Page 26 of Survive the Night
Aaron was being arrested. Logan had run away. Could it actually be over?
Once Theo saw Otto and Aaron, he turned and jogged back to his squad car. He leashed Viggy, who was already wearing a bulletproof vest, and the two headed into the woods after Logan.
Hugh’s truck barreled around the turn, coming to a halt behind Theo’s car. Lexi, Hugh’s K9, followed him out of the pickup cab. She tore toward the house, but a sharp word from Hugh made her turn around and return to his side. Another squad car flew up the driveway, and then a marked SUV arrived. Soon, there seemed to be cops everywhere. As soon as her legs were semi-steady, Sarah stood and moved toward the hood of Otto’s squad car. She couldn’t look at the ruined window anymore. It made her think of how close she’d been to getting shot—or taken.
Otto walked Aaron toward one of the other squad cars. As they crossed the yard, Aaron’s gaze was fixed on Sarah. His face was expressionless, but she knew he was coldly, deadly furious. She started to shrink back but then caught herself. There was no reason to be scared of her brother anymore. He’d been arrested. She was finally safe…for now, at least.
Otto sat Aaron in the back of the squad car and then hurried over to Sarah. He stood close, but not close enough. She fought back the temptation to throw herself into his arms, to hide her face against him and let him keep her safe.
“You okay?” he asked, his gaze scanning her body, as if checking for injuries.
Sarah took a mental inventory. Besides being a little shaky and sore, she was fine. “Yes.”
“Would you be up to telling us what happened?” The way he spoke, so softly and gently, was soothing. His tone, paired with his reassuring strength, made Sarah calm down, bit by bit. She sucked in the first deep breath she’d taken since she’d opened the door to find Aaron on the porch.
“Of course.” As the panic ebbed, her thoughts rushed in. “Jules! She and the kids are in the woods!” Sarah lunged away from the car. She had to go find them, help them. Logan was still out there… All the terror that had faded roared to life again.
Otto made a shushing sound, a kind of soft hiss through his teeth that reminded Sarah of something Chester—her brother’s driver and one of the only two kind people in her old life—would do to calm a startled horse. It worked on Sarah, as well. To her surprise, she found herself settling back against the side of the car, close to him. “Jules and the kids are fine. She let the dispatcher know that they ran to Steve’s house.”
“Oh. Good.” As relief flowed through her, so did exhaustion, and her head dropped back. A strand of hair escaped her ponytail and tangled in her eyelashes. Otto reached out and brushed it to the side, tucking it carefully behind her ear. She blinked at him, startled by how good that small touch had felt. His hands were so big—all of Otto was so big—but he was the gentlest person Sarah had ever met. She felt her heart expanding like a balloon, filling until it pressed almost painfully against her ribs.
“You sure you’re okay to tell us what happened?” he asked.
“Yes.” She took a breath. “I’m fine.”
Sarah pushed away from the car, but Otto didn’t move. She paused, looking at him uncertainly, and realized that their faces were just inches apart. They stared at each other, frozen, until Hugh clearing his throat made both of them jump.
“Any day, lovebirds,” he called. “Grace and a Tattered Hearts marathon are waiting for me at home. If I’m not back soon, I know she’s going to start without me. She’s rude like that.”
“I don’t think she’s starting without you,” Theo said, looking at the driveway. When Sarah followed his gaze, she spotted Grace pulling up behind Hugh’s truck. As soon as she climbed out of her car, Hugh was right next to her, frowning. Otto had stepped back, so Sarah moved away from the squad car absently, watching Grace and Hugh with fascination. Hugh was always smiling, so his ferocious scowl looked strange on him.
“Why is he so upset?” Sarah whispered to Otto.
“Pretty sure he told her to stay at his place,” Otto murmured, leaning down so that he could speak quietly right into her ear. His breath brushed against the side of her neck as he spoke, and Sarah shivered.
“I’m not Lexi,” Grace said as she faced off against Hugh, her hands on her hips. “You can’t tell me to stay. Well, you can, but I won’t.”
“Obviously.” Hugh leaned in closer. “If you’d stayed at home, like I asked you to do, you wouldn’t be here, in the middle of a dangerous situation.”
Grace barked a laugh. “If it’s so dangerous, why are you standing here yelling at me? Shouldn’t you secure the perimeter or arrest a perp or somehow make it less dangerous?”
Although he made an attempt to hold on to his peeved expression, Sarah could tell that Hugh was amused. Even after meeting him just a few times, she recognized the way his mouth tucked in at the corners. Sarah was pretty sure he was just a few seconds away from laughing. “It’s under control now, but you didn’t know that. You could’ve walked into a really bad scene.”
“This is my home.” Grace’s tone had softened a little, though. “Jules, Sarah, and the kids were here. I needed to find out what was happening, to help if I could.”
“You need to stay safe.”
“Your definition of keeping me safe involves locking me in a tower lined with bubble wrap,” Grace shot back, although she sounded more fond than annoyed now. Sarah, though, flinched at her words. Were all men like Aaron, wanting to lock away the women they loved, needing to keep them safe to the point of making them prisoners?
Even as the thought crossed her mind, Sarah dismissed it. If she’d said to Aaron what Grace had just said to Hugh, Sarah would’ve been on the floor, bleeding. Aaron wasn’t normal. Most guys were nothing like her brother. Sarah sent a quick glance toward Otto.
Some guys were his exact opposite, in fact. Otto had saved her from her brother, and then he’d arrested him. Thanks to Otto, she was finally safe. He’d given her back her freedom.
Chapter 9
Theo was pacing again.
