Max took a beat too long to reply.
I blew out a breath. “Yeah, I didn’t think so either.”
“I know you need him,” he whispered, reaching out to clasp my shoulder. “But he has his pack to consider too. He needs to stay as far away from this as possible.”
In case we can’t prove Tombs is behind all this and they lock me up and throw away the key.
Neither of us said that though.
“So,” Max tried again. “Let’s look at what we do know.” He listed them off on his fingers. “Tombs has a contact getting him the Blue Alhuirn in a form he can use. He also has some way of altering memories, because you, Nick, and probably Callum are all missing vital memories that haven’t gone walkabout on their own. And lastly, he clearly has some sort of endgame because you’re still walking free.”
“Ifit’s Tombs and we’re not totally barking up the wrong tree.” Someone had to say it.
Max sighed. “The evidence is all pointing to you at the minute, so some fucker is behind it. Whether that’s Tombs or not, we still have to find them before someone else gets poisoned or this—” He waved at the board. “—all comes to light and you get arrested.”
“I was with Rys when Blake was attacked.”
Max levelled a pointed look at me. “Your alibi can’t be your bonded mate.”
Fuck. I shuddered. The paranormal police looking into my life would be bad enough, but this case also involved the fae. And anyone caught dealing in banned substances, especially Blue Alhuirn, would face a heavy penalty.
“If someone has gone to all this trouble to implicate me…” I swallowed down the rising panic. “What about my mother? AndRys?” Max went to speak, but I shook my head. “I know we’re trying to leave him out of it as much as possible…” I lowered my voice. “I know you said I can’t have him as my alibi, but will anyone believe he didn’t know what I was up to?” I felt sick, worry and panic warring inside me. “And my mum is through the gateway. I can’t even get a message to her without involving someone else.” My phone buzzed again, and I knew it was Rys, but I couldn’t deal with that right then. Couldn’t lie to him again.
Max stood, looking way too calm, and walked over to me. He put his hands on my shoulders, grip tight and surprisingly grounding. “I know it looks bad. But you’re innocent, Mase. The evidence connecting you is circumstantial. You might be connected to all the victims in passing, but that’s all. And there’s absolutely no proof to suggest that you’ve been dealing Blue Alhuirn. The stash we found wasn’t at your house, it was at Blake’s. Nothing connects you to it, and as far as I’m aware, no one is investigating you or your mother.” He spoke with a calm, steady voice, and some of the panic receded.
“Fuck.” I closed my eyes, scrubbed my hands over my face, and tried to regain some semblance of composure. I’d come a long way in the past five years, clawed back the confidence in myself that Tombs had tried to strip from me. One mention of his name and I was pulled right back into believing everything was my fault and the worst was going to happen.
Taking a deep breath in, I let it out slowly and finally lifted my head to meet Max’s gaze. “Sorry,” I murmured. “I can’t believe he still has this effect on me.”
“Don’t apologise.” Max gave my shoulders a gentle squeeze. I’d forgotten all about his hands being there. “I get the feeling leaving Tombs’ group wasn’t an easy thing for you to do.”
I laughed, the sound harsh and bitter. “No.”
And because at this point I needed him to know everything, I told Max the reason Rys and I parted on such bad terms and all the shit that came after.
He listened without interrupting, hands curling into fists as I explained Tombs’ method of punishment with a sort of calm detachment. If I didn’t have the scars on my back, I could almost believe it happened to someone else.
I wasn’t that person anymore.
I wasn’t.
Despite my mini freakout a few moments ago. I was stronger now.
And I had Rys.
I should’ve confided in him ten years ago. As young as we’d been, I should’ve trusted him enough to let him help me. “I know you want to keep Rys out of this, but I can’t lie to him again.” I took a deep breath, meeting Max’s steely gaze with one of my own. “I need to tell him what’s going on.”
Max was silent for long enough to make me fidget. But I wasn’t going to back down. Rys and I were bonded. We might have rushed into it, but I had no regrets, and from now on we were together in everything. Including this.
“Okay,” Max said, finally.
“Okay?”
“You’re right.” Max ran a hand through his hair, looking tenser than I ever remembered seeing him. “You need to tell Rys. I shouldn’t have advised you not to.” He gave me a wry smile. “He’s not going to be happy.”
I knew that.
He already hated Tombs. This would only add to it.
