Bound By Lies - Rafe Cameron

Chapter 36

Rafe's POV

I pace back and forth in my dad's office, my mind racing. I can barely keep still. I feel like a caged animal, trapped between everything I've done and everything I want to keep hidden. And now... now John B is back. Arrested.

"Rafe," my dad's voice cuts through my thoughts like a blade. "Sit down."

I turn to face him, finding Ward standing behind his desk, his expression as unreadable as ever. I've seen him angry, seen him disappointed, but it's this calm, measured look that scares me the most. It's the look he gets when he's planning something—when he's decided on a course of action and won't let anyone stop him.

Reluctantly, I take a seat, leaning forward with my elbows on my knees, my hands clenched together.

"John B's arrest..." I start, my voice low and tense. "You think it's gonna stick?"

Ward raises an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly as he studies me.

"Why wouldn't it?" he asks, his tone neutral, but there's an edge of warning beneath it. "He's a fugitive, Rafe. An accused murderer. The evidence points directly to him."

I feel a rush of bitterness in my chest, a familiar rage simmering beneath the surface. Evidence. Right. The evidence I helped fabricate. The story I spun to keep the heat off myself. But Ward knows that. He knows everything.

"Yeah, but what if he talks?" I push, leaning forward. "What if he convinces them he's innocent? What then? He knows... he knows what happened, Dad."

Ward's eyes narrow slightly, and he walks around the desk, coming to stand in front of me. He looks down, his gaze hard and unyielding.

"Teresa thinks it's justice," I say quietly, the bitterness creeping into my tone. "She thinks he's the one who killed her aunt. She was happy when she heard he was arrested, like it's finally over. Like everything's been wrapped up with a neat little bow."

"And that's what you want, isn't it?" he asks softly, almost mockingly. "For her to think it's over. For her to keep believing John B's the one responsible. Unless you'd prefer she knew the truth...?" He lets the question hang in the air, a challenge I can feel like a slap to my face.

I grit my teeth, feeling my pulse spike at the thought. "No," I growl, shaking my head. "She can't ever know."

Ward smirks slightly, his eyes gleaming with something dark and twisted. "Then don't complicate things. John B being in custody is good for us, Rafe. It keeps people distracted, gives them someone else to focus on. As long as he's in jail, Teresa's got no reason to keep digging, no reason to question anything."

"If she knew what I did," I mutter, more to myself than to Ward. "She'd hate me. She'd hate me more than she hates him."

Ward leans forward, setting his glass down on the desk. His gaze is sharp, almost piercing as he looks at me.

"But she doesn't know," he says quietly, each word measured and deliberate. "And she never will—unless you let it slip. You need to get a grip, Rafe. Control your emotions. This isn't just about you and her. This is about our family, about keeping everything we've built intact."

My hands curl into fists at my sides, the frustration bubbling up inside me. Control my emotions. That's what it always comes down to with Ward. Be the perfect son, the perfect heir. Don't screw up. Don't lose control.

"Don't lecture me about control," I snap, my voice shaking with anger. "If you hadn't lost your shit in front of Barry, I wouldn't be dealing with half of this crap."