Page 54 of Rafferty

He turns, and the strain on his face shifts into a faint smile as he sees me. “Hey, babe,” he murmurs, setting his cup on the counter. He wraps me in his arms, burying his face in my hair and I can feel how relieved he is to have me there. In the strength of his embrace, the gentle sigh deflates his chest.

“I’m here, okay? We’ll get through this,” I assure him, feeling his nod against my shoulder.

Farren, leaning against the doorframe, folds her arms. “I want to go kick Tansy’s ass,” she declares, a growl of barely contained fury.

I want that too, but it’s not an option.

Rafferty pulls back slightly to look down at me, a bitter chuckle escaping him. “There’s nothing to be done until they sort through the fake evidence she planted and clear my name,” he says, his frustration palpable.

Releasing me, he motions to the coffee pot. “Want some?”

I shake my head, pulling a stool back from the island and sitting on it. “What if there’s something we could do?” I ask tentatively.

All those sleepless hours gave me a lot of time to think and while it’s not an optimal idea, I think there could be a better course of action than simply waiting.

“What’s that?” Rafferty asks. I can see he’s probably discounting any suggestion I have because he’s already feeling defeated, but a bit of hope sparks within his beautiful eyes.

I glance at Farren, who pushes off the doorframe and walks around to the other side of the island. My attention goes back to Rafferty as he stands stiffly beside me. I reach out, take his hand. “What if we go to Brienne Norcross? Tell her everything, the truth.”

Rafferty’s face is a mask of indifference.

Farren’s brows knit together. “That could ruin everything for you,” she says to Rafferty, the worry in her voice a clear indicator of the stakes. “That’s Tansy’s cousin. You have to tread lightly.”

“But what’s left to lose at this point?” I argue, feeling a surge of boldness. “Brienne has the resources, and she seems fair. Besides, Rafferty’s going to test negative for the drugs, and ultimately they’ll find out it was a hoax. So why wait? Tansy’s been the one in charge this entire time. She’s been the one calling the shots and now that you’re not willing to play her game anymore, she’s turned this into something very serious. In fact, I’m banking on the fact that she thinks you’re just going to sit there and take it.”

I’m heated, my anger for the injustice of it all rising hotly. I want Rafferty to get pissed again the way he was last night when I talked to him. I want him to go on the offensive.

Rafferty runs a hand through his hair, the skepticism on his face slowly giving way to reluctant consideration. “It’s a gamble…”

“It’s one worth taking,” I press, sounding stronger than I feel. I could be ruining his career if this pisses Brienne off. If her loyalty is to Tansy, she may be unwilling to believe Rafferty.

Farren moves closer to her brother, and his eyes lock onto her. “Raff… this needs to be handled delicately. I think prudence is called for.”

His sister is not wrong and I appreciate her playing devil’s advocate. I’m heartened, though, when I hear a hint of the old Rafferty come out as he teases his sister. “That’s a little weird coming from a woman as impetuously bold as you, sis.”

“Yeah, but I don’t care what happens to me,” she retorts. “I very much care about what happens to you.”

A soft smile plays at his mouth. “I love you too.” His gaze then shifts to me. “But I know Tempe cares about me too and she wouldn’t suggest doing this if she truly thought it would put me in peril with Brienne.”

I hasten to make sure he understands that I don’t know if this is a good idea. Justanidea. “I could be wrong. This could piss her off.”

“But what do I have to lose?” he repeats my prior words. “And besides… the truth will come out. Whether we can prove it was Tansy behind this is an unknown, but I know my drug test will come back negative and I’m assuming we can show those reports and photos are all fake.”

“Yes!” I exclaim. “That’s the spirit.” Then I immediately feel wary because Farren is so against this, so I turn her way. “I think you need to be okay with this too. Your opinion matters.”

“It does,” Rafferty agrees, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “So what say you, sis? If I go to Brienne Norcross, and ultimately get fired, will you support me financially?”

There’s a moment of heavy silence and then Farren starts laughing, a wry expression on her face. “I can’t afford to support you, but I suppose we could move back in with our parents.”

Determination shines through his eyes, in the hard set to his jaw. “Then let’s do this.”

Pulling out his phone, he puts it on speaker and we all gather around as he calls Callum Derringer, who answers on the second ring. “Rafferty… what can I do for you?”

Eyes pinned to mine, Rafferty says, “I need to meet with Brienne, as soon as possible. It’s urgent.”

There’s a pause on the line. “How urgent?”

“I have some important information about these faked drug allegations and I have to talk to her in person.”

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