Chapter Seventeen
Wyatt stopped, his whole body going still as he stared down at the gun Knox was holding. He was still out of Marshall’s range, but all it would take would be a couple of steps and he would have to decide if he was going to fight.
Hadn’t he been waiting for this to happen? Hadn’t he been waiting for his brother to push the issue? Somehow he’d thought he had more time. He also hadn’t thought his brother would use the cops to get him. Because he had zero doubt his brother was behind this.
His brother wanted him in a place where he had to allow himself to be taken in, to be put in a cage where he was going to be totally vulnerable or fight and put everyone at risk. Even the timing had been made with precision. They took him at the cabin where Sawyer and Sabrina could be collateral damage and not the meeting later this evening where the sheriff might have some say.
He wasn’t going to fight. Sawyer wasn’t carrying and neither was he. Fuck it all. He wasn’t this guy. Maybe he’d heard wrong or this was some kind of asshole joke they were playing on him. “What?”
Marshall had traded the uniform he wore when he worked extra shifts in Bliss for the one he normally wore as a member of the Creede Sheriff’s Department. Which explained how this was happening since Wyatt was fairly certain Nate wouldn’t have sent them. If Nate had questions—or even needed to bring him in—he would have come himself.
“You’re under arrest for the murder of Dennis Hill,” Marshall reiterated. “Last year you killed Dennis Hill on the orders of your brother, Wayne Kemp.”
“No, he didn’t.” Sabrina took a step forward.
Sawyer reached out and took hold of her elbow. Wyatt sent up a silent thank you because he wasn’t sure Sabrina wouldn’t try to attack the police.
They were going to arrest him. Something had gone terribly wrong, and he was about to pay for it. He had to make sure they didn’t go down with him.
“Sabrina, stay back.” He was going to keep it together for her sake. It was surprising. The urge to fight his way out wasn’t pounding at his brain the way it normally would be. He couldn’t lose it. No matter what. “Guys, you don’t need the guns. I’m not armed. None of us are.”
“Yeah, we’ll keep our guns,” Knox replied with a hardening gaze. “Somehow I think you lie. After what you did in Colorado Springs, no one should trust you. Sawyer, you going to give us trouble?”
“No more than I have to,” Sawyer admitted.
Bella moved around Sabrina and Sawyer, growling.
That fucker actually pointed a gun at their dog. “Call her off, Sawyer. We’re not playing around. We know exactly who he is, and he’s going to pay for his crimes. You’re lucky we’re not taking you in, too. I think you’re probably an accessory after the fact. If not before.”
“He knows nothing.” Bella came to stand at Wyatt’s side, her stare wary on the intruders. She was a sweet baby but she knew how to protect the people she loved. And so did Wyatt. There was a time to fight and a time to call the battle.
“Bella, go to Sawyer.” Wyatt took a deep breath as he held up his hands. “No one’s going to give you any trouble. There’s no reason to hurt our dog.”
Marshall huffed. “Do you think we want to hurt a dog? We don’t, man, but we also can’t let you pretend to be a good guy. I’ve seen the evidence. You’re going to drag Sabrina down with you, and I won’t let it happen. Even if she can’t care about us. It doesn’t matter. I’m not letting a woman like Sabrina get involved with a murderer if I can help it.”
“You can help it.” Sabrina’s tone had gone even, the panic from before shoved down. It allowed Sawyer to let her elbow go so he could reach for Bella’s collar. “You don’t have to do this. There is an explanation. Wyatt didn’t kill anyone.”
“That’s not what the Colorado Bureau of Investigation says.” Knox stood tall, his jaw going tight. “We didn’t make shit up. The CBI investigator brought us the evidence, and our bosses in Creede gave us the go ahead to bring you in.”
“Creede?” Sawyer asked. “Why would the CBI go to Creede? Bliss is the nearest town.”
“You’re on unincorporated land,” Marshall explained. “CBI decided they would rather work with Creede than Bliss. Nate has a reputation for being difficult.”
“Nate has a reputation for being thorough,” Sabrina pointed out. “From what my sister tells me he doesn’t allow other authorities to walk in and do whatever they want. Did he show you a warrant? Because I would like to see it.”
“I don’t have to see it. He’s CBI. His credentials check out,” Knox shot back. “Unlike Wright, I trust my fellow officers.”
“Because no law enforcement officer ever went bad,” Sawyer said with a shake of his head. “You know this is wrong. Even if we’re unincorporated, agencies still coordinate with local law enforcement, and it’s not the town a good thirty minutes away. Something is wrong and you can feel it. This is a setup.”
“At least take him to Bliss. Lock him up at the station house and let us figure this out.” Sabrina sounded so reasonable.
This wasn’t a situation where reason would win out. The deputies were too far in at this point. They believed they were saving Sabrina from the big bad wolf, and anything challenging their perceptions would be ruthlessly thrust aside. They thought they were being heroes.
Knox actually seemed to think about it for a moment, but then he shook his head. “No. You feel free to call Nate, but we have a job to do and we’re not taking any more time. Wyatt Kemp, you have the right to remain silent.”
Sawyer kept a hold of Bella’s collar when she started to try to get to Wyatt.
He couldn’t hold back Sabrina. She walked right up to him, throwing her arms around him like she could keep him there.
“I’ll get you out,” she whispered. “I love you.”
He was worried there might not be a chance to “get him out.” If he thought they would simply take him to a jail cell and let the justice system deal with him, he would go easily. But someone would be waiting for him there in Creede. Or Colorado Springs.
“Sabrina, don’t make this hard on us,” Marshall warned.
She turned, her eyes going steely. “Hard on you? You have no idea how hard I’m going to make this on you, Deputy. Can’t take a no, can you? I owe you something because you thought I was halfway pretty and willing to give you some attention? I didn’t owe you anything, but now I do. Now I owe you, Deputy, and I assure you I will make those payments one way or another. Watch your fucking back.”
“She doesn’t mean it.” The last thing he wanted was to get Sabrina mixed up in this. It was everything he’d feared. After the first couple of days, he hadn’t truly worried she would walk away from him. He worried she would defend him and die in the process.
“Yeah, she does, and so do I,” Sawyer said grimly. “You know this is wrong. You know Nate should be handling this. This is fucked up, and you’re playing into their hands.”
“I’ll call for backup if you don’t surrender right now.” It seemed Marshall had chosen the hill he was going to die on. “And I wouldn’t threaten an officer of the law. We tend to take threats seriously around here.” He glared Sabrina’s way. “Maybe you aren’t the woman we thought you were.”
“Damn straight I’m not, and you’re going to find out,” Sabrina challenged.
“Baby, please.” If he didn’t turn the heat down, something was going to explode, and he couldn’t handle the idea of it hitting his family.
This was what it meant to have a real family. Sabrina and Sawyer and Bella were his family now, and he would sacrifice anything for them. He would also trust them. Giving Sabrina a job to do might help her back down. “Baby, call Nate and let him know what’s happening and where they’re taking me. Tell him I’ll be able to prove I didn’t kill anyone.”
He offered his wrists to Marshall.
The deputy turned him around with a rough twist of his forearm, bringing his wrists together behind his back.
“Come on,” Sawyer complained. “You can’t cuff him in front? How scared are you?”
He tightened those cuffs to almost the point of pain. Angry. The deputy was angry, and Wyatt might be able to make use of that. He would have half an hour to try to figure out how much they knew. He would bet not a lot. Maybe the distance from Sabrina would help them think more logically. “It’s fine. Sabrina, I love you.”
She had her cell in hand. Tears shimmered in her eyes. “I love you. I’ll get you out as soon as possible.”
“I’ll follow them.” Sawyer kept his hold on Bella, who was whining now and trying to get to Wyatt.
Marshall put a hand on Wyatt’s shoulder, starting to lead him to the waiting squad car. Wyatt had to be fast to not trip.
Knox followed behind them. “Good luck following us, Sawyer. Looks like someone doesn’t care much for you. You’re down two tires. Noticed it when we came in.”
“What?” Sawyer asked. “You trashed my Jeep?”
Wyatt ducked, avoiding taking a hit as he was pushed into the backseat. His heart rate ticked up. Why would someone slash Sawyer’s tires if the intention was to get him to jail? In a jail cell, they could do whatever they wanted to him. They could arrange for an accident, or they would find him alone and call it suicide.
But the jail scenario couldn’t be countered by Sawyer following them.
“I sure as hell didn’t do it.” Marshall slammed the door. “It was already done. I know you don’t understand this, but I’m a police officer. I follow the damn law. I don’t break it. And we’ll discuss the threats you two have made at another time.”
“Deputy, something’s wrong,” Sawyer insisted. “I’m not joking. You know this is wrong.”
“I know I have a job to do.” Marshall slid into the driver’s side while Knox buckled in beside him.
“Yeah, Harriet this is Deputy Miller,” Knox said into the radio. “We’re on our way back with the suspect, but you should warn the sheriff we might have a problem. I think Sheriff Wright is going to try to make things difficult.”
Wyatt stared out the window as they pulled away and prayed he would see them again.
* * * *
Sabrina felt sick as she watched the squad car pull away. She took a deep breath, hearing Sawyer talking behind her. Minutes passed and she felt completely frozen in place. Every second took Wyatt farther away.
What had happened? She shook her head, trying to bring herself back to reality. “He thought he would be the one to get me in trouble. It’s the other way around. They wouldn’t act like this if they weren’t pissed I rejected them. I can’t believe they took him.”
Sawyer moved in beside her, sliding his cell back in his pocket. “Wyatt knew this could be a problem. He should have talked to us, but we can discuss it later. For now, we need to find transportation. I don’t want to leave him alone for long. Nate’s on his way to Creede. He’s taking Gemma with him to act as Wyatt’s lawyer. He’s sending your sister to pick us up. She’ll drive us there, and hopefully we’ll see him before they take him to Colorado Springs.”
“Will he survive the trip?” A shudder went through her. This was serious, and Wyatt was in real danger. She turned and found herself in his arms. She sank into his strength. “What’s going to happen to him?”
“Nothing.” Sawyer gently tugged on her hair, bringing her head up so she had to look him in the eyes. There was a hard resolve in those dark orbs. “He is going to be fine, and we’re going to make sure of it.”
She held him tight, waiting for her sister to show up. They didn’t go back in the house, simply stood there, holding on to each other.
His hand smoothed back her hair. “I’m going to beat the shit out of those assholes, though. Fucking with my Jeep. If I hadn’t crated Bella, she would have warned us.”
She shouldn’t have been crated in the middle of the afternoon, but they’d wanted no interruptions to their lovemaking.
Guilt swamped her. She couldn’t have waited? If they’d caught someone slashing Sawyer’s tires, they might have known something was wrong.
“I can hear you blaming yourself, Teach,” Sawyer said, cradling her close. “Not your fault. It’s not yours any more than it’s Wyatt’s. You followed your heart. They’re trying anything they can to change your heart’s decision. I’m sure that warrant was a gift from the heavens. And now they’re afraid of you.”
They should be. “I meant what I said. They want a war, I’ll fight it.”
“Such a savage creature.” But he was laying kisses on her forehead. “I’ll fight it with you and so will Wyatt, but for now we’re going to play this whole thing cool. We’re going to go to the police station and let Gemma ask all the questions. If we need to follow him to Colorado Springs, we will. Lark can run the bar for a few weeks. Hell, she’ll be thrilled.”
It was the second time he’d offered to give up his precious work time. Her heart ached for what Wyatt was going through, but there was a calmness, too. A bit of anxiety had flown away when she’d realized Sawyer was all in. “And I’ll do what I need to do. I’ve got some people I can call to take over for me, but I don’t have any vacation time so I might need a job soon.”
Sawyer huffed. “You are not giving up your job. I assure you we’ll make it work. But it would be best if Nate could find a way to take custody of him. I’m worried about him going into prison while awaiting trial. If he can’t get bail, we’re going to have to think about…other options.”
She wasn’t sure she wanted to Bonnie and Clyde it the rest of her life. “You think you can break him out?”
“No,” he admitted. “But I think I might be able to figure out where he stashed Dennis Hill. You know they say no body, no crime. Well, they mean no dead body. I assure you when I drag a living one in there, they’ll change their minds.”
“Wyatt was trying to save him,” Sabrina pointed out.
“And now I’m going to save Wyatt,” Sawyer promised.
There was the sound of tires crunching on the gravel and Sabrina turned, expecting to see her sister. Instead of the squad car, a small SUV pulled to a stop, the tires the only sound the electric vehicle made. Henry Flanders stepped out, a smile on his face. “Hey, Sawyer. I thought I’d bring by the wood I found. I think it would make an excellent toy chest. I was hoping you’d let me use your heavy-duty sander. Hey, Sabrina. I’m getting pretty good with making furniture, but Sawyer is a master. Is everything okay?”
Henry went still, his expression going blank as his eyes darted around, taking in the area.
“Wyatt was just arrested,” Sawyer explained. “Elisa’s coming to pick us up. You should take Poppy home.”
Sabrina realized she could see a toddler girl leaning over as though trying to catch sight of the world outside.
“What’s wrong with your Jeep?” Henry opened the door to the car and hauled Poppy out, the child wrapping her arms around her father as he settled her on his hip. “Someone slashed the tires? How long ago?”
This was a Henry Flanders she hadn’t met. Henry was soft spoken and always gentle. There was a hard edge to the man in front of her she couldn’t deny.
“It had to be in the last hour and a half,” Sawyer was saying. “I think it might have been the Creede guys. They’re the ones who arrested Wyatt. They were working in Creede which I think is awfully convenient.”
Henry moved to the porch, setting Poppy on the rocking chair. “Stay there, sweetie. Daddy needs to talk to some nice people.”
Poppy’s head nodded, and then she was happily petting Bella, who seemed to know where she was needed.
Henry crossed the space, his hand going to the pocket of his jeans and pulling a cell phone out. After a few seconds he frowned. “No one’s answering at the station house.”
“Elisa was on duty. She’s on her way here,” Sabrina explained. She knew a bit about how her sister’s department worked. “I know when they don’t have enough manpower, they set the phones to an answering machine for non-emergencies. 911 still works, but the people they would send are already on their way.”
“Are they saying Wyatt killed someone in Creede?” Henry asked. “Because even then they should have called Nate and had him arrest Wyatt and turn him over. I know this isn’t technically Bliss, but everyone knows this falls under Nate’s territory. Which means this isn’t about a murder in Creede. This is about Dennis Hill.”
Sabrina felt her jaw drop. “How did you know?”
Henry’s eyes were cold as he examined the tires. “Information is the most valuable asset we have, Sabrina. Even out here. Bliss has a high percentage of what I would call vulnerable citizens. Many of our people have pasts that might create problems later on. Some of them violent ones. Nate formed a committee to monitor these kinds of situations so we can handle them properly. I’m on the committee.”
“Because you used to be CIA. I like it. You dug into Wyatt’s background when he started living here?” Sawyer asked, apparently untroubled with the snooping into other people’s lives aspect. “You could have mentioned it at the meeting this afternoon.”
“We talked about it and decided it’s Wyatt’s secret to tell,” Henry confessed. “I also thought we had a little time.”
“Have you been spying on Wyatt?” Sabrina knew Henry had worked for the Central Intelligence Agency, but even though they joked about him being a badass, she’d thought he was like an analyst or something. The man in front of her hadn’t been a paper pusher.
“Spying?” His lips tugged up, and he looked closer to normal, as though he realized his mask had slipped. “I would call it gathering intelligence. What we know would only ever be used to help. Wyatt’s brother is dangerous to everyone, but especially to him. Doc asked us to look into his situation after the first night. It was obvious what had happened with Wyatt. So I dug a little further. It stood to reason Wayne Kemp wouldn’t have allowed his brother to go without some kind of leverage over him. Wyatt knows far too much. I found the missing persons report for a man named Dennis Hill. He’d been playing around on the outer edges of the Horde for years. The police took him in for questioning about a triple homicide they believe Wayne at the very least ordered. Dennis held the line in the interview. He promised he didn’t see anything, but he was scheduled to take a lie detector test three days after he went missing.”
“Wyatt wouldn’t have killed him.” The choices he’d had to make. She couldn’t imagine it. He’d had to find the will to break out of the only world he’d ever known.
She couldn’t lose him. She loved him. Loved them both.
“I know.” Henry’s expression had softened as he watched Sabrina. “I know for a fact he didn’t kill Dennis. I know where he stashed Dennis.”
Sawyer’s jaw dropped. “You do? You know you could have mentioned it.”
“Like I said, the information is only ever used to help our people. Up until today, that information was something for Wyatt to deal with,” Henry replied surely. “Now I’ll use it to get him out of trouble, though I would rather talk to him. I want to let him decide how to handle the situation.”
“No.” Sawyer’s head shook. “You’re going to tell the police everything you know and get him out of this.”
Henry sighed. “Part of being in charge of an operation like this is holding firm to one’s ethics. Before I offered to help, I made everyone involved sign an agreement. The information we have is sensitive and only to be used if the person the information pertains to wants us to use it. Think of it as our way of opening up options to vulnerable citizens.”
Sabrina wasn’t hearing it. She didn’t give a fuck about ethics. She didn’t care about Dennis Hill, or honestly whatever Wyatt thought. He was right. He’d put her in this position by making her fall in love with him, and now he had to deal with the consequences. And the men on this committee would deal with her, too. “Henry Flanders, you will take whatever information you have and hand it over to the Creede police force and the CBI, and if you don’t I swear I will salt the earth with your bones. Metaphorically, of course, but I swear it will hurt. You think you like to protest? I can do it, too, friend, and I’ll ensure your wife knows exactly what you’re doing and that you allowed an innocent man to die. That’s what we’re talking here. If they manage to get Wyatt to jail in Colorado Springs, who’s waiting for him in there?”
Sawyer seemed to pick up her line of argument. He stood beside her, a hand on her shoulder. “I assure you there are Horde members serving time right now, and they’ll be more than willing to do the boss’s business. Or if Wayne wants to keep his hands somewhat clean, this would be a good way to do it. Think about it. What would be better for a rival MC member than shivving Wayne’s brother? It’s a good way to get some revenge.”
So it could be more than Horde members out to get Wyatt.
Desperation surged through her.
Sawyer’s hand came off her shoulder and he took her own, giving her a squeeze and letting him know he was there for her. “Henry, I know you have your ethics, but he’s my partner. I don’t do this. I don’t beg, but I will for him. He’s going to die in there. Our shot at getting him out is keeping him here in Bliss.”
She heard the sound of another vehicle coming up the drive and saw Hale’s big SUV turning in. Her sister was out of the passenger side as Henry got back on his cell phone. She heard him mention Stef’s name, and then her sister was hugging her.
“Are you okay?” Elisa stepped back and looked her up and down as though trying to find a wound.
“I’m fine.” Tears were gathering again. “But they’re going to kill Wyatt if we don’t get him back.”
Elisa nodded. She was in her uniform. Hale and Van slid out of the SUV, standing behind Elisa, offering their support. “Sorry. I had to have Hale drive me up. My county-issued vehicle is in the shop for maintenance. They were about to drop me off at the station when Nate called. Let’s get you in the SUV. We can be in Creede in twenty minutes if we haul ass.”
“I promise, I’ll get us there as fast as we can,” Hale said with a nod. “Nate and Gemma are almost there, and he’ll do what he can to slow down the whole processing-him-through thing.”
Time. They had a little time. Paperwork would be involved. He would likely have to process into the Creede jail, and then custody would have to be changed from the Creede Police to the CBI. More paperwork. They had a real shot at solving the problem if they could use all the bureaucratic bullshit to their advantage.
“Yeah, I think we should make a call here,” Henry was saying to Stefan Talbot. “We don’t know if they’ll let Gemma in. Technically, they can hold him for a while without admitting his lawyer. They could tell her she can see him in Colorado Springs. I think we need to get this ball rolling whether he likes it or not. I know Nate would rather wait, but Sawyer and Sabrina are closer to the situation, so I have to listen to them. Besides, Sabrina promised to tell Nell we’re abusing power.” Henry winced and looked Sabrina’s way. “You don’t want to know what he’s saying. It’s not suitable for children.”
So she’d pissed off the King of Bliss. It probably wouldn’t matter because they would likely have to leave.
“Come on.” Elisa took her hand. “We’ll get to Creede as fast as we can. Sawyer can come with us. Henry, you’re letting the rest of the town know? I’m pretty sure Wayne Kemp isn’t planning on causing trouble in Bliss since he worked so hard to get his brother out of it, but I want people on alert.”
Henry nodded. “I will, and Stef is activating our plan.”
“There’s a plan?” Sawyer asked.
“Always,” Henry assured him, and his cell rang again.
Sabrina rushed into the house to grab her purse. She couldn’t stand the thought they wouldn’t all be here together again. She had to get control of her emotional state. She’d already threatened two people she had to share a town with. Although once she gave Nate Wright a full dose of her feelings about his part-time deputies, she doubted she would have to see either of them again. Henry was another story.
Deep breath. She would see Wyatt again. She would.
“It’s going to be okay.” Sawyer wrapped big arms around her. “He’ll be back here tomorrow, one way or another.”
She sniffled. “He needs to be home. This is our home. I know it’s yours, but…”
He squeezed her tight, pulling her against his chest. “This is our home, Sabrina. Yours and mine and Wyatt’s. And we’ll bring him back here and decide where to go from there. We might have to leave for a while.”
She nodded but felt better. How would she get through this without Sawyer? She forced her fear down. “I know. All right. Let’s get going.”
The faster they got to Creede, the sooner they could get Wyatt back where he belonged.
She held Sawyer’s hand as they walked back out to the porch, ready to face whatever came next.
Elisa had her radio in hand, and her skin had paled in a way that let Sabrina know something had gone horribly wrong. “Sabrina, Wyatt didn’t make it to Creede.”
Sabrina held on to Sawyer because the world suddenly seemed like it was spinning.