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"Teddy," he pleads, his eyes filled with concern. "You know her better than anyone. Has Raven ever been the type of person to advocate for herself? You're letting your anger cloud your judgment."
His words gnaw at me like a starving dog on a bone, doubt creeping in like shadows at dusk. Before I can respond, though, the door swings open with a sharp crack, and Carmine strides in, his eyes narrowed and calculating.
"Father James," he drawls, a disdainful smirk curling his thin lips. "What are you doing here?"
"Having a private conversation with Teddy," Father James replies, not backing down an inch. Their gazes lock, and the tension between them is palpable.
"Well, if you've come to try and grow sympathy for Raven, then you're wasting your time," Carmine sneers, turning his gaze to me. "Teddy, you've seen the evidence. You don't need any more distractions. You have a business to run and a family name to honor.
"Besides," he continues, his tone dripping with false concern, "we're meeting with the Irish to discuss their proposal in a day. You need time and clarity of mind to prepare."
I feel torn, pulled in opposite directions by these two men who both seem so sure of their convictions. My head aches with the weight of it all, the pressure building like a too-tight band around my skull.
Father James turns towards the door, but not before casting a final, meaningful glance in my direction. "Listen to your heart, Teddy," he says quietly. "Go and see her."
As the door closes behind him, I'm left standing in the wreckage of my emotions, feeling like a ship caught between the jagged rocks of betrayal and the relentless waves of love.
"Teddy?" Carmine calls, snapping me from my thoughts. "We don't have time for this. We need to focus on what's important now."
"Right." I nod, my voice hollow. "The business."
But as I sit back down at my desk, trying to immerse myself in the cold, hard facts of our criminal empire, Raven's face haunts me – her hazel eyes filled with an unspeakable sadness that pierces my soul like a dagger.
"Damn it," I mutter under my breath, my resolve cracking like thin ice underfoot. Maybe Father James is right. Maybe I need to hear it straight from her – the truth, whatever it may be. And then, perhaps I can finally make sense of this chaos that my life has become.
ChapterThirty-Five
The sound of footsteps on the stairs jolts me awake. I blink into the darkness, trying to shake off the fog of sleep. "Father James?" I call out, hoping for some comfort.
"It's me," comes Teddy's voice, cold as steel. The words strike me like a punch to the gut. My heart races at the thought of seeing him again, but now that he's here, I feel nothing but dread.
"Teddy..." I whisper, my throat dry and tight. "Please, I can't stay here. You know why..." I try and say.
He steps into the dim light, his once warm blue eyes now icy and distant. He looks angry, lips pressed into a thin line, and the shadows under his eyes tell me he hasn't been sleeping well either. Anger and exhaustion hang heavily on his usually playful features. This isn't the Teddy I know and love.
"I came to talk about what happened, and I want to hear it from you." His tone is accusatory, void of any warmth or sympathy.
"Okay," I say, swallowing hard. "Ask me your questions."
He doesn't waste any time, drilling me with one question after another. "What do you know about the explosion? Did you know Marco? How the hell were you on that video tape?"
With every question, I can feel the weight of his distrust pressing down on me. But I answer each one honestly, swearing to him over and over that I had nothing to do with any of it.
"Teddy, I swear, it wasn't me. I didn't do this," I plead, desperate for him to believe me.
His face remains cold, unmoved by my words. His disbelief cuts through me like a knife, leaving me feeling raw and exposed. I've always known that Teddy was fiercely loyal to his loved ones, but now I'm starting to wonder if that loyalty extends to me. How can I prove my innocence to him when he won't even give me a chance?
"Teddy, you have to believe me," I whisper, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. "I'd never hurt you or your family."
Frustration and desperation claw at my insides as Teddy's cold disbelief hangs heavy in the air. My mind races, searching for any way to make him understand the truth. I can't lose him, not when I've fought so hard to find myself again. It's like I'm drowning, sinking deeper into the abyss, and the only lifeline I have left is slipping through my fingers.
I can feel myself reverting back to my old ways, even though every fiber of my being screams against it. I always got what I wanted when I was on the streets. It only took a certain form of persuasion. It was old habit for me, even as I tried to find strength and solace in a different type of habit now.
Maybe that's the only way to reach Teddy, to prove my innocence by showing him the depths I'd sink to for him.
"Teddy," I say softly, inching closer to him as far as the chain on my ankle allows. I swallow the knot of guilt forming in my throat and let my fingertips trace the contours of his body. His eyes close, and he takes a deep, shuddering breath. "I didn't do it. Let me convince you."
His voice is barely above a whisper, filled with pain and uncertainty. "Do what you want," he says, not stopping me.
