Page 14 of Sutton's Shadow

Sutton wasn’t at all what he had expected. Some of his military friends had considered her dangerous when they’d worked with her. They thought she was the type of civilian who unwittingly risked soldiers’ lives to do her bidding. She’d forced her detail to enter areas that were not safe for Americans... especially American soldiers... for a picture. He’d heard stories about her running headlong into danger, seeking the perfect shot, a loose cannon, never thinking about the danger she was putting others in while pursuing glory with her camera. And that made her a dangerous liability.

So yeah, he knew many had labeled Sutton Masters as hazardous to their continued existence.

But the Sutton Masters he’d seen today was nothing like the stories. His previous experience of working with her contradicted those stories as well. Sure, she was controlled and focused when she was working, but he wouldn’t call her reckless. She was ambitious and determined, but not dangerous. People had mistaken her ambition for recklessness.

There was no question, though; she was a different woman than the one he’d known. Maybe the incident involving Liam’s death had affected her considerably, forcing a personality change. If the shadows he’d detected in her eyes were any indication, she was living daily with something truly dark.

Chapter 5

Wyattforcedhimselftostand still as the two women approached, even though he itched to find Bethany. Unable to sleep with the worry and fear for her overwhelming him, he’d been up and out of his house before the sun rose. Sweating out the worst of the worry by running only made the anger fester.

Anger at the system for taking Bethany away and then losing her whereabouts simmered. His mother put them in this situation, and he was angry at her. . . again.

But most of all, he was angry at himself for letting the abuse go on as long as it had. He should have left the Army as soon as Ronnie relapsed the first time. If he’d stayed close to home and gotten a normal nine-to-five job, he could have attempted to remove her from that house years ago.

Therefore, with the anger fueling him, he was early for his meeting with Sutton’s friend. He’d paced outside the sheriff’s office for the past half hour, his thoughts a whirlwind imagining what this friend could possibly do to help him.

His doubts intensified while watching the women approach. They were as different as night and day. Sutton’s blond hair shone in the light while the dark strands on the other woman’s head seemed to suck up every bit of light. Sutton was average in height, her long legs encased in black leggings, while the friend was the same height because of the stilettos she wore. The dark fitted suit, complete with the slim pencil skirt, was such a dichotomy from Sutton’s relaxed look. His lips twitched, and he heard Bethany’s voice in his head. She would have loved pointing out the differences between the women. But thoughts of his sister kept his expression neutral.

“Wyatt Tinsley, meet Dylan Solis.” He shook the woman’s proffered hand, convinced more than ever there wasn’t a thing she could do. She appeared more suited to a role as a high-end realtor, selling mansions to celebrities.

“Nice to meet you,” he said diplomatically.

“Right. Sutton has filled me in on the situation. Shall we?” She gestured toward the doors of the sheriff’s office. The succinct way she talked caught Wyatt off guard.

Her heels clicked on the linoleum as she strode past the front desk toward the hall leading to the offices. The woman manning the desk jumped up to stop Dylan before she could get any farther.

“Can I help you?”

“Yes, we’d like to speak to the sheriff.”

“I’m afraid he’s unavailable at the moment,” the receptionist answered, shooting a glance down the hall past Dylan. It was obvious to Wyatt that Sherriff Dodd had instructed her to say that to anyone wanting to speak to him.

Dylan snorted. “You and I both know that’s a lie. A child is missing, and I want to know what Sheriff Dodd is intending to do about it.”

“There were no reports of missing kids. At least not since the one last night. But I believe the Nighthawks resolved that situation.”

“Thereisa missing child. A young girl has disappeared and I, for one, would love to know what Sheriff Dodd is doing to remedy this situation.” As she spoke, her voice rose, catching the attention of the entire office. On anybody else, her actions might have been seen as crazy, desperate, but on her, it was just forceful enough to garner attention without appearing insane.

“What’s going on here?” Ian asked, sticking his head out of an office.

“Deputy, I would like to speak to the sheriff,” Dylan stated.

Ian’s face hardened as he walked toward them, his gaze on Dylan. “I’m sorry. He’s unavailable. Maybe I can be of assistance, Miss...”

“Solis. I’m Dylan Solis, and I don’t like to be lied to, deputy,” Dylan said, her saccharine sweet tone dripping with disdain. Ian’s eyes widened at being called out like that. “If you don’t mind, I would like to have a word with the sheriff. Could you move out of the way, please?”

Ian crossed his arms and stood stoically, refusing to budge. Wyatt had never known his friend to act so apathetic.

“Listen, Deputy McClintock,” she started, leaning closer to him to read the name tag on the breast pocket of his uniform. “I understand you’re just doing your job, but it’s high time your boss answered to some of the gross lack of progress on several incidents plaguing his county.”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“See, that’s the problem. I bet you don’t know what’s happening right under your nose.” Ian narrowed his eyes at the insinuation. Wyatt almost felt bad for him as the little spitfire laid into him. Ian was a model sheriff’s deputy. Everybody in the county knew if you wanted something done, you went to Deputy McClintock first. The sheriff’s days in office were numbered, especially after he’d botched up the search for Natalie’s students a few years ago. If she hadn’t requested help from her old friend who owned Nighthawk Search and Rescue, those two kids would never have been found.

Thankfully, there had been a happy ending for those students, as well as for his boss, Graham, and Natalie, who were now engaged. But it had left a deep animosity between the sheriff and the Nighthawks. Sheriff Dodd never could see past his own ego. Because of that, the Nighthawks worked more closely with Ian when needed.

Ian glared down at Dylan without blinking. The woman had to tilt her head back to face him. It was like watching David and Goliath face off. Neither one would back down. “Ms. Solis, if you have an issue with the way he runs the department, schedule an appointment and come back another time to talk to Sheriff Dodd.”

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