“Not on purpose,” he yelled back.

I sat back, calling Kye again. “Fine, joke all you want, but drive faster. I don’t know what Mark’s plan is. If he wants to pin all of this on Kye, he could do anything to him.” Panic welled until my chest hurt. “Can you please go faster, Jax? What if he tries to arrest Kye? Or worse, kill him?”

“Why would he kill Kye?”

“Why would Mark, the guy that just killed a girl, kill Kye so that it’s easier to blame it all on Kye so he can still go run for sheriff?”

He shifted again, the car picking up more speed. “Okay, point proven.”

We turned onto the road of the garage, the red and blue lights already visible. 

Jax pulled the car to a stop at the road, and I was already taking off across the parking lot. 

Three of the sheriff’s cars were there, and I could see Kye’s car barricaded in against the garage.

The rest of the crew was standing near an open garage door, the shock so clear on their faces.

“When did they get here?” I asked, running up next to them. 

“A few minutes ago. They are arresting Kye for killing her,” Quinn said, the tears mumbling her words. 

“What?”

Then I saw it. Mark walked over to Kye, who was calm and unmoving, until Mark grabbed him, ripping him backwards and pulling out handcuffs. Kye jumped back. The cuffs had to be his worst nightmare.

“No. I will go, but you are not handcuffing me.”

“You killed a girl. Like hell am I not handcuffing you. Now hold still or you will be on the ground.”

Kye’s eyes widened and nostrils flared. I knew it was taking everything in him not to fight back, and I didn’t know if he could handle being handcuffed, especially by Mark.

I pushed past the crew to my dad. Every part of me was a screaming mess of emotions, but one broke through. 

I had to protect Kye. I sat around doing nothing the last time this happened, and then Kye disappeared. I couldn’t let it happen again.

“Stop. Stop this right now. You know he didn’t do it.”

I couldn’t stand to see Kye like this. His eyes squeezed shut, and I knew it was because of how Mark was grabbing him, handcuffing him, leaving him defenseless to whatever Mark wanted.

“Mark has found evidence that he did it,” my dad said. “I’m sorry, Daisy.”

“Mark found it? The same Mark who has been stalking me? The one who slashed my tires, broke into my house, and I’m pretty sure killed Mia? That’s the one who happened to find evidence against the guy I left him for?”

“What are you talking about, Daisy?”

“I’m talking about the knife that slashed my tires belonging to Mark, and why someone would break into my house to steal nothing, and that the phone call to Mia before she was killed was not Kye.”

“What phone call?” Kye asked. “I didn’t even know Mia.”

“They have a phone call twenty minutes before she was killed and they say the number belongs to you, but I checked. It doesn’t.”

His eyebrows jumped up and mouth fell open. “Did you think it did?”

“No, of course not, but I kind of had to check to help you not get arrested.”

He smiled, taking one small step away from Mark.

“What do you mean it isn’t Kye’s number? Mark ran it and showed me the printout. It’s attached to Kye’s name. Did you break into my office?”

“I walked in. I didn’t break in. And it isn’t his,” I said.

“He probably just has a second phone you don’t know about,” Mark said.

“Then call it,” Kye said. “Call the number. The phone would either be on me or in my car.”

“Maybe you hid it,” Mark said.

“I didn’t know you two were coming. Why would I hide it?”

“Is this all a setup?” Mark asked. “Are you playing some stupid game so that your new boyfriend doesn’t get arrested?”

He reached for Kye, slamming him down onto the car, even though he had already been handcuffed.

I headed towards my dad, his eyes following me as I walked to his side.

“No,” I said, grabbing his gun out of his belt before he even knew. “Let him go. Kye isn’t getting arrested because you’re too damn lazy to do your job. I don’t care if you don’t like Kye. He didn’t do it, and there is plenty of proof to show that.”

“Daisy, stop! Stop!” my dad yelled.

“Daze, please, you’re going to get hurt,” Kye said.

I held up the gun, comfortable enough to use it after years of learning with my dad.

“Uncuff him,” I said, keeping the gun trained on Mark. 

My dad was yelling behind me, but I ignored him.

“Daisy, I am not uncuffing him. Do you know what he did?”

“I know what you did, and you will not blame him for it. Take them off. Now.”

Mark pushed harder down on Kye, but he didn’t flinch, his eyes locked on mine. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Daisy. You’re trying to protect a murderer.”

“I know it was your knife, Mark, and I know you killed Mia. I saw her keys,” I shouted, feeling the burn of tears in my eyes. “I’m not going to let you do this. Kye didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Shut up, Daisy. This is not your business.”

“What keys?” my dad asked.