Page 52 of Wild Bliss

“No,” Sawyer argued. “I wouldn’t do the relationship thing.I’m not a relationship guy. Teach is a nice lady. She should be in a goodrelationship.”

The sheriff whistled. “Well, I’m glad to know you care.”

“But I don’t…” Sawyer began and then grunted, a frustratedsound. “Look. She’s a nice lady and she’s dating my friend, and good for them,and the town should be happy for them and leave it be.”

Briggs huffed out a chuckle. “Well, that’ll be a first.”

Wyatt wasn’t sure what he meant, but he needed to get themback to the subject at hand. The afternoon was moving toward evening, and heneeded time to get ready for his date. He looked down at his laptop where he’dmanaged to pull up the footage he needed. “It’s here, but all I’m getting is agloved hand turning the camera down.”

The sheriff frowned Sawyer’s way. “The camera is movable?”

Sawyer sighed. “It’s old. I know I should have upgraded, butI’m not good at installation, and you know how hard it is to get anyone outhere. The system my granddad put in worked so I didn’t replace it.”

“It’s over twenty years old?” Briggs asked, a look of horroron his face.

Sawyer shrugged. “If it ain’t broke.”

“Well, it’s broke now.” The sheriff’s head shook. “I’ll sendover a couple of options and either Cam or I will help you install it. I thinkwe can get way better coverage for you. I wish the back of the place had morethan one camera on it. You’re up against national forest land. Anything couldcome out of there.”

“Why would you help me?” Sawyer asked.

“Because I don’t want to be the one to have to clean upbodies if something goes wrong out here,” the sheriff shot back. “Is that agood reason? Is it better than telling you I’m the sheriff of this town and Iworry about you and your employees being so isolated here?”

“The bodies’ thing works for me,” Sawyer replied. “Sure. Letme know what my options are, and I will be grateful for the help.”

Brigg’s brows rose. “What happened to him?”

The sheriff shook his head. “We’ll talk about that later.”

“Or we could not,” Sawyer insisted. “I don’t want anyone totalk about me.”

The radio buzzed, and the deputy picked it up. “Hey, Gemma.You got what I need?”

He stepped away as Gemma started to speak.

“Look, I’ll take the help with the security system,” Sawyerwas saying. “But only because I’ve got Lark and Sid working here, and sometimesSid brings her kid in because that worthless piece of crap baby daddy of herswon’t pay for babysitting so she can work.”

“Stef, Rye, and I helped Bill at Mountain and Valley upgradethe security out there,” the sheriff admitted. “We’re here for this community.I know you’re not in town, but your employees mostly live in Bliss.”

Wyatt backed up the camera footage. There wasn’t much tosee, just a gloved hand, but something about it caught his eye, made someinstinct deep in his gut flare to life.

“I know I’ve been an asshole to you at times, but I hopewe’re past that now,” the sheriff continued. “I appreciate everything you dofor the people around you.”

Not the way to handle Sawyer, but Wyatt didn’t pause tocorrect the man. He did pause the video. It was grainy and slightly out offocus. They definitely needed better cameras. It was a miracle he’d gotten thisgood a feed from the sucker.

“I don’t do anything, Sheriff. Look, if the help comes withan obligatory hug and singing ‘Kumbaya,’ I’ll let the darkness take us all,”Sawyer replied in his Sawyer way.

Something about the glove. It was black leather, but therewas stitching on the edge. It was barely in camera range, nothing more than aline of red, a curl of it.

Like the end of an “e.” Like the end of the wordHorde.

There were a couple of pieces his brother considered part ofthe “uniform.” The vest with patches, steel-toed boots, and gloves his wifemade with the wordsHordeon one andForeveron the other.Wyatt had worn them every time he hopped on a bike since he was eighteen.

He burned them along with his vest the night he left.

An icy tendril flicked down his spine.

“No hugs, I promise,” the sheriff said, sounding defeated.“It’s really because I think you’re a fuckup and I don’t want to have to cleanup after you.”

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