn’t been there, Aaron would’ve pulled me right back into the basement, and who knows where I would be right now.”
Anger rushed through him at the thought of Aaron stealing Sarah away, of hurting her and forcing her to marry that asshole Jovanovic against her will. Otto’s rage was strong enough that he forgot his nervousness and wrapped an arm around Sarah’s shoulders. She stiffened at the contact but didn’t move away. Her bones felt fragile and prominent under his hand, reminding him of the orphaned baby hawk he’d once cared for.
Clearing her throat, Sarah spoke again. “So…um, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” They were standing in the living room, right next to the puppies’ crate, but Otto didn’t want to let go. “Sorry we didn’t get Jovanovic.”
“That’s not your fault, or Theo’s. I told him to help you first. I was so terrified that Aaron would hurt you. I shouldn’t have pulled you into my mess. You could’ve been killed.” She stared up at him, her brown eyes earnest and soft, and Otto couldn’t look away. He’d come so close to losing her, and he hadn’t even had a chance to really get to know her yet. It didn’t matter that they’d met just a couple of weeks earlier. She was already important to him.
Her lips parted slightly, and his gaze focused on her mouth. She was so beautiful and so sweet. Without thinking, he found himself leaning closer. Sarah didn’t move away, and he stopped breathing. Up close, she was even more perfect. It felt like she was drawing him in, pulling him closer without even having to touch him.
One of the puppies gave an especially loud, warbling cry, and Otto jerked back, startled.
“Sorry, puppies,” Sarah said, crouching down to open their crate. “You must be starving. I was so worried you’d wake up and Aaron would find you. I’m putting everyone in danger. The sooner I leave town, the better it will be for everyone.” She pulled out two wriggling, grunting bodies and offered them to Otto. Once he accepted them, she picked up the last two and stood. Sarah looked down at the puppies in her arms, a worried frown on her face. Otto wished his hands weren’t full so that he could give her a comforting hug.
“Don’t leave town. Come stay with me,” he blurted out, shocking himself—and Sarah, from her expression.
“With you?” she repeated faintly, and he could feel the back of his neck begin to itch again.
“Just till we find Logan Jovanovic and bring him in. It’s safer there.” Otto resisted the urge to rub his neck. “There’s a bunker with…ah, tunnels. And food.” He closed his eyes for a moment in self-annoyance. He’d just told Sarah that she should come stay with him because of tunnels and food. He was hopeless.
She made a noncommittal sound, but she didn’t agree—or disagree—with his plan. A tiny spark of hope glowed in his belly. If she stayed at his place, she wouldn’t leave town. In fact, she’d be around him all the time. Heat from that small fire began to spread, filling him with something a lot warmer than hope.
They returned to the kitchen in silence, although he couldn’t stop himself from shooting quick glances at her profile. She looked thoughtful and conflicted and so pretty that he found it hard to look away. One of the puppies he was holding made a disgruntled sound, wiggling in his hold, and he absently soothed it with his thumb.
As they entered the kitchen, both Otto and Sarah ducked when the spoon Otto had mangled flew through the air, hitting the stove with a clatter.
“Sorry!” Grace said, standing and crossing to where the spoon still spun on the floor. “That wasn’t aimed at you. I actually threw it at Hugh’s stupid head, but he plays really good defense, so it deflected off his hand and that’s when you two walked in.”
“Why were you throwing a spoon at Hugh?” Sarah asked. Obviously, she hadn’t been around Hugh and Grace very much. It seemed to Otto that something was always flying between them, whether it was words or pillows or random spoons. They made up as quickly as they started a fight, and that part was almost as awkward for everyone else involved.
“Apparently,” Grace said, stretching out the word with a long glare at Hugh, “I’m supposed to marry him and move into his house like a good little woman.”
“Oh.” Sarah blinked several times, and Otto had to hold back a laugh. He could’ve warned her that the answer would be something like that. He noticed that Theo and Jules were also eyeing each other in a way that meant they were in the middle of a disagreement.
