AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I feel my heart drop into my stomach. "How is that even possible? No one outside the family knew about it. How could someone find it?"
Enzo pipes up, his eyes narrowing as he looks at Raven. "Well, no one except for her." He nods in her direction, causing a cold shiver to run down my spine.
"Wait a second," I snap, my anger rising as I realize what they're implying. "Are you seriously accusing Raven of being a snitch? You've got to be kidding me!"
"Teddy, just listen—" Carmine tries to pull me aside, but I refuse to budge, my gaze locked on Raven. She looks nervous, her hands wringing the fabric of her robe.
"No! I won't stand here and let you accuse her without any proof!" I shout, my chest heaving from the rage boiling inside me. "She's been through hell, and I trust her more than anyone else in this goddamn room!"
"Teddy, we're not trying to hurt her or you," Enzo says, his voice softer now. "We're just trying to figure out what happened. We need to consider every possibility. You have to admit, it's quite a coincidence that she was there that night and now this happens."
"Coincidence? Really?" I scoff, feeling the weight of their betrayal crushing me. "I don't give a damn about your so-called coincidences. She would never do something like that."
"Teddy, you've got to consider the facts," Carmine insists, his voice low and urgent. "She's the only one who could have given them the location."
I shake my head, refusing to let doubt take hold of my heart. "No. You're wrong. She's not capable of doing that."
"Are you really that blinded by love?" Carmine asks, a hint of frustration in his voice. "You barely know her, and yet you're willing to put everything on the line for her?"
"Damn right I am," I snap back. "And I don't need you questioning my judgment."
"Teddy," he says softly, his tone shifting, "I understand how you feel, but Marco...he died in the explosion."
My world comes crashing down around me. Marco – my best friend, my brother in all but blood – gone. I can feel my heart shattering into a million pieces, each one piercing me with unbearable pain.
"Marco?" I whisper, my voice cracking. "He's...dead?" My vision blurs as hot tears threaten to spill from my eyes.
I've lost guys in this world before; we all have. But, except for Charlie, I've been lucky, so to say, that I've never really lost someone close to me. Until now, that is.
Carmine nods solemnly. "He was at the warehouse when it happened. He didn't stand a chance."
"Then we'll find whoever's responsible and make them pay," I choke out, my fists clenched at my sides.
"Exactly," Carmine agrees, his voice hardening once more. "And all evidence points to Raven."
"Stop it!" I shout, turning on him. "Don't you dare try to pin this on her!"
"Teddy, we're not leading you down the wrong path," he insists. "We're trying to protect you, protect the family. You have to trust us."
"Trust you?" I scoff, my bitterness and grief colliding in an explosive mix.
"Teddy," Enzo interjects, his voice calm and steady despite the mounting tension, "we have the proof. She colluded with the Irish and gave them the location of the warehouse. We can't afford to ignore this."
My heart cracks at hearing his words. I turn to look at Raven, my Darkness, my everything, for reassurance. I want to look into her eyes and hear her tell me that it's not true.
"That night at the fundraiser," Carmine says, "she was talking to Declan, wasn't she?"
I think back to his words. She was approached by O'Leary when I was getting the car. But, that couldn't be anything, could it?
"And then Declan recognized her when you both went to dinner, didn't he?" Carmine continues. "How could he know who she is? Why would he know who she is?"
"I..." The words falter on my lips as doubt begins to creep in around me. I'm looking at Raven, but she's just looking at the floor, anxious and refusing to engage in the conversation.
"And you found her the night you cleaned up Father Murphy's murder. Why else would she be at the church if she wasn't part of the Irish operation?" Carmine asks.
"Raven?" I call out her name, but she doesn't look up at me. "Tell me it's not true," I say to her.
She continues to look down at the floor, tears streaming down her face.
