“Yeah, Wyatt,” I said, “what the hell is going on? Why don’t you enlighten us both?”
His expression changed as realization dawned, and then his jaw tightened.
“Not going to tell your brother who you’ve been meeting?” I asked. “Or what your friend has been up to?”
“Is that why you have Hank’s revolver in your hand?” Wyatt sneered.
“You tell me,” I said. “I’m just a pawn in this game. You’re one of the puppet masters.”
“What the hell is goin’ on?” Max shouted.
“Ask Wyatt. He’s the one with all the answers. Be sure to ask him about Jerry too,” I sneered as I faced Wyatt, tears stinging my eyes. “Ask him what part he played in running Jerry off the road.”
“What?” Max roared.
“You have no idea what you’re talkin’ about, Carly,” Wyatt grunted, reaching for my arm.
I took a step back. “Don’t you touch me. Hank tells me that his gun has a kick but it’s aim is true. I shouldn’t have much trouble from this close.”
“You’re gonna shoot me?” Wyatt asked in angry disbelief.
“If you don’t let me go? Yes, Wyatt. I will shoot you.”
“Did you hear her?” Wyatt demanded, his gaze shifting to his brother.
“Did you play a part in Jerry’s murder?” Max asked, his voice breaking.
Wyatt’s anger faded. “Max. You need to let me explain.”
“Carly,” Max said in a deadly calm voice. “Feel free to take your leave.”
Wyatt tried to block my path again. “Carly, goddammit. Will you fuckin’ listen to me?”
“Are you working with Derek Carpenter?” I asked through gritted teeth.
He started to say something, then stopped. Resignation filled his eyes. “Yes.”
Pain stabbed my heart. How far back did this go? My mind quickly reviewed everything he’d helped me with. Oh. God. Had he deleted the videos Seth had died to get?
“Derek Carpenter?” Max asked in an aggravated tone.
I shook my head in dismay and started to cry. He’d been betraying me from the moment I’d arrived in Drum.
“Just this morning, I heard Derek Carpenter admit to killing Jerry. How could you?” I asked, my voice breaking.
“I had no part in that,” Wyatt said, pleading with me. “I swear.”
“Jesus Christ, Wyatt,” Max said, his voice tight with pain as he sank onto the coffee table. “You didn’t.”
Wyatt turned to his brother. “Max.”
“Carly,” Max said, my name sounding strangled. “Go.”
But Wyatt didn’t move out of the way, and his expression hardened. “I need to know what’s in that box.”
Max got to his feet and said in a threatening tone, “Back off.”
He didn’t, of course. Instead, he jerked the box out of my hands. I cried out in protest as he ripped off the lid, dumping the contents onto the floor. Glass cracked on one of the frames, and the cigarette box flew open, sending the rings tumbling across the floor.
“Jesus, Wyatt!” Max shouted. “Those are Jerry’s personal belongings! Mom gave ’em to Carly. Show some fuckin’ respect!”
Wyatt dropped to the floor and started sifting through everything.
I didn’t have to ask him what he was doing. He knew that Jerry had seen or found something. He was after whatever it was.
Which meant he truly was allied with Derek and Louise.
I lifted a terrified gaze to Max. He looked just as scared, but he nodded to the door and mouthed, Go.
I started to dart around Wyatt, but he snaked out a hand and grabbed my ankle. “You found something.”
“Let go of me!” I jerked my leg, trying to get free.
“If you give it to Hank, they’ll kill him, Carly! Give it to me!”
The cocking of a gun made us both freeze, and I turned to see Max pointing a shotgun at his brother. “Let her go.”
“Max!”
“Let her go.”
Wyatt looked up me. “Carly. Please.”
“Are you going to give it to Derek?”
Uncertainty flashed in his eyes, but then it turned into pleading. “You called me a liar, but I’m not, and I’m not going to start lyin’ to you now.”
My back stiffened. “So you are.”
“You have to trust me, Carly.”
I released a bitter laugh. “I haven’t trusted you for six months. Why the hell would I start now? With this?”
Wyatt released my ankle in defeat, and I raced down the stairs, even as I heard the two brothers shouting at each other behind me. When I reached the bottom of the steps, I raced around the corner toward the back door just at it opened—and ran right into someone.
I screamed and lifted the gun just as I realized it was Marco.
“Carly?” he asked, his eyes wide.
“Carly?” Max shouted, his footsteps pounding as he raced down the stairs.
I shoved the gun at Marco, butt first. I’d nearly shot him, and I wanted nothing to do with it. He took it, bewildered.
Max appeared in the stairwell entrance, his shotgun in his hand. He slumped against the wall when he realized it was Marco. “Jesus. I’m gonna be gray-headed before this is all said and done.”
“What the hell is goin’ on here?” Marco blared.
“Get her out of here,” Max said. “She’ll fill you in.”
He didn’t have to suggest it twice. I bolted out the door to Marco’s Explorer, opening the passenger door and getting in before Marco reached the car. But I noticed he had a heavy limp as he got in.
“What happened to your leg?” I cried, needing to get my mind off the fact that I’d nearly killed him in a blind panic.
He lifted the center console and put the gun inside. “I think what just happened up in Max’s apartment seems more pressing. I’m guessing Hank didn’t cotton to the idea of stickin’ around.”
“Get out of here, and I’ll tell you everything.”
He pulled out of the parking lot, heading to Old Mill Park when I didn’t offer a destination, and I told him what had just transpired, trying to keep my voice steady. Halfway through my explanation, we arrived, but he just parked, and I continued talking until I reached the bitter end.
“Wyatt was part of this?” he asked in dismay. “We’ve had our differences, but . . .” He shook his head. “How are you dealin’ with all of this?”
I dug the phone out of my pocket. “We need to get an iPhone charger.”
He took it from me and looked at the bottom. “I have one.”
He opened the console again and pulled out a white charger cord, which he plugged into the phone. “Now we wait.” His gaze narrowed, scrutinizing me. “You didn’t answer my question about how you’re doin’.”
“And you didn’t answer mine about why you’re limping.”
“I talked to Adam this morning.” He grimaced. “Let’s just say it didn’t go well. I ended up having to run after him. But the good news is we had a good talk after that, and he’s gonna make an effort in his foster home.”