Game of Desire

Chapter 4 - Lia

I swear the temperature is dropping the longer I stand out here. Autumn is around the corner, explaining all the dead leaves crunching under my soles. The body is heavier than I expected it to be, but thankfully the man must have been killed recently, because there isn't a foul odor yet. I wouldn't be able to handle this if I could smell the rotting of a human corpse.

Rafe watches me, as if he's waiting for me to back out, or maybe to vomit? I keep my cool though and act as if it's as easy as tying my shoe lace. I will not crack under his stare.

We both ease the body into the marsh, avoiding making the water splash. Then watch as it floats away in silence. With a blank face I turn my head to my left and look up at Rafe.

"It's not hidden well enough." I sigh.

He looks over at me with what looks like sorrow in his eyes, but quickly drops all sense of emotion like a hot potato. His eyes turn cold, like a statue and it makes me question whether I saw anything in them at all. Though I know what I saw, Rafe looked so... so empty. Proving to me there is some human left in him. He's not as heartless as I thought and for that reason alone, I relax a little. I am lost for words at that and still waiting for a reply. I shudder under his stare, but don't look away.

Rafe just shakes his head, "The gators will smell him soon."

I look away then. Pursing my lips, I just nod with acceptance. All the while forcing my anxiety down, avoiding any thoughts about the man and his life before. Did he have a wife? Kids? No! Stop that! I slap myself internally. I can't think like that. I can't allow weakness to shine through in front of him. He needs to believe his secret is safe with me.

That's when we hear a crack of a stick behind us. We both whip around and lock eyes with the barrel of a pistol. Then get blinded by the beam of a flashlight.

"Put your hands up and get on your knees! Both of you!" A deep voice commands.

My heart drops for the second time today. I look over at Rafe, but his eyes are already on me, studying my next move. I nod at him, then comply with the orders. Rafe follows next. Turning my head back, I am now able to make out who the voice belongs to. It's the sheriff, Shoupe.

Rafe clear his throat, "I will explain everything, but I want you to know she has no part in this Sheriff... just let her go." he proclaims.

He was taking the blame... that realization sets in. Why though? I'm completely baffled.

The Sheriff just shrugs his shoulders, "I'm afraid the law doesn't work like that son. You will both be brought in the station for questioning." he explained.

*****

"Make yourself comfortable." A new officer taunted while shoving Rafe and I into a holding cell. We both topple and fall ass first to the ground. Rafe hits the concrete first and I follow next, gracefully landing on top of him. My hands scrape the ground trying to soften my fall. Rafe lets out a grunt.

"Ow! Was that really necessary?!" I shout at the retreating officer. What an asshole.

Looking down I realize my position. I'm laying on Rafes lap and what ever he has in his pocket is now digging into my hip.

My brows furrow, "Is that a gun in your pocket?" I whisper yell at him. "You're gonna get us locked up here for good, you know that?!"

Smiling with full teeth now, Rafe shakes his head and simply states, "My pockets are empty, princess."

My brows raise as realization sets in and immediately scramble off of him. He throws his head back and laughs at me. He's hard and laughing in a time like this? This place must be like a second home to him.

I crawl to the wall and sit with my back against it. I bow my head with embarrassment, avoiding to meet his eyes and bring my knees up to my chest. I just know my face must be beet red right now.

Once he's done with his laughing fit, he gets up and takes a seat against the wall, sitting opposite from me.

I can feel his gaze boring into me, while I play with my thumbs to keep myself from looking up at him. I decide to steal a glance to see if I'm right and instantly regret it. I feel like a lab rat being studied with the way he's looking at me.

"Stop looking at me like that or I'll kick your teeth out." I spit.

He throws his hands up, feigning innocence.

"I was just observing." Shaking his head, he plasters a smirk on his face. "Don't worry princess, you'll be back to your simple high school lifestyle, where you worry about which colour dress is better for prom in no time." He remarks, drawing out assumptions about me from his thick skull.

The guy only just graduated high school last year. He's not much older than me at all. Is that really the best conclusion he can come up with about me?

"First off, get off your high horse. You're the reason we're stuck here right now. For a guy who's been studying me for the last, what, hour? I thought you'd come up with a better conclusion about me than that. You really think that is where my priorities lie?"

He rolls his eyes, "Listen princess-" 

I cut him off, "I'm not some Kook princess, so stop calling me that."

He narrows his eyes at me. "Of course, you're just another dirty Pogue. I should have known."

Outrage fills me, but he continues, lowering his voice now to sound threatening. "Let's cut the crap, one of those guards are gonna be back soon and we're gonna have to explain why the fuck we were found deep in the forest, late at night, staring at a floating body in the marsh. We had a deal and you're not going to sell me out."

"You're the one who said, and I quote 'I want you to know she has no part in this Sheriff... just let her go'." I mock, "You sold yourself out without me having to say anything."

"I only said that to keep you from blurting out anything." He spits back. "I couldn't have you running your mouth out of fear. Now listen, they're gonna take us in separately for questioning and we need to have our story straight. Deny, deny, deny. We were out there meeting up for a hookup-"

"Ew, no! I'm not telling them that. I'm not some sleazy hookup delivering to Rafe Cameron." The idea disgusts me. I've barely gone past first base, let alone met up to bang a psycho.

"It's our only way out of this Citrus! You're gonna have to listen to me and go with this. We were hooking up and got out of the car, because it got to hot in there."

My over dramatic self gags at his words.

"Would you stop acting like a child? You were perfectly capable of holding a dead body, but you can't say you slept with me?"

"I'm going to throw-up everywhere during the interrogation if I have to utter those words out of my mouth."

He narrows his eyes at me and I squirm under his stare. He's scary when he's pissed. Can the guy not take a joke?

"Fine." I draw out the word so he know's just how unhappy I am.

"We were just looking at the water, we didn't even see a body okay? Don't even mention a body. Prepare to look shocked when he mentions it." He downplays the plan. "If it doesn't go accordingly, don't panic and change your story. I'll have the sly bastards paid off."

Ugh, of course. The Kooks and their ways.

"You know daddy's money won't always save you." I hesitate before continuing, "There will come a day where you'll realise you're not invincible and your kook ways will have you so far down in a ditch there'll be no way to climb back up."

I should just shut my mouth now, but part of me needs to see just how far it would take to get him to snap, this way I can know where to draw the line. I was able to pick up on a few signs while in this cell with Rafe. I know I could be wrong, but what's the harm in testing the waters. He made his assumptions about me, it's my turn.

"But don't worry," I laugh bitterly, "I'm sure you'll still find a way to sneak a nice line in prison." I taunt, while brushing my finger against my nose.