“What’s the deal?” Grayson asks.

I look at him. His expression is still blank.

“The deal is that both of you make a statement that says that Grayson had nothing to do with the drugs the police found on him that night in Liv. You tell them the only thing Grayson did was hide them for you, Tyler. Even though the police found the drugs on Grayson, Matt is willing to let the charge drop so long as”—I focus on Tyler, because this affects him the most—“you give up names of the main players in the cartel who you work for, and you testify against them—”

“No,” Grayson says, cutting me off.

“Gray…” Tyler says his name in a gentle warning.

“No, Ty. You take this deal, you know what that means? If you testify in a trial, your life will be in danger. You—”

“It’s already in danger,” Tyler cuts him off. “The second I got involved with these people I was putting my life on the line. I got involved and now I have to face the consequences by myself. I can’t let my big brother face them for me.” Tyler turns to me and says, “I’ll be protected, right? By the DEA?”

“Yes. Full protection. Then…” I bite my lip, pausing, because I can guess how Grayson will react to this piece of information. “After the trial, you’ll go into witness protection and be given a new identity.”

“Hell, no,” Grayson says, getting off the couch. “Tyler, you’re not going into witness protection. If you go, I’ll never see you again.”

Tyler gets to his feet, turning to Grayson. “I have to do this. There’s no other choice.”

“I’ll take the rap on the drug charge,” Grayson says, turning to me. I can see the panic in his eyes. “I’ll go to jail. Call Daughtry, tell him that’s the way it’ll be.”

“No,” Tyler says in a firm voice. “I’m not letting you mess up your life for me. I should have never let you take those drugs from me in the first place. This is on me. I screwed up. You have a life and a great career—I saw how hard you worked, all your life, to get into the NFL. And now you have Mel. I won’t have you lose that because of me.”

He puts his hands on Grayson’s upper arms, looking him in the face. His voice drops lower and turns more serious. “Even if I was selfish enough to let you do that, it won’t make any difference anyway, Gray. The cartel knows I was arrested—they left me my first warning when they came to my apartment. Once they realize that there are charges against you that match mine and that I stole those drugs from their stash, they’ll put everything together and I’ll be as good as dead. You too, man. I won’t let that happen.”

Tyler swivels his head toward me and says, “This offer from the DEA is the best chance I have. Right?”