Brother After Dark

Chapter Fifty-Two

Blaire.

The walls of despair fell over me. I was pissed, upset, and scared. My eyes were glued to the photo on my phone screen, boiling my blood.

“Shit!” That curse flew out of my mouth without me knowing it.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Marie asked, more to herself than to anyone else. Jessie stretched her neck further toward my phone, trying to get a better glimpse at the image. I saved her the trouble of breaking her neck and raised the screen to her face level. She closed her mouth to stop herself from screaming. I turned to Marie with the image so that she could also see it clearly, although I knew she already caught a faint sight of it when I first opened the mysterious message.

I began to panic. My emotions were deeply amplified by all the frustrations inside of me.

Who could be behind this horrible act?

Marie stood from the bed and started pacing back and forth, deep in thought. She would gesture with her fingers, either biting them or waving them around in the air as if she was searching for something in the abstract realm.

“Something is wrong somewhere. Someone is out for you and Zach,” she declared thoughtfully.

“Of course, isn’t it obvious? But who could that be?” Jessie buttressed. She folded her arms across her chest and stared blankly into space.

I didn’t say anything because words have deserted me at that point. I just sat there rigidly like a lifeless statue.

“What does this person want?” Jessie asked as she absent-mindedly played with her hair.

Marie stopped pacing and faced us, hands on her hips. “Is it to blackmail her?” she asked no one in particular.

My mind became a case file full of suspects’ names.

“Bee, who do you think it could be?” Jessie asked me as if reading my mind.

Before I could answer, Marie chipped in. “I’m thinking of Damien.” Her voice sounded so confident. He came into my mind, too, as a potential suspect, but I doubt he could be that petty. The scene displayed in this photo happened weeks ago, but Damien just knew about me and Zach today.

No, it couldn’t be my cousin.

“I don’t think so. Your boyfriend is not that crazy,” Jessie defended him. “And he didn’t know until today.”

One of the three names that I placed at the top of my culprits’ list was Stephanie Bell. That bitch was obsessed with Zach and would do anything to separate him from me. I’ve always hated her guts.

Another suspect that came to my mind was Jasper Litton. He was interested in me. And he must have been doing this to get back at Zach for what he did to him at that party.

“This is alarming, Bee,” Marie said and sat on the carpet at my feet. “I’m so worried about you and your family. This will be devastating and scandalous to your parents.”

I nodded. I was at a crossroad, confused about which way to turn. I have no clue on what to do. This was the time that I needed my Zach the most. Whoever wanted us down was out for blood. We must stick together. It’s the only way we can get through this.

I must get to him as soon as possible. He’s older, smarter. He should know what to do. He’s skilled in computer and all that tech stuff. Perhaps he can track down our culprit.

Jessie interrupted my reverie. “Is it worth all the risks? All the pain that can come out of this?”

I opened my mouth to answer but my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of my phone beeping.

The bastard blackmailer must have sent another message.

I was relieved when I saw Zach’s name as the sender. I opened the message and read it, my heart palpitating, tears welling up in my eyes.

Zach: Hey, baby girl. Something just came up with our dad. I need to get back home and talk to him. Damien will take you to his home. I will come to get you there in two days. I want you to know that no matter what happens, you should remember that I love you.

The message compounded my sadness, but the last line consoled me. He said he loved me, and I believed him with all my heart. That’s all I needed for now.

I turned to Jessie, remembering her question. “Yes. It’s absolutely fucking worth it!”