Page 40 of A Shade of Evil

“Oh yes. Mom.”

My heart hardens and yet when I see his perplexed expression, I can’t bring myself to tell him. I’m still hoping it’s all a big mistake, but those photographs are still playing on repeat in my mind.

“Just make me a coffee, Rafe, please.”

I take a deep breath and attempt to get my shit together. My life may be in the toilet right now, but his definitely isn’t and I will not be the one responsible for sending it there.

As he leaves, grateful for the instruction, I slowly gather the money into a bundle and place it back in the box.

I’ll give it back. I’ll march into that club and demand to see him and throw it in his face and make him feel as small as I do now. Fucking Shade Vieri. Who the hell does he think he is?

When Rafferty comes back with the coffee and an apologetic smile, I accept both with relief. We will need one another because the shit will soon hit the fan. I am in two minds about telling him and I should prepare him for the inevitable, but I note the weariness in his expression.

My protective instinct takes over as I say with concern, “Is everything ok, Rafe?”

He sits on the bed, that is now minus the money, and runs his fingers through his hair with distraction.

“It’s that Taylor shit, Ally. I just can’t get it out of my head. One minute she was here and the next a corpse. Who did that and why?”

I reach out and link my arm in his and say softly, “There are some sick people in this world and who knows how their mind’s work. The only thing we can do is protect ourselves. Tell me what happened, without the gruesome details about how you met and what happened next.”

He sighs heavily. “It was at a party. One of the team invited me to some rich kids’ house outside Brooklyn. Most of the team were there and because it was pre-season, we were getting tanked. We were the untouchables, at least it felt like that, and the women were up for anything.”

“I said spare me the details.” I shake my head and he says with a groan.

“Taylor came onto me, and I thought she was kinda sweet. The other women wore more make-up, had bleached hair, fake tits, that kind of thing. Taylor was natural and seemed an okay kind of girl. Anyway, we hit it off and decided to continue the evening at a nearby hotel.”

“Was that your idea?”

I probe carefully and he shakes his head. “No. I was beat and ready to head home, but she persuaded me to extend our evening somewhere quiet. I had a lot to drink, and it seemed a good idea at the time and so I went with it. I hadn’t been laid in months and I thought it was a good time to relieve the built-up tension inside me and she was offering.”

“Gross.”

I say sharply, “So, what happened after you well, relieved your tension?”

“She changed, Ally. Almost as soon as I came, she was pulling on her clothes and heading for the door. I was confused and asked her to wait up, but all she said was it was a mistake and not to think badly of her. She left, and it made me feel like shit, if I’m honest. Almost as if I forced her into doing something she didn’t want to, but she made all the moves, not me. I swear.”

“Then you got the threats.”

He nods. “As soon as the news reported her murder, I received a text from an unknown number. It contained photographs of us in that hotel room and it wasn’t pretty. She appeared upset, as if I was raping her but I swear she came onto me and instigated the whole thing.”

“What did the text say again?” I take a deep breath and try to establish the facts because my brother needs me to be strong.

I know we’ve already been through this, but I was in shock the first time and couldn’t really take it all in at the time.

He shrugs. “That the photographs would be posted on the internet along with the headline, ‘the Jets’ new signing implicated in rape and murder’ and I panicked.”

“Which is where I came in and said I’d handle it.”

He shakes his head. “That makes me feel like shit.” He stares at me with concern. “What did you do, Ally, because something is telling me this isn’t over, and we should just go to the cops and tell them everything?”

“Are you crazy, Rafferty?”

The panic grips me hard and I lower my voice to a whisper.

“That ship has long sailed. We are in so deep we’re drowning right now, and you must let me deal with this.”

“No, Ally. I don’t want to see you destroyed because of me. I’ve been going out of my fucking mind when I saw those photos on your Instagram. Mom’s been lighting up my phone, blaming me for not taking care of you, and now I find you surrounded in money and sobbing like a baby. We have no choice. We must call the cops.”

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