Bound By Lies - Rafe Cameron

Chapter 40

The feeling of dread clings to me like a second skin as I drive to Barry's place. Every instinct I have is screaming at me to turn back, to go home and pretend none of this is happening, but I can't. I need answers. After what Wheezie told me, the doubts I've tried so hard to ignore are now front and center, demanding my attention.

Rafe's call earlier—the one he took outside, away from me—it wasn't just business. I'm sure of it. The way he looked, the tension in his voice... It was something else. Something he didn't want me to hear. And there's only one person I can think of who would make him that agitated.

Barry.

I pull up outside the run-down house, cutting the engine. My hands are shaking as I grip the steering wheel, my mind racing with a hundred different possibilities. What if I'm wrong? What if Rafe is just... I don't know, dealing with some messed up business I have no idea about? I want to believe that. I want to believe anything but what's been gnawing at the back of my mind since Wheezie's confession.

Taking a deep breath, I force myself out of the car, moving quietly across the gravel driveway. I know I shouldn't be here—I shouldn't be spying on my boyfriend, sneaking around like this—but I have no other choice. If I confront Rafe directly, he'll just find a way to deflect, to lie, to twist things until I don't know which way is up anymore.

So I take a deep breath and tiptoe toward the side of the house, where Barry's voice drifts through an open window. I press myself against the wall, straining to hear, my heart hammering so loudly I'm sure they'll hear it too.

"...fuckin' nuts, man," Barry's voice is saying, followed by a harsh laugh. "Seriously, you're playing with fire man. How long before your little girlfriend finds out you killed Peterkin."

I freeze, my entire body going numb. Did I just hear that right? I edge closer to the window, holding my breath as I peer inside. Rafe is standing in the middle of the room, his back to me, his posture tense and rigid. Barry is lounging on the couch, a smirk on his face as he looks up at Rafe.

"Shut the hell up, Barry," Rafe growls, his voice low and dangerous. "I don't need to be reminded of what I did."

Oh my god. My heart drops into my stomach, my vision blurring as the reality of what I'm hearing crashes over me like a tidal wave. He did it. He really did it. Rafe... Rafe killed my aunt.

I bite down hard on my lip to keep from making a sound, tears stinging my eyes as I watch the scene unfold in front of me, each word hitting me like a physical blow.

"Relax, man." Barry's voice is casual, almost amused. "Your secret's safe with me. But just know, I own your ass now. You keep feeding me the cash, or... well, let's just say your girlfriend might not think you're so perfect once she knows what you did to her aunt."

Rafe's fist clenches at his side, and for a second, I think he's going to lunge at Barry. But then he takes a step back, his shoulders slumping slightly in defeat.

"I'm already paying you more than enough," Rafe mutters, his voice strained. "I'll get you more. Just... don't say anything."

I can't breathe. I feel like the ground is crumbling beneath me, my entire world shattering piece by piece. 

A sob threatens to escape my throat, and I clamp my hand over my mouth, squeezing my eyes shut as I try to hold myself together. But then, suddenly, my phone slips from my grasp, clattering loudly against the gravel below.

Both Rafe and Barry freeze, their heads snapping toward the window. My heart stops, a wave of sheer panic washing over me as I scramble to pick up my phone.

"What the—" Barry starts, his gaze darting toward the window.

But Rafe moves faster. He's already at the window, his eyes widening in shock as he sees me standing there, trembling like a leaf. For a split second, our gazes lock, and I see the fear, the devastation, the guilt in his eyes.