Page 56 of Guarding Colton’s Witness

Wyatt leaned back against the counter. “Yes. He broke in through your back door, and no doubt left that way. You’ll need to get the lock fixed. Sam’s room’s a bit of a mess from the fight, so you need to clean it up before he sees it.”

“Yeah, he’s already scared, and that would just add to his fear. Please, catch these people. I’m so over being afraid.”

“Believe me, we’re trying. Working around the clock with every departmental officer and other agency officers we can get. There is one thing we’ve learned. The toxicology reports came back on Sam’s parents. The same meth laced with fentanyl was in their bodies that was in John Harper’s, the man we found dead on the Enchanted Highway.”

“So the drugs came from the same source?”

“Yes, and we’re working on finding that source. When we do, we’ll be able to identify the person or persons behind all this. Again, that’s confidential information. You can tell Ryan, but make sure you stress he can’t talk about it with anyone.”

“We won’t.”

“I know. That’s why I’m willing to share the information. This is bigger than anything in my career up to this point, and it’s like these people are always two steps ahead of us.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Frankly, I’m getting damn tired of being behind.”

“Now I’m going to add you to my list of people to worry about.”

“Don’t. I can take care of myself. Just worry about yourself and your boys. Stay alert.”

Her boys. She liked the sound of that.

“I need to head out.” He squeezed her shoulder. “Call me if anything seems off. I don’t care how small. Okay?”

“Yeah, okay. You stay safe.”

“Always.”

Alone in her bathroom, she sucked in a deep breath. What if they’d managed to take Sam?

“No!” She slammed her hand on the counter. “We’re not going to let that happen.”

Chapter 24

“I don’t think it’s broken, but wouldn’t hurt to get an X-ray,” Janie said as she massaged his wrist.

“Not necessary. It’s not broken.” Ryan wanted to take his hand back. He didn’t like being fussed over, but these two were just doing their job, so he let them do their thing. It was a blessing that it was his left hand.

Manny activated an instant cold pack and pressed it against his eye. “You definitely need to have this looked at. It’s swollen completely shut. Eyes are nothing to mess with.”

That was true, and he would see an eye specialist. He was due back to work the day after tomorrow, but if his eye was still shut, he wouldn’t be able to return.

“Hold this,” Manny said.

Ryan lifted his good hand to the cold pack and held it in place.

“What happened here?” Janie asked.

“Someone broke in.” He wasn’t going to discuss the case, so he’d leave it at that.

“Hope you gave as good as you got,” Manny said as he finished wrapping Ryan’s wrist in a compression bandage.

“I tried. We done here?”

Janie nodded. “Yep.”

The two EMTs gathered up their supplies. “I mean it, Doc,” Manny said. “See someone about that eye.”

“I will.” After they left, Ryan sat for a minute debating calling Dr. Schwartz or actually going in to talk to Candy so she could see for herself that it was impossible for him to return to the emergency room. He should go in, and maybe he could get an emergency appointment with an eye doctor this afternoon, which would allow him to do both things in the same trip.

Wyatt entered the living room. “I assume you’ll live?”