Page 107 of Wild Bliss

“We’re going to find him, and I promise it’s not going totake weeks,” Elisa said with a certainty Sawyer didn’t feel. “We’ve got allkinds of protocols in place for such an occasion. Nate’s been worried aboutWyatt since the first day he came into town.”

The sheriff, it turned out, wasn’t such an asshole. “Hereally does worry, doesn’t he? This isn’t some way to investigate him furtheror anything.”

Henry’s head shook. “It’s not. We care about Wyatt becausehe’s part of the community, and a pretty decent one from everything I’velearned about him. And you, Sawyer. I know you’ve got it into your head you’rethe outcast of town, but it wasn’t ever true.”

Sawyer could see a lot more about himself now. It wasprobably the emotional maturity Sabrina had forced upon him. “I was ashamed. Iwas ashamed of that fucking tat and ashamed that after everything I wentthrough, my brother still turned away from me. It was easier to distance thanto face all those people who might see me as a criminal and not a dude tryingto save his brother. So I made the decision for everyone. It was easier, Isuppose.”

Henry reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. “Of courseit was, but it wasn’t true. We did not blame you. Your friends let everyoneknow exactly what was going on. They never abandoned you.”

Even after he’d left them. After he’d rejected their offersof companionship.

“I have good friends.” He was not getting choked up. Not inany way. It was the weather.

“You do, and more of them than you can imagine,” Henry said.

“I’m going to go see if Sabrina needs any help.” Elisastepped away, giving Sawyer a nod before she turned.

“I think moving spaces is a smart play.” Henry glanced back,ensuring Poppy was still occupied. She was babbling at Bella while Hale and Vanhad taken up two different places on the porch, opposite ends where they couldwatch the road on either side. Van looked out to where most traffic camefrom—the highway. But if one was coming up from the valley there was a roadthat wound around the mountain and took the car to the other side. Hale watchedthat road. It was the one they and Henry had come in on.

“I might have to go further,” Sawyer murmured. He didn’twant anyone to hear his concerns and have it get back to Sabrina. “They willcome after her. She is the person who can make him talk, and no one bought thelie he’s not into her. I know I’m supposed to let her choose, but she can’tcomprehend what they can do to her. In this one case, I have to honor whatWyatt would want. I can’t allow her to sacrifice herself for him. They woulddo…” He couldn’t say the word, simply let it hang out there like the bomb itwas, waiting to go off. “They would make Wyatt watch. It would break his soul.”

“I understand, but I need you to understand Wyatt’s soulisn’t as fragile as you think,” Henry replied. “He was smart enough to figure away out. He’s survived a lot. He can survive this. And if you and Sabrina needanother place to stay, somewhere out of the state, perhaps, well, we havefriends who can take you in.”

He kind of hoped they were talking about that big bastardTaggart, who lived in Texas and knew a thing or two about protecting people.Taggart was kind of a sacred role model to Sawyer. He said the shittiestthings, and people loved him for it. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get toit. I should go and get Bella’s stuff packed up. Let me know if you hearanything.”

“Elisa has her radio,” Van said as Sawyer started up thesteps. “Nate will contact her as soon as he knows something. But he woulddefinitely want us to move Sabrina and you to a safer location. You’re tooisolated up here if she’s in danger. And good job on not getting your headtaken off. For a minute I thought you were going to go all manly and order herto safety. Instead you explained and she agreed. I wish Elisa would take thatclass.”

“You like her bossy,” Hale said with a shake of his head.

“I do, actually,” Van agreed with a grin and then hesobered. “I’m sorry about Wyatt. He’s a good man. They’ll find him.”

Elisa walked back out. “Did Sabrina come this way? I didn’tsee her inside. She pulled out her suitcase, but it’s sitting on the bed.”

Shit. “Henry, Sabrina’s missing. They must have gotten herphone number off Wyatt. He had his cell in his pocket when they took him.”There was only one reason Sabrina wasn’t in the house and Bella wasn’t barkingher head off. Bella wouldn’t have allowed anyone close. It had been his mistaketo crate her earlier when they were making love to Sabrina. She couldn’t seeout the window from her crate. If she had been able to, she would have alertedthem to the assholes who’d slashed his tires. Bella was looking up at him asthough waiting for something. She wasn’t worried or anxious. “They called herand threatened her and she’s on her way to turn herself in.”

Henry didn’t question him, merely started working the case.“She wouldn’t have come this way, and she’s got to get to a road where they canpick her up. They likely wouldn’t know about the path from the valley, sothey’ll have her run down to the highway.”

An awful thought went through Sawyer’s brain.

“Yeah, Nate, I think they might have my sister.” Elisa’stone was solid, but Sawyer knew she was afraid. They moved around the houseuntil they found the open window. Sabrina had pushed the screen out and jumped.The back door would have squeaked and Bella would have run around trying tofigure out who was visiting. Sabrina had been smart and quiet, and he was goingto spank her.

Now he stood at the top of the road, and there was no signof her. He was about to take off when his cell rang. He thought about tossingthe thing, but then he noticed the caller’s name on the screen.

Wyatt Kemp.

Sawyer turned, sending Elisa a look he hoped told everyoneto be quiet, the bad guys are on the line. He knew she’d understand in twoseconds. “Wayne?”

Elisa stopped in her tracks and held a hand out towardHenry, who’d been too far behind to have heard.

A low, nasty chuckle came over the line. “See, I always knewyou were smarter than you looked. Are you one of the assholes who helped mybrother trick me?”

Henry was on his cell, likely trying to figure out if theycould track anything at all about this call. Where were they? He didn’t soundlike he was on the road, but then he likely hadn’t gone to capture Sabrinahimself.

Sabrina. Fuck. He had to fight to breathe. “Yes, I did. Youshould tell me where you are so I can turn myself in.”

“Just like that?” Wayne asked, suspicion plain in his voice.“You’re not going to call in those friends of yours?”

Fuck. Wayne thought there was only one way to his place. Hethought the road from the bar to his cabin was the only way to get here. He’dlikely been watching the road and from what he knew, only the deputies had beenup here.

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