“She’s right, though,” Mav said. “There’s not a person in town who won’t let him forget about what he covered up. His business is going to die.”
Blake pressed a hand to my chest, then leaned on her tiptoes and kissed my cheek. “I’m gonna wait with Wes in the lobby. Don’t take too long.”
“I won’t.”
As soon as the door closed, I spun on Mav. “This isn’t right, and you know it.”
“No, it’s not. But what exactly would they charge him with? He didn’t cover up the murder, technically. He didn’t hide the body or even witness the murder. Six months after the fact, he found out and didn’t say anything. How would the state even prove that?”
“I don’t know,” I said honestly.
“He’ll probably be fined, and it won’t be good for business. But the worst of it is over, and the Walker family finally has some peace in their lives.”
“Is that really good enough?”
“You can’t change the past, Mike. All you can do is hope for better.”
Maybe he was right. Maybe I was judging too harshly. After all, I couldn’t say I would have done anything differently in his shoes. Could I condemn someone to a life in prison when they had already suffered so much?
Sighing, I stepped back from the situation, knowing there wasn’t anything I could do about it anyway.
“You’re right.”
“Listen, our job is done. I’ll pass the information along to the prosecutor, but after that, it’s out of my hands. You can’t win them all, and getting upset over every outcome will drive you insane. For now, go home and be glad that everyone came out of this alive.”
“Everyone except Dakota and Grace,” I reminded him.
“Well, after what Grace suffered, that might be for the best.”
He clapped me on the shoulder as I walked out, meeting Blake and Wes in the lobby. Blake was already half asleep on Wes’s shoulder, and for his part, he didn’t look like he was all that upset about it.
His eyes flicked up to meet mine as I strode forward. “Are we done?”
“Yeah. Let’s get home before you become a couch cushion.”
He smirked ever-so-slightly, which he quickly schooled the moment he realized he was doing it. I wasn’t sure his wild days were behind him, but at least he was starting to come around.
Blake stood with a yawn, stretching her arms over her head. “God, I could sleep for a month.”
“I think you earned it after tonight, even if I am pissed that you put yourself?—”
I stopped myself at the angry look she shot me. I almost forgot for a minute who I was talking to. If I wasn’t careful, she’d shove me through another window.
Clearing my throat, I grinned. “Pissed that you put yourself in the position to be the only one to take her out. I almost didn’t get to have any fun.”
“Well, if you want some fun, just let me know.”
“Ew,” Wes grimaced.
“I’ll be glad to accidentally shoot you sometime, just like you did to me.”
Wes rolled his eyes. “You guys are so weird.”
Wrapping my arm around her shoulders, we headed for the door.
“I’d say we had enough fun for ten lifetimes. Maybe we could take it easy for the next few months.”
“I make no guarantees. An old friend sent me a message this morning. Apparently, she needs a favor.”
