Bound By Lies - Rafe Cameron

Chapter 14

I was on my way home, still shaken from everything that had happened with Rafe the night before, when I decided to take a detour to the docks. Maybe it was just instinct—or maybe it was the nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach that something wasn't right.

The docks were quiet, the only sound the gentle lapping of the waves against the wooden pylons. I was about to turn around and leave when I saw him.

"Pope?" I called out softly, my heart lurching in my chest as I spotted his familiar figure hunched over on one of the benches near the water.

He looked up slowly, and my breath caught in my throat at the sight of him.

"Pope!" I gasped, rushing over, my eyes widening in horror as I took in the bruises covering his face—the way his left eye was swollen shut, the dark purple splotches marring his cheekbone, the dried blood crusted over his split lip.

"What the hell happened?" I whispered, reaching out tentatively, my fingers hovering over his injuries.

Pope flinched at the movement, his face twisting with pain. "It's nothing," he muttered, glancing away. "Just... ran into some trouble."

"Trouble?" I repeated incredulously, my voice trembling with anger and worry. "Pope, you look like you got hit by a truck. What happened?"

He hesitated, his gaze dropping to the ground as he let out a slow, shaky breath. "It was Rafe," he muttered finally, his voice low and tight. "He jumped me yesterday. Beat the shit out of me for no reason."

"Rafe?" I repeated, my heart pounding in my chest. "Why? Why would he—"

"Because he's fucking crazy, Maddy!" Pope cut in, his voice rising with a mix of anger and fear. "He's dangerous. There's something seriously wrong with him. You need to stay away."

"I—" I faltered, my mind spinning. "He wouldn't just—"

"He did," Pope snapped, his eyes flashing. "He attacked me out of nowhere. Just... went off. He's fucked in the head, Teresa. He's going to hurt you, too, if you don't—"

"Pope," I whispered, my hands trembling as I tried to wrap my head around what I was hearing. "I—"

I couldn't get the image of Rafe's bloodied fists out of my head. The way he'd looked at me—wild, unhinged, completely out of control. Pope was right. He was dangerous. He'd nearly killed those guys last night without a second thought. And now... now this?

"Stay away from him," Pope murmured, his voice softening. "Please, Tess. I'm serious. He's not safe."

The words echoed through my mind like a warning, a desperate plea. But they only made the anger inside me burn hotter, fiercer, until it felt like I was going to explode.

"Yeah," I muttered, my hands trembling as I stood up abruptly. "Yeah, I'll stay away."

But that was a lie.

I turned and walked away before Pope could say anything else, my pulse pounding in my ears as I made my way to Tannyhill, the rage simmering inside me like a storm.

How dare he? How fucking dare he put his hands on Pope? On anyone? What the hell was he thinking?

I reached the front door and pounded on it, my hands shaking with fury. A few seconds later, it swung open, and Rafe stood there, his expression twisted with confusion and annoyance.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" he demanded, his voice rough.

But before he could say anything else, I shoved him hard in the chest, my voice rising with every word.