Page 81 of Searching for Valor

Ash reared back like he’d just been punched. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“You don’t know.” A slow, satisfied smirk crossed her face. “I suggest you turn on a TV, Sheriff.”

chapter

twenty-eight

Izzy staredin shock at the cascade of notifications lighting up her phone. Mom. Dad. Her brothers. Sofia texted her a link to an article with a series of emojis and a WTF with lots of exclamations points. Lucia, ever pragmatic, just texted:

And he had the nerve to fire you.

Another text came in from Lucia, but Izzy ignored it and pocketed her phone. She had to find Rylan and Ash and warn them.

“I’ll be right back, buddy,” she told Noah and hurried from the room. Out in the hall, she found the deputy assigned to guard Noah but no Rylan. No Ash. No Special Agent Callahan. She asked at the nurse’s station if anyone had seen them and was pointed to a waiting room at the end of the hall. She found Rylan and Ash standing in the middle of the room, staring up at the TV bolted to one wall. Callahan was nowhere to be seen.

“What’s going on?”

Rylan glanced back at her with a grimace. Ash didn’t move. It barely looked like he was breathing. She moved to stand between them and looked up at the TV as AG Parker announced that his office was launching an investigation into the Lost County Sheriff’s Department.

Izzy’s stomach churned as Parker’s words echoed through the waiting room.

“In light of recent events and the mounting evidence of misconduct, we have no choice but to take immediate action. The people of Lost County deserve a sheriff’s department they can trust, one that upholds the law without bias or personal agenda. It is our duty to ensure that justice is served.”

An investigation into the sheriff’s department?

For corruption?

No. It was absurd. She knew Ash, knew the kind of man he was. He would never tolerate corruption, let alone participate in it. He’d spent the better part of the last few years weeding out anyone who carried even a whiff of suspicion. It was one of the reasons he’d given for firing her, even though it had hurt him to do so.

Ash’s gaze was fixed on the screen like he was contemplating launching himself through it and throttling Parker with his bare hands. “That fucking hypocrite.”

“This is insane,” Izzy said, shaking her head in disbelief. “Ash, you know this is all bullshit, right? You’ve done more for this town than anyone.”

Ash remained silent, his jaw clenched so tightly that Izzy thought his teeth might shatter. Rylan placed a hand on his shoulder, but Ash shrugged it off.

“I need to get back to the station,” he growled, his voice tight with barely contained rage. “I have to get ahead of this before it spirals out of control.”

His phone started ringing, and he snapped it up as he strode out.

She swung around to face Rylan. “Monica’s boss shows up when she goes missing, and now this? It isn’t a coincidence. Parker’s involved in this somehow, and now he’s trying to cover his tracks by discrediting Ash.”

“He’s been gunning for Ash for years. It’s possible he’s just using this situation to push his own agenda.”

“Do you believe that?”

Rylan sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. “No, I don’t. Something about this whole thing stinks. But proving it...” He shook his head. “Parker’s a slippery bastard. If he’s involved, he’ll have covered his tracks. We’ll need to find concrete proof of a connection between him and Julian Graves.”

“We’ll need Sawyer’s help.”

Rylan winced but didn’t deny it. He cupped her cheek in his palm and smoothed his thumb over her frown, then lowered his lips to hers.

The kiss surprised her. Not because Rylan was kissing her in public, but because of the tenderness in it, the way his lips moved softly over hers like he was trying to soothe the worry from her mind.

When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers. “Okay, look. Noah needs you here, so I’ll talk to Sawyer. I owe him an apology anyway.”

She reached up to tangle her fingers in his hair and bring his lips back to hers. Memories of last night, of his mouth on her, his cock buried deep between her legs as they lost themselves in each other, sent heat rocketing through her. God, she wished they’d had more time together before reality intruded. She deepened the kiss, wanting to lose herself in him again, wanting to forget, just for a moment, the chaos swirling around them.

Rylan’s arms tightened around her, pulling her flush against his chest as he took control of the kiss. His tongue swept into her mouth, tangling with hers in a sensual dance that sent heat spiraling through her core.

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