“I’m so sorry I lied, Tally. I’m so fucking sorry I hurt you, but I couldn’t be the one to ruin your dream. Going back to the small-town life would’ve killed you!”
He’s right. I never admitted it to myself then, but I wouldn’t have survived going back to Redbird Creek. Being a failure.
“Can you forgive me?” Rust whispers.
I step back. He collapses onto all fours, one hand braced on the tip of my boot like I’m the center of his gravity and he’s barely holding on. His head hangs low.
He looks miserable. Broken.
“Get up,” I say.
His eyes lift.
“Didn’t you hear? I said get up.”
He scrubs both hands over his face, leaving traces of dirt in the wake of his fingers. Then he rises.
I put a hand on his heart. “There ain’t nothing to forgive you for, Big Guy. You were forced to make an impossible choice and through it all, you tried to do right by me.”
Rust’s breath hitches. He wraps his arms around me, pulling me into a deep, passionate kiss.
“We’re still partners in crime?” he asks against my lips.
“Partners in crime.” I seal my words with another kiss. “But I don’t understand why Rex wanted us to break up so badly he even offered you money.”
Wolfe clears his throat. “If I may explain?”
I groan. “Enlighten us.”
Wolfe nods. “That’s Rex’s strategy with every new, promising talent. I’ve seen it hundreds of times. He separates them from friends, family, and loved ones so he can manipulate them easily. It keeps them earning for him without distractions or financial obligations. If he can’t isolate them, he blacklists them exactly as he threatened.”
I rub over my aching forehead. “But some stalking and abuse isn’t going to ruin Rex. Many men have done worse and gotten away with it. Unless I put him behind bars for something big, he’ll continue holding my career hostage.”
Wolfe’s eyes turn to slits. “Well, he didn’t ask me toget ridof Rust. He specifically asked me tokillhim.”
I sway. All this information is overwhelming.
“I caught up with you in Pine Bluff because I had to catch a flight from my home base here in Phoenix. When Rustin got arrested, I thought I’d go with a little blackmail for bonus cash first.” Wolfe grins like he’s particularly proud of that idea. “After the drop, I planned touse the tracker app Rex gave me to find your motel and shoot Rust the next time he left the room alone at night.”
I raise my hand, stopping him. “One part I don’t get. Why the fuck did you talk to us in the honky-tonk? That was super suspicious.”
Wolfe deflates. “I hoped if I pressed the issue, your thick-headed, blond friend would recognize you astheTally Creed and start a ruckus. Would’ve given me some good snapshots. But she was oblivious. Smart as I am, I had prepared a plan B to start a scuffle. I slipped the guy in the white hat a fake note from you, asking to meet you for sex after the concert when Rust was busy.”
A shudder runs through me. “Ugh, you’re revolting! That’s the fucking message Trevor was talking about!”
Rust grumbles. “I’m insulted Dalton sent Mr. Sports-Mode-Crocs to assassinate me. Can’t the walkin’ money bag spring for a proper contract killer?”
Wolfe sighs. “Actually, I begged Rex to hire a professional, but he doesn’t trust anyone except me with the really bad stuff.”
“If he was so keen on havin’ me meet my maker, he should’ve done it himself. Fucking coward!” Rust spits with disdain.
Wolfe tuts. “Rex would never get his hands dirty with murder. That’s too hot. Drugs. Blackmail. Manipulation. The occasional hired beating. Manufacturing scandals to cull singers not earning their expected share. That’s all fine with Rex. But he insisted it had to be me who kills you so it couldn’t be traced back to him. I had no choice.”
Rust barks a laugh. “Oh, don’t give me that‘I was just following orders’bullshit you saw in a movie once.”
Something like fear plays in Wolfe’s eyes. “But it’s the truth. If I don’t stay on Rex’s good side, my career is over, too. He could reveal my identity and there are plenty ofpeople who don’t enjoy my brand of journalism. They’d drag me to court for defamation or try to claim some vigilante justice. But at this point, I’d rather lose my career and retire in a nice, non-extradition country.”
Rust trembles with rage. “How did you keep your identity hidden this long?”
