Page 68 of Lone Star Wanted
“I trusted him,” Vance muttered. “He was like family. Why the hell would he do this?”
“Because he believed Daniel was going to come clean,” Cassidy explained. “About the affair he had with Marlene eleven years ago. Alisha saw them together that night, and she wasn’t the type to keep quiet. Becker knew if she talked, Daniel’s life would implode. His reputation, his family, everything. So Becker silenced her. And when Travis got too close to the truth, he tried to do it again.”
Vance dragged a hand over his face, the weight of the truth hitting hard. Kincade didn’t feel sorry for him. Vance had spent too long protecting the wrong people.
But maybe now, finally, the truth would stay buried no longer.
Moran stepped closer to Cassidy, his expression marked with something that might have been regret. “I’m sorry for doubting you,” he said. “Becker was pushing hard. He kept insisting we arrest you for harboring your brother. He made it sound like you were obstructing justice.”
Cassidy gave a small nod. She didn’t respond, and Kincade could see the tension in her jaw, the way she held herself steady.
Vance lifted his head. “He did the same to me. Becker was relentless. He wanted you arrested and Maverick Ops out of the way. He said you were a distraction.”
Kincade felt the weight of it settle over him. The pressure they’d felt over the last few days, the way doors had started closing, the roadblocks that had kept stacking up, none of it had been random. It had been Becker all along, operating from the shadows, manipulating the people around him to keep the truth buried.
To protect himself.
Kincade slid his hand into Cassidy’s and gave it a firm squeeze. She looked at him, and he saw the same thought in her eyes.
They had made it through the fire. And they had done it together.
Moran stepped forward, his tone more official now. “Obviously, all charges will be dropped against Travis. And I’ll contact the prison. We’ll start the process to get Aaron Clegg released. It’s long overdue.” He paused. “We’ll also search Becker’s house and office top to bottom.”
Kincade nodded, though the tightness in his chest didn’t ease. “You really think Becker kept anything that could incriminate him?”
“We’ll find out,” Moran said. “If there’s even a scrap of paper or a buried file, we’ll dig it up.”
Kincade wasn’t so sure. Becker had been smart. Paranoid. But even the smartest criminals left threads behind. He just hoped Benji had ended up having a good life after he ran from a badge-wearing killer.
“Marlene might have left something,” Cassidy pointed out. “I don’t think she was nearly as careful as her boss.”
Moran made a sound of agreement. “We’ll look there as well.” He paused a heartbeat. “How’s Travis?”
As if on cue, Travis stepped in, bandaged but on his feet. Ruby Maverick was with him.
Cassidy moved first, relief breaking across her face. Kincade was right behind her, his own tension giving way as Travis nodded at them.
“Still standing,” Travis said, and there was some of his usual cockiness in his voice. It was damn good to hear.
And just like that, the nightmare felt one step closer to being over.
Moran went straight to Travis, the apology starting before he even reached him. “I’m sorry, Travis. I know that isn’t much, but I hope you’ll accept it and know that I’ll do everything humanly possible to make this right.”
Travis used his good hand to shake Moran’s. “Apology accepted,” he said after a long pause.
Kincade watched as Ruby stepped forward with her usual calm precision. She extended a hand to Sheriff Moran first, then to Vance.
“I’m sorry for your loss, Mayor Harlan,” she said.
Vance nodded. “Thank you. I’m sorry for all the trouble this caused members of your team.”
“They’re good at handling trouble,” she assured him.
Vance gave another nod, and the grief seemed to come at him like an avalanche. Everything hitting him at once. He’d lost his brother, and he would obviously need to deal with that.
And the fact that a friend had been the killer.
Vance muttered something under his breath that sounded like a goodbye, then turned and walked out of the waiting room without looking back.
