I sighed. “I want to see him jailed so the police don’t pin that on anyone else.”
Curled up on the end of the sofa with a hand to her baby bump, Everly spoke. “Did your grandmother know Tyler was there? I thought you said she denied it, and her inviting you there was to talk about buying your vote.”
“I don’t think she was lying. Presley and Wallace grabbed Tyler after Wallace killed Lex. If I think about it, Presley was messing with drugging people. I wonder if he persuaded Wallace to let him help then they were disturbed by Tyler.” Sadness came with the memory of my friend. Lex hadn’t had family or a partner. When we were clear of this mess, I’d do something to mark his memory.
Lovelyn said, “The crew is back in Deadwater. Arran’s returning here but Kane is going to the bunker to talk to Denise’s husband. He’ll get their security stood down so they can call in Denise’s body and so they don’t come after any of us.” She lifted her gaze from her phone. “We should prepare the video you took and get it over to Lyle. He called me this evening. The case is progressing. The timing is perfect.”
Mila’s voice came over the line. “Dixie, can I talk to you a minute?”
I shut myself in my bedroom to speak to her alone.
“The video implicates Primrose.” My sister took an audible breath. “I know this is crazy, but I don’t know if I can cause her more pain. Ever since we left there, I’ve been thinking about how she’d been trafficked. Trapped on a boat. No idea whether she’d live or die. That broke her.”
My heart hurt. “I know, sis. She went through something awful.”
“Then to have Austin obsessed with her. The pictures on the wall are a marker of that, aren’t they? How he saw her as a sex object. The woman he rescued but wouldn’t let go. She was trapped in their marriage, too.”
“It’s no justification for her murdering three people. That’s one hell of a mental health breakdown.”
“Wallace did the actual killing. Does she really have to go to jail? She’s elderly, and all she was trying to do was protect us. It was misguided, I know.”
Mila’s point of view didn’t shock me. I’d loved our grandmother once, too. Her believing in me tonight had meant so much. But that didn’t change what she was capable of. “What if next time, she decides Convict is no good for you? If she overhears Lovelyn arguing with Kane, or she just decides a gang boy isn’t right for me?”
“Or perhaps this was just because she couldn’t be there for us? It was a twisted form of love.”
“I don’t think she’s firing on all cylinders. Would you ever be able to trust her?”
Mila’s exhale told me of her sadness. “You’re right. God. She’ll go to prison.”
Probably, she would. Whatever happened next, it wasn’t ours to control anymore.
With Lovelyn’s help, I got the video ready.
Tyler returned from the hospital and came straight to me. “Ash is in surgery. His lower left leg is badly broken with a crush injury, but they are hopeful that it will heal fine. The prognosis is good.”
The tension in him finally snapped. He sagged against me. I held him.
“I’m so glad. Was Heretic there?”
“He showed up minutes after I did. Barely clean of blood but presentable. He wouldn’t speak to anyone. He also won’t leave Ash’s side.”
“They’re close.”
“Very much so. Even if it doesn’t always look that way.” He pulled back and regarded me, exhaustion in his eyes. “Want to go home?”
“Back to the ridge?”
He nodded. “All I want right now is a locked door and you.”
Sounded sweet to me.
We called out goodbyes and headed downstairs.
Arran intercepted us in the corridor. After checking Tyler was okay, he gave up a parting line. “Shade will have a surprise for you tomorrow.”
“He isn’t back?”
The gang leader poked his tongue into his cheek. “If you’d had the chance, you would’ve gone after the ex-con Jonas thought you were chasing.”
