Page 102 of Wild Bliss

Henry moved to the porch, setting Poppy on the rockingchair. “Stay there, sweetie. Daddy needs to talk to some nice people.”

Poppy’s head nodded, and then she was happily petting Bella,who seemed to know where she was needed.

Henry crossed the space, his hand going to the pocket of hisjeans and pulling a cell phone out. After a few seconds he frowned. “No one’sanswering at the station house.”

“Elisa was on duty. She’s on her way here,” Sabrinaexplained. She knew a bit about how her sister’s department worked. “I knowwhen they don’t have enough manpower, they set the phones to an answeringmachine for non-emergencies. 911 still works, but the people they would sendare already on their way.”

“Are they saying Wyatt killed someone in Creede?” Henryasked. “Because even then they should have called Nate and had him arrest Wyattand turn him over. I know this isn’t technically Bliss, but everyone knows thisfalls under Nate’s territory. Which means this isn’t about a murder in Creede.This is about Dennis Hill.”

Sabrina felt her jaw drop. “How did you know?”

Henry’s eyes were cold as he examined the tires.“Information is the most valuable asset we have, Sabrina. Even out here. Blisshas a high percentage of what I would call vulnerable citizens. Many of ourpeople have pasts that might create problems later on. Some of them violentones. Nate formed a committee to monitor these kinds of situations so we canhandle them properly. I’m on the committee.”

“Because you used to be CIA. I like it. You dug into Wyatt’sbackground when he started living here?” Sawyer asked, apparently untroubledwith the snooping into other people’s lives aspect. “You could have mentionedit at the meeting this afternoon.”

“We talked about it and decided it’s Wyatt’s secret totell,” Henry confessed. “I also thought we had a little time.”

“Have you been spying on Wyatt?” Sabrina knew Henry hadworked for the Central Intelligence Agency, but even though they joked abouthim being a badass, she’d thought he was like an analyst or something. The manin front of her hadn’t been a paper pusher.

“Spying?” His lips tugged up, and he looked closer tonormal, as though he realized his mask had slipped. “I would call it gatheringintelligence. What we know would only ever be used to help. Wyatt’s brother isdangerous to everyone, but especially to him. Doc asked us to look into hissituation after the first night. It was obvious what had happened with Wyatt.So I dug a little further. It stood to reason Wayne Kemp wouldn’t have allowedhis brother to go without some kind of leverage over him. Wyatt knows far toomuch. I found the missing persons report for a man named Dennis Hill. He’d beenplaying around on the outer edges of the Horde for years. The police took himin for questioning about a triple homicide they believe Wayne at the very leastordered. Dennis held the line in the interview. He promised he didn’t seeanything, but he was scheduled to take a lie detector test three days after hewent missing.”

“Wyatt wouldn’t have killed him.” The choices he’d had tomake. She couldn’t imagine it. He’d had to find the will to break out of theonly world he’d ever known.

She couldn’t lose him. She loved him. Loved them both.

“I know.” Henry’s expression had softened as he watchedSabrina. “I know for a fact he didn’t kill Dennis. I know where he stashedDennis.”

Sawyer’s jaw dropped. “You do? You know you could havementioned it.”

“Like I said, the information is only ever used to help ourpeople. Up until today, that information was something for Wyatt to deal with,”Henry replied surely. “Now I’ll use it to get him out of trouble, though Iwould rather talk to him. I want to let him decide how to handle thesituation.”

“No.” Sawyer’s head shook. “You’re going to tell the policeeverything you know and get him out of this.”

Henry sighed. “Part of being in charge of an operation likethis is holding firm to one’s ethics. Before I offered to help, I made everyoneinvolved sign an agreement. The information we have is sensitive and only to beused if the person the information pertains to wants us to use it. Think of itas our way of opening up options to vulnerable citizens.”

Sabrina wasn’t hearing it. She didn’t give a fuck aboutethics. She didn’t care about Dennis Hill, or honestly whatever Wyatt thought.He was right. He’d put her in this position by making her fall in love withhim, and now he had to deal with the consequences. And the men on thiscommittee would deal with her, too. “Henry Flanders, you will take whateverinformation you have and hand it over to the Creede police force and the CBI,and if you don’t I swear I will salt the earth with your bones. Metaphorically,of course, but I swear it will hurt. You think you like to protest? I can doit, too, friend, and I’ll ensure your wife knows exactly what you’re doing andthat you allowed an innocent man to die. That’s what we’re talking here. Ifthey manage to get Wyatt to jail in Colorado Springs, who’s waiting for him inthere?”

Sawyer seemed to pick up her line of argument. He stoodbeside her, a hand on her shoulder. “I assure you there are Horde membersserving time right now, and they’ll be more than willing to do the boss’sbusiness. Or if Wayne wants to keep his hands somewhat clean, this would be agood way to do it. Think about it. What would be better for a rival MC memberthan shivving Wayne’s brother? It’s a good way to get some revenge.”

So it could be more than Horde members out to get Wyatt.

Desperation surged through her.

Sawyer’s hand came off her shoulder and he took her own,giving her a squeeze and letting him know he was there for her. “Henry, I knowyou have your ethics, but he’s my partner. I don’t do this. I don’t beg, but Iwill for him. He’s going to die in there. Our shot at getting him out iskeeping him here in Bliss.”

She heard the sound of another vehicle coming up the driveand saw Hale’s big SUV turning in. Her sister was out of the passenger side asHenry got back on his cell phone. She heard him mention Stef’s name, and thenher sister was hugging her.

“Are you okay?” Elisa stepped back and looked her up anddown as though trying to find a wound.

“I’m fine.” Tears were gathering again. “But they’re goingto kill Wyatt if we don’t get him back.”

Elisa nodded. She was in her uniform. Hale and Van slid outof the SUV, standing behind Elisa, offering their support. “Sorry. I had tohave Hale drive me up. My county-issued vehicle is in the shop for maintenance.They were about to drop me off at the station when Nate called. Let’s get youin the SUV. We can be in Creede in twenty minutes if we haul ass.”

“I promise, I’ll get us there as fast as we can,” Hale saidwith a nod. “Nate and Gemma are almost there, and he’ll do what he can to slowdown the whole processing-him-through thing.”

Time. They had a little time. Paperwork would be involved.He would likely have to process into the Creede jail, and then custody wouldhave to be changed from the Creede Police to the CBI. More paperwork. They hada real shot at solving the problem if they could use all the bureaucraticbullshit to their advantage.

“Yeah, I think we should make a call here,” Henry was sayingto Stefan Talbot. “We don’t know if they’ll let Gemma in. Technically, they canhold him for a while without admitting his lawyer. They could tell her she cansee him in Colorado Springs. I think we need to get this ball rolling whetherhe likes it or not. I know Nate would rather wait, but Sawyer and Sabrina arecloser to the situation, so I have to listen to them. Besides, Sabrina promisedto tell Nell we’re abusing power.” Henry winced and looked Sabrina’s way. “Youdon’t want to know what he’s saying. It’s not suitable for children.”

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