Page 69 of Sutton's Shadow

“If she had, she wouldn’t have gotten the perfect picture of El Sombra. If what you say is true about the guy, it might be the only image captured of him.”

There was nothing but silence on the other side of the call. He knew Wade was at least listening to the truth Wyatt was giving him.

“Sutton did not kill Liam, and you know it. The fact that you’ve blamed her for all these years is fucked up.”

“Okay, yes, you’re right. I blamed her. It was irrational, but I was angry. And when we couldn’t find her camera, I let my rage and grief take over.”

“So you dumped Liam’s girl at the hospital and left her. That’s cold, man. You promised to look after her if something happened to Liam, and you didn’t. She spent two weeks in a coma, alone. She woke alone. She grieved the loss of her fiancé alone.”

“Where were you, man? You left her too.”

“No, I didn’t. After learning what had happened to her at Liam’s funeral, I flew to Florida and sat with her for a week. If I hadn’t had to get back for my job, I would have stayed longer. I don’t recall seeing any of you there.”

“Okay, fine, we fucked that up, but that doesn’t excuse her for hiding those pictures from us.”

“She was scared. Scared and alone. She tried sending a few of the photos to someone she knew in Colombia. The guy was killed a couple of days later. She didn’t think that was a coincidence.”

“We would have made sure she was safe.”

“Would you?” he challenged. “You left her. What was she supposed to think? You haven’t spoken to her since that night in the jungle. She was on her own and living with the constant fear they would come after her. That woman who turned on them knew exactly who she was. She had to have seen Sutton taking pictures that night. There is a shot of her looking straight into the camera. Frankly, I’m surprised they haven’t hunted her down already. Not releasing those images is probably the only thing keeping her alive.”

“Fuck. Okay, you’re right. I broke my promise to Liam because I was grieving for my friend and looking to place the blame on someone. I’m sorry, okay?”

“I’m not the one you need to apologize to.”

“Yeah, I know,” he finally allowed. “But we still need those pictures, Tin Man. It’s our only chance to find the one responsible for Liam’s death.”

“I know. And we’ll get them to you. But not through the computer. I don’t want a digital trail leading back to Sutton. Name the place, and I’ll meet you there to hand over the SD card.”

“I’ll come to you. You’ve got Bethany, and I’m sure you don’t want to leave her. I can be there in two days.”

“Okay. I’ll see you then.”

They said their goodbyes and disconnected the call. Wyatt threw his phone down on the table, still angry that a man he’d once worked closely with while a Ranger would treat Sutton so callously. The malevolence in his tone shocked Wyatt.

He’d grieved for Liam too and wanted to find someone to place the blame on, as well. But one look at Sutton lying so still in that hospital bed, and he knew he would never condemn her. She had looked so small and vulnerable. Her gorgeous cornflower blue eyes shuttered. Her spirited nature subdued, almost like she had died right along with Liam. He’d sat with her for hours, praying she’d open those pretty eyes he’d fallen for and bestow upon him one of her enchanting smiles.

And now that he’d had her, he was determined to keep her smiling. He hoped he hadn’t made a mistake in contacting Wade. He hoped she’d see the merit in getting her pictures into the right hands. If he lost her smile, if he lost her... he didn’t even want to think about a life without her in it. He’d been gifted more and more of her smiles, and he would treasure them always.

Chapter 22

SuttonknockedonWyatt’sdoor, her brain deliberating two distinct problems. The first, how to get Bethany to open up to her. She hoped she could appeal to her, woman to woman. She imagined it couldn’t be easy as a teenage girl to share personal things with her big brother.

The second issue muddling her head was what to do with the pictures of Colombia. She knew it was time and had nearly convinced herself she was ready... with Wyatt’s help. His support meant the world to her. The way he’d listened to her, without judgment, had been a balm to her wounded soul.

She’d given the bitterness of Liam’s teammates and their beliefs in her responsibility for his death too much head space for way too long. It was time to let go of all of it. Her guilt, her shame, and her fear. And as the door opened to reveal the handsome man who’d brought the light back into her life, she realized with Wyatt’s support, she would conquer all those failings.

Before she could even say hello, she was in his arms, being kissed like he needed her to live. “I missed you,” he crooned after breaking the kiss.

“It’s only been a few hours,” she teased.

“Too long.”

“Ew, get a room,” Bethany complained as she walked past. They laughed, and the tension that had been with her since Wyatt had left loosened.

“I guess the cat’s out of the bag,” Wyatt admitted sheepishly.

“Who are you kidding?” Bethany called from the kitchen. “You weren’t hiding anything. I’ve known you’ve been bumping uglies since I came home.”

---