Page 95 of The Suit

Kit’s eyes lit up, glittering from more than just the champagne. “This is perfect! You already have something lined up for when you whistle-blow.”

“I’m not sure how serious she was,” I chuckled. “Plus, I live in Chicago. And more importantly, she won’t want anyone with a federal case hanging over their head working for her.”

“No, she’ll understand when you explain it. And you’ll have to move here anyway when you and Rafe are officially together,” she grinned, deviously.

“Not sure that would happen even if I did move here,” I spluttered, “We only just admitted we didn’t hate each other.”

I’d never had a relationship before, but the thought of having one with Rafe warmed me down to my toes. I glanced back at Kit before I got lost in the pipe dream of what he’d be like as a boyfriend, or what I’d be like as a girlfriend.

“Nah, you’ll see,” she winked. “Once these boys decide they want something, very little gets in their way. And you two are totally into each other.”

I wish I felt that confident, but I’d known Rafe a long time. The Rafe she knew was something I was becoming more familiar with, but I still couldn’t say with absolute certainty the former wasn’t going to resurface. If that was the case, then I’d take his fury knowing it was deserved.

There would be no retaliation this time.

I flipped my wrist to see the time on my watch which always slid round; it was nearly eight p.m. and I still had a lot to do tonight, which included booking my flight back to Chicago. It was normally something Blake would sort out, but I didn’t want anyone to know what I’d planned. I also didn’t want to get him dragged into any trouble because of me.

I stood up to clear the empty cartons. “This has been great, thank you, but I should go and leave you to your evening. I also have to get myself together.”

She placed her hand over mine, “I’ll clear up, don’t worry. I’m so glad you came over, even though the gifts were wholly unnecessary, I’m looking forward to eating cupcakes for my next three meals.”

“Okay, thank you.” I let her walk me to her door, her arm around my shoulder.

“Good luck, Beulah. Please text me tomorrow and let me know how you get on, or if you need anything. I’m certain Murray will know people who could help too.”

Her kindness wrapped around me like a warm blanket, exactly how Santa’s had always done. “Thank you. I need to do this by myself though. But I will text you, I promise.”

I leaned in and kissed her cheek, a gesture I’d never initiated before, then smiled and let her close the door behind me.

Twenty minutes later I walked into my hotel, ready to get out of this Yankees uniform and under a scalding shower, then sleep for a week. It was a good job my body was used to running on very little sleep, seeing as I’d probably only totaled forty-five minutes last night. I still hadn’t heard from Rafe, so I guess it was safe to say I wouldn’t be seeing him.

I headed straight into the bathroom after I’d let myself in, turning the faucet until the shower steamed up from the heat, then walked through the suite to my darkened bedroom. It was as I pulled my shirt over my head and looked down that I jumped out of my skin and let out a scream at a pitch I’d never realized I was capable of reaching. I also hoped I’d never make it again, seeing as it burned my throat raw instantly.

Rafe was sitting on the end of my bed, and from the way his top button was undone, his sleeves rolled up and his tie was loosened, it would have made my heart flutter if not for the anger etched into his features, along with a terrifying level of hatred that even I’d never seen from him before. His eyes were so cold he could have been dead from the way they stayed open and unblinking. And then I noticed the white knuckles wrapped around an almost empty glass.

My stomach dropped the sixteen flights to the ground floor.

He knew. I didn’t know how he knew, but he knew.

“R.. R.. Rafe…?” I stuttered, but he held his hand up to silence me.

I waited, watching as his jaw clenched, as he rolled his lips and stood up. Not once had I ever found Rafe intimidating, not through all our years in school, or in the last two weeks, but as he stepped toward me, I felt myself backing up until I hit the door frame and he was towering over me. I could practically touch the rage rolling off him in waves, like energy buzzing across a pylon, as his hot controlled breathing hit my now-clammy skin.

“You know,” he began, his voice low and menacing, “I don’t like being wrong. Not one bit. The last few weeks I’ve thought that maybe I’d been wrong about you all along, that you weren’t this cold, heartless bitch who gave a shit about no one except herself. And surprisingly I was okay with that, I even had several moments of feeling remorse for how I’d behaved in school. I thought I was finally starting to understand you. But well played, Holmes. You got me good this time.” He stepped back and slow clapped. “You won the round.”

“Rafe, let me explain. I haven’t…”

“NO!” he shouted so loudly it made me jump more than I had when I first walked in and saw him sitting in the dark. “YOU DON’T GET TO TALK NOW.”

I shrank back into the wall as his voice dropped again, the terrifying tone sending shivers across my skin until I had to force myself to stop shaking.

“I have never wanted to destroy you as much as I do right now. Iamgoing to destroy you. I promise.”

“No, no. I didn’t do anything with it. I’m so sorry, I was going to tell you tonight.” A sob caught in my throat at the speed I spewed out my words, setting off the tears which rolled down my cheeks, because I hadn’t cried enough in the last twenty-four hours. I didn’t see his hand reach round and yank my hair back, my head hitting the wall from the force of it.

“You fucking liar,” he hissed into my mouth, and I could taste the whiskey on his breath. I didn’t know how much he’d been drinking, but given how his eyes were struggling to focus, I’d wager the glass he still clutched in his hand wasn’t his first, second, or even third.

He stepped back and downed the remains. I tried to look away but couldn’t; frozen in place by what would be his next move. But he did nothing except storm out without so much as another glance in my direction. I jumped for a third time as the door slammed hard enough to rattle my bones, along with every other guest’s in this place.

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