Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 154037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 770(@200wpm)___ 616(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 770(@200wpm)___ 616(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
But what really got him was when his attention traveled, and he caught sight of the little girl who was sitting on one of the dingy mattresses in the corner.
Wrapped in a blanket and rocking.
Scared as all fuck.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Otto scrubbed a palm over his face. None of them could afford to get sentimental or soft. But God, had he devolved so far that he’d become a monster? Gone so depraved that he’d been stricken of his humanity?
What if it was his little sister sitting over there?
His chest fisted, and he supposed that was when Theo felt the shift because he reached out and squeezed his shoulder. “Somethin’ tells me we can trust this guy.”
Otto gave him the slightest nod before he followed Theo over to the group. Otto sized up the kid who was wearing expensive clothes that were dirty as shit.
Instantly, he pegged him as a runaway.
“Name’s Otto,” he said, still gauging.
The kid lifted his chin. “I’m River.”
“And what are you doing here, River?” He wasn’t pressing him to be an asshole. He just needed him to be straight.
River’s throat bobbed as he peeked at his sister. “I’m making sure her piece of shit father never gets to her again. Whatever it takes.”
Otto’s stomach bottomed out, sickness pulsing. It was easier to ignore those around you when you kept walking right on by. Their business none of your concern. Not so easy when it was right in your face.
Otto blew the strain from his nose as he looked at his crew. “We need to vote.”
Otto slowly edged up to the little girl who still rocked in the corner, curled into the blanket with her face completely concealed. He could feel the fear roll through her when he got close.
Bile prowled his throat, rage rolling through him at the truth that someone could hurt a child this way. The things that River had told them, the horrors he’d confessed.
Vote had been unanimous.
“Hey there.” He kept his voice as soft as he could as he carefully knelt in front of her.
She flinched, still keeping her face hidden.
“I’m Otto.”
“I’m Raven.” Her voice was tiny and tremulous.
“It’s nice to meet you, Raven. It sounds like you’re going to be staying here for a bit if that’s all right with you?”
“Okay,” she whispered.
“I have a little sister who is about your age.”
“Really?” She perked up, lifting her head and peeking out at him. There was no missing the fear that lingered in her dark eyes, but there was a light in them he was surprised to see there.
“Yeah, her name is Haddie. She’s ten.” Affection pulsed through him. He loved that little girl like mad. Worried about her ceaselessly. She wasn’t living the best life, either, since his mom was a pathetic piece of shit junkie.
Nah, he didn’t like much that Haddie lived with their mother, but he paid the bills and kept the refrigerator stocked and chased off any creeps his mom thought she was gonna drag home.
He saw to it that no one touched her. That she was safe.
“I’m only nine,” Raven said with a puff of disappointment.
“Well, that’s still pretty close.”
“Do you think she’d like me?”
Well, fuck.
“I bet she would. Maybe you can meet her sometime.”
“That would be nice.”
“Yeah, it would.”
A little dent furrowed her brow as she looked at him, timid again. “You’re really big like a bear.”
Soft amusement huffed from his nose, though in his words was a promise. “Might be as big as a bear, but that’s just so I can make sure no one can get in here. So, I can make sure it’s safe. And I promise you, no one will ever hurt you here. You don’t have to be afraid anymore.”
He stuck out his pinky finger, and she wavered for one second before she hooked hers with his, and he murmured, “Promise.”
SIX
OTTO
It was nearing evening when I rolled my motorcycle to a stop in front of Cash’s cabin which was about twelve miles farther up the mountain than my place. I had the job to do tonight, and I needed the information he had to go along with it.
Our homes were on the opposite side of Moonlit Ridge. Sitting on the far south end of the lake where another range of mountains hugged the town in a deep valley.
Cash’s place was so secluded and remote that you couldn’t see it by road or air since it was two miles off the main drag and covered by the foliage of the deep, dense woods.
The road to get here was nothing but a bumpy dirt trail carved of tires, forever overgrown since there wasn’t a whole lot of traffic that took the winding path.
His cabin was as rugged as the man.
He was already sitting out on the porch, and he stood from the rocker with a file folder in his hands, his dog, Duke, right at his side.