Page 17 of Sutton's Shadow

“Fuck you, Tinsley.”

Wyatt was about to lunge for the man’s throat until he felt a small hand on his arm. An exotic, flowery scent penetrated the red haze. He focused on relaxing his muscles as his eyes traveled up the hand on his arm until he met Sutton’s pleading gaze.

“Wyatt, please,” she whispered. “Let’s go.”

He nodded and turned to head down the hall toward the door. “All this for a fuckin’ runaway,” Dodd mumbled. Wyatt stiffened, ready to confront the asshole again, but Sutton’s chilly hand slipped into his. She shook her head.

“He’s not worth it,” she entreated, and he nodded. As they walked out the door, he squeezed her hand. Once outside, he breathed in the pure air blowing in from the lake, allowing it to fill his lungs and damper the rage still flowing through his system.

“What the hell was that?” Ian fumed, joining them on the sidewalk. “I’ve never heard those girls’ names before.”

“Obviously Dodd didn’t want anyone to know,” Dylan stated.

“How did you learn about them?”

“I have my ways.”

Ian rolled his eyes, grasped the back of his neck, and squeezed. “Give me everything you’ve got on those girls. Let’s see if I can’t get some answers.” Dylan’s eyes widened before she reluctantly agreed.

“What about Bethany?” Sutton asked.

“I’ll get you a list of all the foster homes I know of.”

Wyatt shook Ian’s hand. “Thank you, Ian. Sorry to ambush you like this.”

Ian’s gaze traveled to Dylan, who was talking with Sutton. “I’m not.”

Thethreeofthemheaded to Jolene’s for lunch, but Sutton was unsure of whether her stomach could hold down any food. She felt ill at the thought of those girls still missing. And even though she didn’t know Bethany well, she feared for the teenager and knew Wyatt was beside himself with worry.

Sutton regarded Wyatt, who had his head in his hands and was staring at the wood grain. Her heart clenched. Just by looking at him, she could tell the worry and anxiety he felt were intense. The desire to find his sister shot through her system. She’d experienced the loss of a loved one. She didn’t want him to have the same experience. If she could spare him from that, she would do anything in her power. Even if it meant facing her demons from behind her camera lens.

“What do we do now, Dylan? That entire scene got us nowhere,” Sutton lamented.

“I beg to differ. That scene got us exactly what I wanted.”

Wyatt’s head shot up. “What the hell are you talking about? Do you know where my sister is?”

Dylan’s face twisted in regret before she masked it. “No, I’m sorry. You’re right. We still don’t know where Bethany is. But we made some progress. The word is out now. Dodd can no longer hide. It will put pressure on whoever is kidnapping those girls.”

“How do you know they’re not just runaways like Dodd believes?” Sutton asked.

Dylan shot her a look that said she could recognize the difference. Her other job gave her plenty of experience.

A ping sounded from Wyatt’s phone. He picked it up. “Ian came through. He’s sent me a list of foster homes. He’s gonna meet me outside in ten minutes to start crossing them off the list.”

“That’s great, Wyatt. I hope you find her.” Wyatt looked up at her and smiled. Damn that dimple. It made her feel a stirring she hadn’t felt since Liam died.

“Me too,” he replied. “Dylan, thanks for your help this morning.”

Distracted by something on her phone, it took her a moment to answer. “No problem. I’ll continue to dig on my end?” She broke off, having raised her head to look at him. “Fuck, now that’s a dimple.”

Wyatt broke out in laughter. “Dylan,” scolded Sutton.

“What? Have you seen that thing? Makes me want to throw my panties at it.”

Sutton groaned while rolling her eyes. Wyatt continued to laugh. Shaking his head, he made his way to the door. “I’ll talk to you ladies later.”

As soon as he left, Sutton turned to her friend and hissed, “What was that?”

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