Page 131 of All We Carry Home

Keith’s head bobbed slightly.

“Covering it up and trying to pin your father’s death on me,” I continued. “That makes it manslaughter and obstruction.”

“I had no other choice,” Keith growled. “He was going to kill Eva. I had to protect her.”

Thirty-Five

Eva

Impossible.

This was all impossible. Harold Jefferson, the investigators, the detectives.

My arm throbbed, my head swam, my stomach wanted to heave.

I stepped past Warren and knelt beside Keith. “Keith—how could you?” My voice trembled.

Eddie held Keith’s arms tightly, and Warren stood a short distance behind me. But I wasn’t afraid of the small, frightened boy before me.

“He hired someone to kill you.” Keith slumped against Eddie’s hold. “He wasn’t going to stop. I couldn’t reason with him. He wasn’t ever going to stop until he had Birkstrom. I was so angry. I shoved him, and he fell.”

The president and staff from the breed organization all stared in amazement.

Something deep inside me had considered it after that day outside the dry cleaner. The moment I’d seen a helpless, wounded boy who had given in to his hatred.

In the first moment Keith had ever stood up to his father, he’d accidentally killed him.

The buzz around me intensified, and the room felt ready to explode.

Harold crossed his arms. “We tracked down the men who were colluding with Victor and his son to purchase your property, Eva. They’ve been detained on a few smaller crimes, but you should rest assured that your farm is safe from any further mob intervention. We also found the hit man who tried to abduct you and shot Eddie.”

I’d wanted to hear nothing more. Except it meant that the Merricks’ dynasty had been completely upturned.

The room fell silent. I saw the two officers exchange a knowing glance, and I could sense the relief in Eddie and Warren that the truth was out.

Keith looked up at me and whispered, “I’ve always loved you, Eva. I never wanted to see you hurt.”

Pain shot through my body, along with the smallest thread of relief. The man who had been desperate to take my property, my livelihood, my life—the man who had hurt my dearest friends—was gone.

I never would have wanted this. Victor might not have been an innocent bystander or guiltless party, but he didn’t deserve the fate he’d earned, at the hands of his son.

Warren took my elbow, pulling me gently to my feet and away from Keith. He must have noticed I was swaying and about to fall over.

I’d lost a lot of blood. I hadn’t eaten anything, and the news was all too much.

The officers pulled out their handcuffs and went for Keith as I pressed my face into Warren’s chest. He wrapped his arms around me gently, careful not to squeeze my injured arm.

“Eva, I did this for you,” Keith said as the metal cuffs clicked into place. “He wasn’t going to stop until he killed you. I saw it in his face. He’d never have stopped.”

“It’s better for you to stop talking now,” one of the officers said somberly. “Let’s go.”

Footsteps shuffled.

“No, wait,” Keith protested. “I love you, Eva.”

“You love her, so you cut her horse’s halter and her arm?” Eddie growled.

“I never meant to hurt her.” His voice went frantic. “I just needed one more win. Father left a financial mess for me too. I wanted more time to convince you that we could combine our properties, our efforts. I just wanted to be together, and he was in the way.”