Then he lifted his arm.
Metal caught the light.
He had a gun.
Max’s breath stilled.
Kenny stopped in the middle of the road and planted his feet wide as he raised the weapon and aimed it directly at them.
Sheriff Sutherland reached for his own weapon. But he didn’t draw. Not yet.
Every instinct in Max screamed to get past him, to push forward, to keep going.
Hadley was out there.
In danger. Waiting.
And this . . . makeshift roadblock was standing in his way.
Kenny’s eyes locked on them with something dark and volatile simmering beneath the surface.
He didn’t speak or make a demand.
Instead, he simply stood there, gun raised, blocking the only road forward.
Hadley’s gaze kept drifting back to the kitchen table.
To Herb and Billie.
Her chest tightened when she saw the fear on their faces.
“They don’t have anything to do with this.” Hadley forced her voice sound calm as she turned back to Kendra. “Please . . . just let them go.”
Kendra didn’t even look at them. She stood near the doorway, the gun still steady in her hand, her focus entirely on Hadley. “No.”
Hadley swallowed. “Kendra, they’re innocent. You don’t need them here. You don’t need to hurt them.”
“I’m not going to hurt them.” Kendra almost sounded impatient, like the suggestion annoyed her. “But they need to stay where they are.”
“Why?” Hadley’s voice tightened despite her effort to keep it level.
Kendra’s lips curved. “Because I want them to see. I want them to understand how much I love Max.”
The words sent a chill through Hadley.
She glanced back at the couple again, her heart stuttering at the sight of Billie leaning closer to Herb.
“Herb,” Billie whispered, her gag falling to her chin. “Stay with me, okay?”
Hadley straightened. “What’s wrong?”
Billie looked up at her, fear flashing in her eyes. “His blood sugar . . . it’s low. I can tell. If he doesn’t get his medicine soon, he might pass out.”
Hadley’s stomach dropped. “Kendra, he needs something to eat. Right now. This isn’t optional—he could lose consciousness.”
Kendra didn’t move or react.
“Kendra, please,” Hadley pressed. “Let me help him. Or let Billie get something for him. You don’t want that on your conscience.”
