Page 22 of Searching for Valor

She sucked in a fortifying breath.

The trucks rumbled to a stop, kicking up dust that settled over Izzy’s boots. She held her ground as doors slammed, and the team filled the small driveway—Zak with his intimidating yellow-eyed dog, Ranger. Donovan Scott with the border collie, Spirit. Shane Trevisano and his scruffy dog, Clue. Ellie Summers with her puppy-in-training, Puzzle. And, of course, Pierce St. James with his mop-dog, Raszta.

Rylan was the last to emerge, shutting the passenger door of the final vehicle and staring at her with an expression as hard as granite. He looked better than he had an hour ago, but not much. His golden brown hair no longer looked like he’d spent the night tossing and turning but was now neatly combed back, though a few strands still fell across his forehead. His beard had also been somewhat tamed, though it was still overdue for a trim.

She’d been surprised by the beard when he answered the door this morning. The last time she’d seen him—that day three months ago when she was fired from the sheriff’s department—he’d been clean-shaven. But the beard suited him. It was darker than the golden brown hair on his head and gave him a dangerous edge, a grittiness that was so different from his usual good old Kentucky boy charm.

It was sexy as hell, and she wanted to run her fingers through it to see if it was as soft as it looked.

The wayward thought whispered through her mind before she could stop it.

No. She couldn’t think about him like that anymore. She’d lost that privilege when she’d betrayed him and the rest of the team.

They’d never even kissed—they’d come close once, so close, and God, how she wished she’d at least experienced what it was like kissing Rylan Cross. But that didn’t mean she didn’t dream about it. He was in her dreams almost every night, his strong arms around her, his lips on hers. It was torture, especially now as he approached, his eyes cold and distant. Those eyes had once fascinated her with their constantly changing color—today, they looked more golden brown than green or gray, and they bore into her with an intensity that made her want to squirm.

“I brought the team, as promised. Where’s your friend?” he asked, his voice flat. “You were supposed to bring her with you.”

Izzy bristled at the unspoken accusation. As if Monica’s absence was somehow her fault. As if everything that had gone wrong in the past three months could be laid at her feet. “I don’t know. She wouldn’t take my calls.”

“Does she want to find her kids or not?” Zak asked. His tone was always laced with a hint of sarcasm, but today, there was an extra bite in it.

And, dammit, it hurt. She’d liked Zak even though most everyone in the sheriff’s office, including Sheriff Rawlings—Zak’s brother-in-law—thought he was a snarky pain-in-the-ass. But he’d always been kind to her.

Until now.

I deserve it, she reminded herself.He was shot because of me.

It didn’t matter that he’d been wearing a Kevlar vest, and the bullet’s impact had only broken a couple of ribs. The fact remained that he had been shot because she had given up the location of their safe house.

She scanned the faces of the others. They’d all been hurt by what she’d done, even Ellie. The woman with the brightly colored glasses and explosion of blond curls hadn’t been in the safe house that night, but her fiance had, and he’d been injured, too.

They all hated her here. And none of them were doing a good job of hiding it.

Pierce signed something. She didn’t understand ASL, and nobody translated, but from the way he was glaring at her like she was the scum of the earth, she could guess it wasn’t complimentary. Rylan shot him a look, and Pierce shrugged, his scarred neck flexing with the movement.

Izzy’s stomach twisted. She’d thought she was prepared to face their animosity, but the reality was so much worse. The weight of their collective anger and distrust pressed down on her, making it hard to breathe.

She focused on Zak because, despite his sharp tone, he seemed the safest option. “I don’t know why Monica isn’t here. I’ve been trying to reach her all morning. She’s not answering her phone, and she’s not at the motel where she told me she was staying.”

“Goddammit,” Rylan muttered under his breath. He ran a hand through his thick, wavy hair, frustration rolling off him in waves. “This better not be some ploy to?—”

“To what?” she snapped, her temper flaring. “To get you back in my life?”

Rylan’s eyes flashed with anger. “Don’t put words in my mouth.”

“Then what were you going to say?” Izzy challenged, her voice rising. “You think I’d orchestrate my best friend’s kids getting kidnapped just to manipulate you? Newsflash, Rylan— not everything is about you.”

His jaw clenched, a muscle ticking in his cheek. “I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to.” She turned away from him, blinking hard against the sudden sting of tears. She wouldn’t let him see how much his distrust hurt. “Look, I called you because I need your help. Grace and Noah need your help. So can we just...focus on that?”

“She’s right,” Zak said abruptly and scanned the property. “We have two potentially missing kids, and the longer we stand here arguing, the colder the trail gets. Shane, take Pierce and sweep the grounds starting from the cabin.”

“Looking for?” Shane asked.

“At this point, anything that might give us an idea what the hell happened to these kids. Donovan, Ellie, and I will start knocking on doors. See if anyone else was around last night who maybe saw or heard something useful. It would be great if we had witnesses and could confirm whether this is an abduction or if the kids wandered into the woods themselves and got lost. Izzy...” He turned toward her, and there was no mistaking the faint sneer of disgust when he said her name. “Since you know Grace and Noah best, check the cabin for anything that seemsout of place. And let me know if the mom shows up. Rylan, go with her.”

Of course, she’d been paired with Rylan. As if the day wasn’t already stressful enough.

---