See No Evil (Brotherhood Trilogy #1)(11)

I walk away, fuming at my uncle for being such a dick and already plotting the next time I’m going to see Robbie. I don’t care that my father doesn’t want me dating. Robbie’s sweeter than some of the other guys I’ve hooked up with. If Daddy only knew the things I’d gotten up to…

My cheeks flare red, wondering if Robbie and I will ever take things that far.

A gunshot echoes through the air.

I jolt to a stop, my first thought fear. I’m in a dark alley. Home is just around the corner. But where did the shot come from?

But then I know.

My eyes bulge wide and I sprint back down the alley. I skid to a stop against the fence and peek around the corner.

Another gunshot makes me flinch.

This one’s loud.

Clear.

And I can see the gun it’s been fired from.



I bolt up with a gasp. My heart is thundering, images torturing me as I try to orient myself. I snatch my watch and make it glow—03:16 a.m.

All is dark.

All is still.

Just like the aftermath of Robbie’s death.

The air was sucked into oblivion that night. Horror froze time for a long, painful beat…until my brain sparked, stifling the scream that would give me away.

The devil tucked the gun into the back of his black pants then crouched down behind Robbie’s car.

Robbie’s foot twitched.

I convulsed, fighting a surge of bile.

And then I ran.

I still don’t understand why Robbie had to die. There was no reason to kill him. I blame myself a little. I shouldn’t have turned back for that kiss. But I blame the devil more, which is why I have to testify against him.

Make him pay.

Scraping my fingers through my hair, I want to fist the locks at the nape of my neck like I always used to.

But there’s nothing to hold onto.

I thump my fists on the bed with a frustrated scream.

No one’s awake. No one can hear me. I can be myself for a few minutes. Slipping out of bed, I pull my suitcase free and open it, unzipping the small pouch in the lid. With trembling fingers I pull out the photo I wasn’t allowed to bring. I slipped it in when Rybeck wasn’t looking. I thought I might need the motivation. Taking the flashlight from beside my bed, I flick it on and study the image with a watery smile. Robbie’s making a face while I laugh at the camera. We’d been messing around on Lincoln Road in South Beach, shopping and eating ice cream sundaes. A guy was walking around with his Polaroid camera, selling photos for a dollar. We bought two—one for me, one for Robbie. He stood behind me, his arm wrapped around my shoulders, his cheek pressed against my hair.

I run my finger over my luscious brown locks, tracing my painted lips before touching Robbie’s smile. We both look so happy and free, so blissfully unaware of what awaited us in the isolated parking lot. We should have found a park on the beachfront. But it’d been such a nice night we decided to leave Robbie’s car in the secret spot where we agreed to meet and walk from there.

I don’t know why I’d wanted to keep Robbie a secret, but I had. No one knew about the boy I’d bumped into one Sunday afternoon. Deep down, had I known the devil hated him? Is that why I’d snuck around, not telling my parents or my friends?

But how could I?

I don’t even know why the devil pulled the trigger!

Slipping the photo back into hiding, I click off my flashlight and slump against the side of my bed. A shake twitches my spine and my teeth begin to chatter. I can’t get warm in this damn place. I wrap my arms around my knees. This building is an icebox. Everything is so cold and unwelcoming.

Tears burn. My nose hurts. Tired muscles ache. The trauma of what I saw is a heavy burden. The stress of what I’m trying to do is wearing me down.

They may have made me look like a boy, but I don’t feel like one.

I’m a joke. A pathetic, shivering excuse of a boy.

The bandage that’s covering my chest feels like a python trying to cut off my air supply. I’m compelled to rip it off, but I’m supposed to stay strapped all the time.

“What if there’s an emergency and you have to jump up quickly?” McNeal warned. “You can’t give yourself away.”

“There’s hardly anything there anyway! And it’s uncomfortable.”

“There’s enough to notice.” Rybeck winked. “It’s only temporary.”

“Eton is the best place for you,” McNeal said, so sure of herself. “No one will think to look for you there.”

I couldn’t argue with them. I was running out of fight.

But now all I feel like is a shower. I want to wash the dream from my mind, warm my trembling core, and crawl back into bed clean and relaxed.

Jumping up, I grab the towel off the back of my door and clutch it to my chest. I creep down the hallway, hoping to sneak by the jail cells undetected.

I listen out for clomping feet on patrol but all is quiet.

Entering the bathroom closest to my room, I release my breath, my shoulders sagging as I walk to the empty shower stalls.

There are no curtains to hide me, so I keep the lights off. I’ll have to be quick. It may be the early hours of the morning, but people still stir in the night.

Pulling off my pajama top, I unravel that bandage around my chest. My body expands with relief, a moment’s reprieve from having to hide my gender. The cool bathroom air touches my bare skin. Goosebumps ripple over my torso.