The man hadn’t lowered the gun, not even a fraction of an inch.
Sheriff Sutherland stood to Max’s right, his own weapon drawn now, held steady but not yet aimed to fire. Every movement was controlled and deliberate.
“Kenny.” Sheriff Sutherland kept his voice calm but firm. “You don’t want this to go any further.”
Kenny didn’t look at him. His gaze stayed fixed on Max, dark and restless, like something inside him couldn’t settle.
“Where is she?” Kenny demanded.
Max didn’t have to ask who he meant. “Lyndee’s safe. She’s at the hospital.”
“She’s my wife.” The words sounded like a claim of ownership. “All I want is to be with her.”
Sheriff Sutherland took a slow step forward. “You hurt her, Kenny. We saw the injuries. Cuts and bruises—injuries you caused.”
Something shifted in Kenny’s expression.
It wasn’t remorse or regret. His gaze darkened, something defensive rising to the surface.
“I was only trying to make her see what a beautiful thing we had together!” he snapped, his grip tightening on the gun.
Something twisted in Max’s chest as he watched Kenny.
What was it about some people that made relationships unravel them like this? That took something meant to be good and turned it into a desire to control . . . into obsession?
Love was powerful. Maybe too powerful.
For some people, it wasn’t enough to hold it. They had to possess it.
“Kenny.” Max forced his voice to cut through the moment. “Where’s Kendra?”
Kenny’s eyes flicked between them, his breathing growing uneven.
All three of them stood there, guns drawn, the distance between them charged with the kind of tension that could snap in an instant.
“Talk to us,” Sheriff Sutherland said. “This is your chance to help yourself.”
Kenny let out a short, bitter laugh. “Help myself?Kendracontactedme. Out of nowhere. Told me she knew where Lyndee was. Said she could help me get her back.”
Max’s stomach tightened. “What did she want in return? Or did she do it out of the goodness of her heart?”
He knew the answer.
Kenny’s gaze flicked to him, something close to regret flashing there. But the emotion didn’t last. “There was a price. There’s always a price.”
“What does that mean?” Max asked.
“I had to promise her favors. That I’d do things for her.” His jaw clenched. “Biggest mistake of my life.”
Sheriff Sutherland’s voice stayed steady as he asked, “What kind of things?”
Kenny hesitated. Then his expression twisted. “She’s crazy. You have no idea. She made me do those things to Hadley—said if I didn’t, she’d kill Lyndee.”
“You’re the one who threatened Lyndee, though,” Max said.
“She told me where Lyndee was.Kendrafoundme. I thought she wanted to help me. But then she started throwing out all these ideas. She sent me pictures of my dad. My best friend. Said she’d hurt them if I didn’t cooperate. I believed her.”
The words hung there, heavy and ugly.
