Page 28 of Truth is the Ultimate Weapon

Confusion flickered across her expression as she tried to make sense of the situation, “Mama was growing… flowers?”

“No. Mama was in the drug trade.”

13

Coy paced the shared balcony outside their bedrooms, his restless steps echoing in the quiet night. Kenzie joined him, her gaze filled with concern as she observed the turmoil evident in his movements. She knew that the weight of the day's revelations was bearing down on him, and she could sense his frustration at not being able to fix everything on his own, as he had always believed he had to.

As they stood beneath the luminous glow of the night sky, the stars shimmering above like a sweet dance, a show just for them. Kenzie reached out and gently touched Coy's arm, urging him to pause and share his burden.

"Coy, you don't have to carry this alone," she said softly. "We're in this together, remember?"

Coy sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping with the weight of his worries. "I know, Kenz," he admitted, his voice tinged with frustration. "But I can't help feeling like I should be able to fix this. The complexity of the cases I tend to work far exceed this small-town bullshit, and yet… I can’t solve it. Every time we turn around, it’s something new, and I can’t seem to get a handle on it. Especially when it comes to protecting you. You’re in danger, and I can’t stop it."

Kenzie squeezed his arm reassuringly, her touch grounding him amid his turmoil. "You don't have to be the lone hero, Coy," she reminded him gently. "We'll figure this out. Together.”

"I can't believe it," Coy muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "Glen shot? Was my mother involved in some sort of drug ring? Nash... maybe not even my brother?"

He sighed, “I can’t even imagine what Nash is feeling right now. He’s my brother. Always has been and always will be and I wish I could convince him of that.”

“I think he’ll come around. He just learned his whole life was essentially a lie. His loving parents hid his true identity from him, and what makes it harder is that his biological parents are both gone and under tragic gut-wrenching circumstances.”

“I just can’t believe our parents took their secrets to their graves. I want to understand it and recognize that they probably believed it was best for all involved, but that’s the kind of secret that comes out eventually, and the longer it takes, the bigger the blow.”

Kenzie nodded with understanding. “I’m sure it was a difficult decision for them.”

“Of course it was. How do you tell your son you killed his real parents.”

“They were his real parents,” Kenzie said. “From what Glen shared, Nash has had a far better life than he would have otherwise. It sounds like Tommy was headed down this road regardless of that night and what would that have meant for Nash then? Everything happens for a reason, even the bad things in life. The worst of the worst imaginable serves a purpose… in this case, it was probably to save Nash.”

“I suppose you’re right. I guess I know why your dad and Glen were around so much, especially after Pop died. They felt a responsibility to Nash… to all of us.”

“I’d say that’s a fair assumption. Glen said it himself –– your parents were family, and they protect family fiercely.”

“We saw that today.” Coy ran his hand through his hair as he recounted the events of the day, “That man took a bullet for us today, Kenz. A damn bullet. That could have ended far worse than it did.”

“But it didn’t, and we’re grateful for it,” Kenzie reassured Coy.

“He shouldn’t have gone alone. We should have protected him better.” Coy said with frustration. “See, this is what I mean. We saw it coming and still couldn’t protect him from what was coming straight at us.”

“I don’t know what any of us could’ve done differently. Glen was going to do what Glen did whether you sent an army with him or not. I don’t think the outcome would have been any different.”

“We would have Steele. We would have grabbed him before he could get away. We’d have his laptop…”

“Maybe. Or maybe we would have had a blood bath on Main Street.”

Kenzie gently took hold of Coy's hand and guided him towards the nearby loungers, encouraging him to sit and relax. She settled down beside him, curling up against his side and resting her head on his shoulder, offering him comfort and support in her silent presence. "I know it’s a lot to take in, but we’re getting closer to answers. Each step back leads to several forward. These blows, although hard to swallow, are actually getting us closer to answers. And we don’t know if your mother was involved in a drug ring.”

“Kenz, nobody grows fields and fields of poppies like that for hobby. It has the keystones of an illegal ring. They’re going to harvest those poppies and make some opioid-based substance. I doubt it’s a legal farm selling to pharmaceuticals, or we would see documentation suggesting such. Being this close to the border, I can’t help but worry this is a cartel deal.”

“Okay, when you put it like that.” Kenzie sighed, “I know it looks bad, but we also know Delilah. This isn’t like her. There’s something else going on, and I think we’ll figure it out as soon as we get Steele. He’ll also answer for what he did to Uncle Glen.”

“This. This right here is why I stay away.” He said.

“Oh, so you’re back to thinking you brought this here?” she questioned.

“Absolutely. I may not be responsible for what my parents did all those years ago, but the other stuff? The grow fields, organized crime-like behavior, the land grabs… what if this old cartel shit in my name.”

“How?”

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