“Warren County Sheriff. Drop your weapon,” Ford shouted.
Instead of dropping the gun, Karl’s hand moved it toward himself.
“No!” Clay shouted at the same time he shoved Meredith further behind him to not witness it.
“We could have been so happy together, Meredith.” Karl then fired his gun that was pointing under his own chin.
Meredith screamed and Clay turned to shield her and pull her into his arms, burying her face into his chest as Ford moved in on Karl and kicked the weapon away that had landed on the ground.
It didn’t matter. The guy was dead, his brains painted on the ceiling.
Clay rushed Meredith out of the back door and onto the steps, pushing her head between her knees.
“Breathe,” he said. “In and out. Slowly.”
She did as he instructed.
“I should have left when you told me to,” she said, crying.
“Shhhhhh,” he said. “It’s over.” He was holding her close to him, rocking with her.
“Is it? I thought it was with Richie too.”
So did he. That was his mistake.
He’d have to live with this. With not going with his gut that something was off with the neighbor.
His mind had been too clouded by everything else happening with Meredith.
Hadn’t he said she was trouble layered on top of trouble?
“I’m never letting anything happen to you,” he said. “I promise. You’re safe.”
He looked up when he saw Ford standing in the open doorway. His brother was shaking his head.
“I don’t need a lecture right now. Both of our hands are clean.”
Ford inhaled and exhaled. “I wasn’t positive that would be the case.”
Neither was Clay, but he realized he wasn’t sure he could put himself through it again. He didn’t want to do that to Meredith either.
He was finding himself, and killing another man would have buried what he’d unearthed.
Somehow, between the time he drove here looking for revenge to the minute he got her to the kitchen, he’d decided to turn Karl over to his brother.
Now she’d never have to worry about Karl again.
He was relieved, but she was traumatized and he could have prevented it all.
40
SAFE AND SECURE
“Why is everyone here?” she asked. “What bad news am I going to get now?”
The next day, Meredith was in Clay’s living room sipping coffee and being surrounded by his parents and all his siblings.
She had to spend Monday in the hospital. Blaze had checked her over but wanted her kept for observation. She’d said she was fine, but she still felt off from the drugs. Considering she barely remembered seeing her parents there meant she needed that night to be watched over.
