“Maybe. I don’t know.”
“Well, they seem okay. No broken bones. They just need food and a bath to get rid of all that shit.”
“But he keeps them locked in a filthy crate.”
“Not ideal, but it’s probably not enough to get them taken away. You better get the pups back.” Wyatt stood up, shutting the door. The sound of a car filled the quiet air. We both turned in the direction of the dirty cloud coming up the grass path. The dim light of early evening prevented us from seeing much of the vehicle until the pickup was almost to the trailer. My stomach clenched into a spastic knot as the blood drained from my head.
“It’s . . . it’s . . . h-him,” I stuttered.
“Who?”
“Kurt. I-I don’t. I don’t understand.” My thoughts spun wildly. I couldn’t figure out how he’d found me out here. Kurt must have followed me. Nothing made sense. But the fear was real. So very real. I tasted it on my tongue. I felt it burning under my skin. This wasn’t some strange comment tossed out in the parking lot. Kurt had followed me to Wyatt’s.
“The dog owner?” Wyatt’s low voice was hard to hear.
“Yes,” I hissed.
“Just go get in the trailer. Let me handle it.”
I thought about his suggestion for about half a second before running through the old door. Peering through the thick curtains, I waited for Kurt to arrive. I couldn’t breathe. The anxiety had me twisted in knots. It engulfed every piece of my senses.
I wasn’t sure how this would go with Wyatt. I didn’t want some showdown or fight. Maybe if he handed over the puppies, Kurt would just leave. But nothing about this felt remotely easy. This man had followed me all the way out here.
The driver’s side door opened. Kurt stepped out, wearing the same clothes as earlier today. And then the passenger’s side opened. My throat let out a strangled gasp as the world stopped spinning, the air stopped blowing, and my lungs stopped breathing.
I went running out the door before I realized my feet had moved across the carpet. Blaire’s terrified eyes caught mine. In that split moment, I realized the anxiety I’d felt thrashing around in my chest was twofold. I ran across the dirt, making a beeline in the direction of my sister while she took a step toward me.
“Not so fast,” Kurt spat. “As much as I would like to see this little reunion, we still got shit to settle.”
I froze in place, seeing the black handgun clasped in his fingers. Kurt had a gun? Kurt had a gun! He must have forced Blaire to show him the way out here.
The muscles in my legs wobbled. I stared at my sister, seeing the deep panic etched in her skin. Her fear burned me cold from the inside out. But there was absolutely nothing I could do for Blaire. I retreated quickly over to Wyatt. His lips were pressed down tightly, making them deathly white.
“Now that’s better.” Kurt’s dark eyes studied Wyatt before drifting over to the kennel building. Some of the dogs were outside in the kennel runs. His lips curled up under his beard. “You know. I wasn’t sure you even existed. I thought your girl here only fucked old men.”
Wyatt’s hands gripped into tight fists. “You’re trespassing. So get the hell off my property before I call the sheriff. Or maybe I’ll just shoot you.”
His grin turned into a laugh. “I doubt that. I’ve heard about you. That pussy-whipped judge put your ass out here instead of jail. You won’t be doing much of anything.”
“What do you want, Kurt?” My voice failed to hide the tremble. My eyes were locked on my sister as we stayed invisibly connected in fear. I had never seen Blaire so subdued as the Criminal Mind’s junkie had her own worst nightmare come true.
“Well, Emma. I just want what’s mine. Then I’ll get out of your hair. No harm done.”
“The pups are in the car. Take them,” Wyatt growled.
“That’s all good. But I also need the other one too.”
“What other one?”
“You know. The first one that little bitch stole. I want them all, then I’ll be gone.”
Wyatt’s eyes drifted to me before putting the piercing glare back on Kurt. The crazy man started laughing. “I guess she’s not all that honest with you. Your girlfriend here stole a dog from me a few months ago. The little bastard had these big fucking ears. Had a client really interested in that one too. Then the bitch stole him.”
Wyatt glanced at me again with a flash of irritation before it was snuffed back down. “Go get Charlie.”
“No,” I whispered. I couldn’t even believe Wyatt would suggest it. I knew our situation wasn’t good. Wyatt had threatened to shoot Kurt, but I knew he wasn’t allowed to have any sort of firearm out here. The three of us were currently at the mercy of my insane landlord. But I couldn’t believe he wanted me to hand over Charlie.
“Just do it,” he pleaded.
“What are you doing with the dogs?” I glared at Kurt.
“You really are one nosy bitch. You really shouldn’t ask so many damn questions.” He fondled the end of his beard while holding the gun in the other hand. “I pick up stray dogs. Then I sell them to people who don’t like me asking them questions. I don’t give a shit if my clients drag the mutts behind a car or chop ’em up for fish bait. I’m just in it for the cash. People tend to pay a lot of money when no one’s asking questions. And none of this is any of your damn business. So just get your ass in there and bring me the other one.”
Kurt pointed the gun a few inches from Blaire’s head. “You get the pups out and put them in the truck.”
My sister moved stiffly over to the passenger’s side of the car. All the spitfire and venom from earlier must have disappeared on the ride out to the kennel. She lifted the two puppies out of the seat, holding them in the bundled-up sweatshirt.
“Looks like you steal more than just dogs. Now get that sweet ass of yours moving, Emma.”
The safety of my sister rattled every thought in my body, causing my muscles to become paralyzed. I didn’t budge as I watched Blaire carry the two puppies over to the back of his truck. She placed them in the nasty crate stored in the bed.
A gunshot fired, and I screamed, seeing the dirt billowing up from where the bullet had hit the ground. “I’m not fucking around anymore, Emma. You’re wasting my time.”
Feeling the sudden rush of fear, my hands started shaking and I almost peed my pants. The dogs were barking like mad in the outdoor pens. Kurt shot another bullet about four inches from my shoe.
And then everything happened at once. Wyatt lunged toward Kurt, tackling the burly man to the ground. They wrestled around in the dirt and the gun fell to the side. Everything in me said run. But I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe.
Kurt tried to ram Wyatt’s head against a rock. But Wyatt was faster. He rolled over, grabbing the gun. Kurt’s body slammed him into the ground, making the barrel tip wave around as he tried to pry the gun from Wyatt’s hand. The trigger fired sporadically in the air. It fired again, and I heard Kurt grunt in pain as the bullet hit his leg.
Blaire took off in a dead sprint for the trailer. Seeing my sister free of that crazy man, I finally moved, running in the same direction. But the gun fired again before I reached the door.
The impact shook my very core. And then I heard the screaming. I heard my sister screaming as she fell to the ground in front of me. A bloody spot formed on her upper back.
There’s no preparation for the worst. No mental planning to make it easier. There’s nothing I could’ve done, leading up to that moment. The pain came from my chest as I gasped for words and air. The screams came from my mouth and my heart. I felt the burn. It engulfed my very soul. It melted my insides.
Reaching my sister, I pulled her into my arms. I held her to my chest, whispering incoherent words of comfort. My thoughts flashed a hundred miles a second. I couldn’t imagine a world that didn’t include Blaire. Our bond was irreplaceable. It would be strange to even begin to explain that bond to someone else.
I loved Wyatt. I hopelessly and
utterly loved Wyatt. But Blaire? I don’t think the correct word even existed to describe my connection to my twin. We were born of the same blood and flesh. We came from the same cells and brain matter and skin.
And as her body cried, mine cried too. The tears were everywhere, pouring down my cheeks, dripping onto her pale face as my identical eyes stared back at me in fear. She trembled in pain. I trembled in pain. She struggled to breathe. I struggled to breathe.
And in that very moment, everything else disappeared. We were different sides of the same coin. But it’s impossible to destroy just one side of a coin. The whole piece had to go down in flames or nothing at all. And that’s what happened on the cold ground as everything else faded away and we struggled to stay afloat.
I gripped Blaire tight in my arms, praying for us to be okay—because this was my fault. My stupid, childish actions had provoked this mess. I had caused Kurt to drag my sister out here.
The guilt slapped me in the face. It gutted my very soul, making it black and charred. For the first time, I truly understood Wyatt’s struggle. I’d never felt something so gripping and hopeless inside my heart. “I’m so sorry, Blaire,” I whispered, rocking her blood-soaked body back and forth in my arms.
Wyatt touched my shoulder, and I jumped. “Is she okay?”
He knelt down beside me on the ground. I tried to answer, but my tongue got stuck to the roof of my mouth. So I didn’t speak. I focused on the closed eyes of my sister. She wasn’t okay. I wasn’t okay.
“Emmy baby, look at me.” He traced along the side of my jaw, pulling my chin up. “It’s going to be okay. We are going to get an ambulance out here. But I have to take care of him first. That asshole is half-conscious over there. I need to get some rope to tie him up. Hold this in your hand.” Wyatt transferred the gun to me. The black object felt strange in my fingers. “If he comes near you, shoot.”
I stared blankly back at him.
“Come on, Emma,” his gentle voice pleaded. “Answer me. What do you do?”
“Shoot,” I mumbled.
Wyatt seemed hesitant to leave me. His face had streaks of blood on one side from being shoved into the dirt. My dazed eyes drifted over to where Kurt was on the ground. Wyatt ran toward the kennel as I watched for any sudden movements from that evil man. I didn’t have a clue how to shoot a gun, but my shaking hand kept it pointed in his direction.
“I told you that Kurt was obsessed with you. And that he was crazy.”
Her voice pulled me out of the foggy coma. “You’re okay,” I gasped.
“No. Having a bullet in me is not okay,” her weak voice replied. “You people are crazy. Shooting and fighting over damn dogs.”
Blaire still had her prickly personality despite her paleness. The exasperation made the giddiness surge through my skin, making me almost drop the gun.
“Does it hurt?” I whispered.
“What the hell do you think?” She coughed for a moment before closing her eyes. She mumbled something about resting as she drifted back to unconsciousness.
Wyatt returned with the rope. He tied it around Kurt’s hands and legs. The man woke up in the middle of it. My nerves clenched, preparing for another fight to break out, but he allowed the rope to bind him tight without a complaint.
Wyatt came over to us. He pried the gun from my stiff fingers. “Where’s your phone? I need to call 911.”
“In my pocket.” My sad eyes met his. I swallowed the thick lump down in my throat.
“It’s going to be okay. Take a deep breath.”
I sucked in the cold air as he instructed.
“Now let it out.”
My lungs released, but the tension remained. Wyatt kissed my forehead and pulled the phone from my jeans pocket. I listened as he talked to dispatch. He made a second call to Diana. My eyes darted back over to Kurt, seeing his nasty glare fixated on me and Blaire.
After Wyatt hung up, he sat down beside me on the dirt. He grazed my cheek with his lips. “You okay?”
“I-I don’t know. What’s going to happen to you? I’m sorry.” The tears fell down my cheeks as I choked on the words. “I’ve messed this all up for you.”
“You didn’t mess up anything. This wasn’t your fault.”
“No, but it’s yours.” Kurt spoke up from a few feet away. His beard twitched as he gave us a sly grin. “Everyone out here knows who shot the mouthy bitch. Your hand was on the trigger, firing shots everywhere.”
“Yeah, well, who do you think they will believe?”
“I don’t know. I’m not the felon.” His voice cackled with a laugh. “I just came out here to get my dogs. The ones your stupid girlfriend stole. And then you threatened me. Took a swing at me right here in the face. I had to protect myself. I’ve got myself one of those concealed carry permits. It’s all legal. And of course, there’s that bullet in my leg where you shot me too. I was lying on the ground, unarmed, of course, since you took my gun. And then you just walked up and fucking plugged me.”
My heart sunk right into my stomach. Kurt seriously couldn’t turn this around into his favor. But my thoughts filled with terrifying doubts. The pained expression on Wyatt’s face didn’t relieve any of the turmoil. Maybe Kurt was just messing with our heads.
“You better stay over there with your damn mouth shut,” Wyatt growled.
Kurt laughed and laughed, falling over sideways on the ground. That man tried every piece of patience in my body and terrified every thought in my head. He really was insane.
“Just ignore him. He can’t do a damn thing.”
But I didn’t feel any relief. I guess somewhere in our busy lives and absent thoughts, that’s where the Kurts of the world sneaked in. I’d never really considered him an actual threat. I’d never dreamed he would show up with a gun when I took the puppies. I thought Kurt would get mad and maybe curse me out while giving me the once-over with his leering eyes. But I never thought it would end like this. Blaire once said my stupid trust in other people would get me killed one day. She was almost right.
Holding my sister in my arms, I felt the sticky blood on my fingers. I leaned my head against Wyatt’s shoulder. I wondered if he was scared. Glancing over at his stoic expression, I knew Kurt couldn’t read his thoughts. Wyatt had them sealed up tight behind his firm, pressed lips.
But I knew that face. He was retreating, deep inside a hole full of darkness. The guilt hit me again. Wyatt caught my gaze. Nothing about his features changed, but his solid arm slipped around my back, holding me close as we waited together, for absolution or condemnation.
The ambulance reached the kennel first. Blaire woke up again as they strapped her to the stretcher. The medic said the gunshot went into the upper part of her shoulder, missing any major arteries or organs. I guess Wyatt was a pretty good shot. The relief flowed through both of us.
Several sheriffs’ cars arrived with Diana right on their heels. I sat in the back of the ambulance with my sister, watching the officer handcuff Kurt as the medic looked at the gunshot wound on his leg. And then another set of metal cuffs were placed on Wyatt.
My heart cracked into pieces. It was a mistake. The police must have listened to Kurt. I had to stop them. Jumping out of the ambulance, I scrambled to get over to his side, but Diana stopped me. “You need to let them take Wyatt into the station.”
“But he didn’t do anything. He was protecting us.”
I pulled against her, trying to make my way to him. The lights flashed in colorful strobes across the growing darkness, but I found none of it pretty. Wyatt saw my struggle and his deep agony was highlighted by the red lights. Our eyes locked across the space of the driveway. A painful and heart-wrenching moment burned between Wyatt and I as the police placed him in the backseat of the cop car.
“They have to take him in so we can sort it out.” She put an arm around my sagging shoulders. “Emma, I’m afraid this is going to be complicated. We had rules about Wyatt staying at this place. I’ll do what I can to help him. But you need to u
nderstand this is serious.”
Tears rolled out of my swollen eyes as they shut the door. The officer climbed in the front seat, putting the car in drive. After all this time, Wyatt Carter was finally leaving his confinement.
I had imagined this moment in my mind. I had imagined the day he would cross the line back out into the world. I had imagined him riding that motorcycle he kept stored under the tarp. I had imagined him leaving with me. But instead of our joyous moment of flying off into the sunset together, I watched Wyatt leave the kennel alone in handcuffs.
BLAIRE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL. Wyatt was in jail. And I was just short of a mental breakdown. After my sister had surgery to remove the bullet, I sat in a chair next to my twin, leaving only for a brief moment when I tried to go see Wyatt at the sheriff’s office, but I was denied access.
Instead, I answered a plethora of detailed questions from the police and from my parents. They all grilled me about Kurt and Wyatt, making my head and heart hurt with the accusations as I fought to clarify the truth. When Blaire felt better, they did the same exact line of interrogation to my sister.
After she was released from the hospital, we returned to our apartment against the protests of my parents. We both insisted the threat was over. Kurt was currently being held until the police could sort through the convoluted mess.
And that is exactly how I described my own life. It was a complete and utter mess. My sister was angry at me and sad for me, which manifested into a depressing silence between us since I couldn’t bring myself to talk anymore about the situation. Wyatt was still in jail, and I honestly didn’t know how this would end for him.
So I cried raw, burning tears, which seemed to be the only words I could say to anyone. I cried for Blaire, and then I cried for Wyatt until I felt the rotting sickness in my chest, which I’d come to identify as guilt.
My thoughts stayed on a looping “What if?” film reel. What if I’d told someone about Kurt? What if I’d left the puppies alone? What if I’d never taken Charlie out to the kennel? What if I’d never met Wyatt? And then everyone’s lives would be much better.
Waiting for Wyatt (Red Dirt #1) Page 30
