Page 16 of Twisted Truths

It makes me sick.

I shake my head as I flick through the photos of thetwo of them, wondering why Grimshaw thought this would gain my trust, but then I spot something I almost missed in my anger.

Someone’s standing in the background of each photo, their arms crossed over their body as they hover amongst the trees, watching Zara and Gabriel. Their features are grainy and hard to make out from the distance of the camera and the black hood obscuring their face, but I’m almost certain it’s a woman.

What the hell? Who is she?

And how did Grimshaw get these photos from inside the commune?

I try to call him back, but it goes to voicemail three times. On the third, I leave a simple message. “I’m listening.”

My mind is a chaotic mess as I head back inside the gym, glancing up to see it’s halfway through the last quarter. Theo Crawley takes a shot from the three-point line, and the crowd goes wild when he sinks it. I grudgingly admit the kid has unbelievable talent.

Levi glances at me when I take a seat on the end of the bench, but the game is still too close for him to lose focus now. He calls out instructions to his players, directing them with the same level of passion he had when he played.

My gut twists as I recall the shit Tom and I put him through until he quit the team.

Fuck, I was such an arrogant punk back then.

I can’t focus on the game as the time ticks down in the last, my thoughts still stuck on the phone call with the private investigator. Who the hell has the kind of money it would cost to hire him, but doesn’t want me to know who they are?

The gym erupts as the final buzzer sounds, and Barrenridge wins by seven points. The players surround each other, whooping and cheering.

Theo accepts the back slaps and sweaty hugs from histeammates with a quiet, crooked smile before escaping to the bench and wiping his face down with a towel.

I watch him brush off my brother’s praise with a small shrug. He’s the kind of player you get maybe once a decade, if you’re lucky, but the kid doesn’t only have talent, he has something rarer than that. Humility. He doesn’t strut around like he’s the hero the town clearly thinks he is—they’re all chanting his name, as if he alone carried the team to victory.

Back in my day, I’d be lapping it up, puffing my chest out and basking in all the praise. I was good, yeah, but I also needed everyone to know I was good. The attention was like air to me.

Theo simply shrugs and keeps moving. He lets his game speak for itself and walks away before the echoes of the cheers even die down.

I smile to myself, a little embarrassed by the version of me that still lives in the rafters of this gym. The old me might have broken records and made a lot of noise, but this kid? He makes a bigger impact.

A commotion catches my attention, and a growl escapes my throat when I see Tanner Crawley practically dragging the young blonde down the steps of the bleachers. She stumbles, wincing when she hits her shin on the edge of a seat, but he doesn’t stop.

Before I can even think about what I’m doing, I storm across the gym, beelining for the abusive fucker.

When I reach them, I fist his shirt with two hands and get up in his face. “Is this how you used to treat Zara?” I hiss.

Tanner’s lips twist up in a cruel smile. “Prove it.”

“You arrogant fuck,” I shout in his face. “If I find out you hurt her, I’ll fucking kill you.”

The girl behind him whimpers.

The crowd has stopped to watch us, but I don’t give a shit.

Tanner laughs in my face, unbothered by my threat.

I see red, my body vibrating with anger. I don’t even think about the consequences when I release a fist from his shirt and rear back to punch him.

Levi reaches me first, grabbing my arm and wrestling me away.

“He’s not worth it,” he murmurs in my ear, shoving me towards the locker room.

I can’t resist a final shot, calling over my shoulder, “Watch your back, Crawley. I’m dead serious.”

Levi sighs as he corrals me away from the whispers and stares of the startled basketball fans. When we reach the hallway that leads to the lockers, I slam my fist into the wall with a shout of anguish. “I’m going to fucking kill that arsehole.”