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“Go ahead. Look,” I urge her.
If they can at least see I’m not lying, maybe it will make the impact of everything else I’m about to say a little less harsh.
She glances down and starts flipping through the same way Carter did. In that stack of papers, there is a forged will stating all remaining money in Carter’s accounts should go to him, bullshit accounts he and my dad shared, a shelf corporation they both purchased, and so much more. But they’re all fake. Good fakes, but fakes, nonetheless.
“Keep talking. You don’t need my undivided attention. You clearly never gave me yours,” Carmen bites, keeping her eyes on the paper.
I swallow down my smile. Is she mad I killed this dude or mad I didn’t call her again? Because at this point, I can’t tell, but I don’t ask. “He hired me to kill you and make it look like an accident,” I say, pushing everything else to the back of my mind.
Carter raises a brow at me as Carmen lifts her head to stare at me too. Lydia seems to be the most unfazed by what I’m saying, so I just focus on her. “I knew why he needed me, but I didn’t know his target. I watched him for a few weeks to make sure it wasn’t some sort of setup and gathered info on him. He’s smart because a lot of it was buried, but I found enough to where I was comfortable going through with everything. Today was the meetup to exchange payment and give me his target’s name. When he said Carter’s name, I lost it.”
Lydia nods like she understands as Carter sits back down next to her on the coffee table. He stares into space, not mumbling a word, and Carmen gets back to pacing.
“This is fucked-up,” she whispers.
“Carmen, stay calm,” Lydia says, wrapping her arm around Carter’s shoulder.
“Calm? We know I can’t do calm when it comes to death. No.” She waves her hand around and shakes her head. “Not death. Murder. Murder, Lydia. First, I’m an accessory after the fact with Mac because I haven’t said shit, and now I’m a straight up witness. Hell, maybe even an accomplice because I took the money. Oh my fucking God. Lydia, this isn’t good.”
“Carmen.” She stands, leaving Carter in his own daze, then rounds the table. She grabs Carmen by the shoulders to stop her from pacing. “Stop. Stop right now.”
As she rubs up and down Carmen’s arms to try and calm her, she looks to me. “How’d you cover it up?”
I furrow my brows. “What?”
“I didn’t fucking stutter. How did you cover it up? Is Carmen going to get caught up in this shit?”
I shake my head. “I’m good at my job, so no. But she is a liability to me now.”
“Her but not us?” She laughs.
I’m thrown off by her response. I would assume most people would be freaking out at this point. Kind of how Carmen and Carter are, but Lydia is calm yet stern.
“Yes.”
“And why is that, Cyrus? Why only her?” She sizes me up, looking me up and down, waiting on my response.
“Carter would never let me get caught up in something like this, and since you love him, I’m sure you wouldn’t either.”
She nods slowly. “That may have been the case when you were kids, but you left him. Left him to deal with your dad alone. You know what happened?” She changes the subject quickly, then waits for my answer. When it doesn’t come, she continues. “He killed him, and I covered it up. Because you couldn’t be bothered to come back for your brother, he had to take matters into his own hands.”
“Lydia! You don’t tell a fucking enemy your secrets!” Carmen yells, but Lydia waves her off.
Now it’s my turn to be shocked. “What? The reports said it was an accident. Gas line leak inside the house.”
She tips her head at me. “Don’t look so surprised. You know the type of man your father was, and you’re the one who left your brother to deal with it alone.”
Ouch.
I want to combat what she’s saying, but I can’t because she’s right. I left him.
I shake my head and step toward Carter. “Carter,” I start with all my intentions to comfort him.
Lydia steps between us and pushes me away. “He doesn’t deal well with killing, murder, or anything like that. Give him a minute. I’ve been patient and I’ve listened to you, so now I’m asking you to do the same. Let him process the bomb you just dropped of someone hiring you to kill him.”
I nod, admiring her bravery to face me when my brother can’t, and again, it makes me happy for him. I’m glad he has a woman like Lydia to be strong for him when he can’t. When he shouldn’t have to.
“Your job? What is your job?” Carter speaks.
