Chapter Forty-Eight: Zara Ali

Present day

Outskirts of Albemarle, NC

"I didn't do it!"

Raid pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Despite telling Zara to keep her voice down, she was now needing frequent reminders. He and Adam had confronted her the moment she emerged from her bedroom, and now they were all standing in the upstairs hallway, just past the mezzanine, trying to keep this shitshow out of earshot of Stef. Which wasn't easy considering she had vampire hearing. One raised word that piqued her curiosity and this was all out in the open.

"Then how do you explain the photo, Zara?" Raid insisted. "You were the only one up here – the weapons' room is up here – and Cristian said you're the vampire working for his family –"

"Oh, if Cristian said it, then it must be true," Zara snapped sarcastically, "since he's been so trustworthy. Do you really believe his word over mine?"

"That photo came from this house minutes ago," Raid reminded her. "Adam and I have searched everywhere. There's nobody else here –"

"Except your crazy ex-girlfriend," Zara pointed out.

"She's in the photo, Zara," Raid sighed. "It couldn't have been her."

Zara gritted her teeth. There had to be some way she could prove her innocence. "The message said that the same vampire who was supposedly in this house was the same one who turned Flick. How could I have turned her when I was trying to rescue her along with the rest of you?"

"You were also the one who discovered that she was missing." Raid had thought this through thoroughly. It's not like he wanted to believe Zara had betrayed them. "You may not have been the one to kill her to start the transition, but you could have easily fed her your blood, wiped her memory of it, and handed her over to the Coven."

Adam groaned. Unlike Raid, he didn't believe Cristian at all. The fact that they were even confronting Zara about this seemed ridiculous. "You don't think Stef would have had her on vervain, Raid?"

Zara shook her head softly. She appreciated that at least one of them was on her side, but she also wasn't about to lie to save herself from the accusations. "Stef never wanted Flick on vervain. She considered it better for her to be compelled than to be tortured or killed if any vampires tried to go through Flick to get to her." She glanced up at Raid, who was surprised that she'd offered up that information. "See! Would I tell you that if I was lying? Whoever took that photo, Raid, it wasn't me."

"I believe her," Adam stated.

"Of course you believe her," Raid snapped. "You're in love with her."

Zara's breath caught in her throat as her eyes darted to Adam's. He was in love with her? She knew he had feelings for her, but being in love was a strong emotion – too strong in the time they'd known each other.

Adam lowered his eyes, avoiding her shocked expression. "Thanks for that," he mumbled dryly to his cousin.

Raid ran a hand down his face. He was fucking this up. He couldn't tell Stef what he'd found out; she would certainly support Zara, and he couldn't put her life at risk until he had more information. Everything was adding up except for his gut instinct telling him that Zara couldn't have done this. He needed Gabe to get back soon. He knew her better than any of them. "Look," he decided, speaking directly to Zara, "I don't want to believe a single thing Cristian has told me, but the fact is, someone here is a threat to Stef and all evidence points to you. Gabe isn't picking up his phone and, until he does, I can't take the risk."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Zara asked tightly. "You want me out?"

"Nothing would stop you from getting back in," Raid pointed out. "There's no wards on this house against vampires. What I'm asking is that we put some cuffs on you and ask you to wait in the basement until Gabe's back."

Zara took a short step towards him, her jaw set and raised, her glare stony, her tone harsh. "Asking me? Or telling me?"

Raid sighed. She already knew the answer. "I'm telling you."

Zara flattened her lips. She couldn't believe this was happening. "Fine," she decided. "But as soon as Gabe can prove that it wasn't me, I want a damn apology."

Raid nodded. He hoped wholeheartedly that he would be giving her one. "Thank you for cooperating," he said. "Adam, go get some cuffs from the weapons' room."

Adam sneered at him, not liking this plan one bit. "Get them your damn self."

Raid tensed, shooting him a look of annoyance. He knew Adam was going to defend Zara, but was he really willing to risk Stef's life over this? They'd both known Stef since high school. All he needed was for Adam to stop thinking with his dick for a few minutes, seriously consider the evidence, and actually care about his friend. Was that too much to ask? Regardless of how Raid felt, there wasn't time to argue about this. He turned on his heel and stormed into the weapons' room. Grabbing the nearest set of cuffs and keys, he marched back towards Zara. "We'll put these on in the basement," he told her.

"Worried that Stef might see you and put a stop to it?" she snarled.

That was precisely the reason. But he didn't answer. Instead, he swept his hand towards the stairway, gesturing Zara to head down while they followed. Thankfully, she complied without further complaint.

The basement door was situated underneath the staircase, which was a stroke of luck since Raid didn't want to risk bumping into Stef. All three of them entered and navigated the narrow stone steps downwards, coming to a stop in the large basement. Raid switched on the light. Everything was grey, from walls to ceiling, except for a few stored items poking out from beneath dust sheets, as well as two large, glaringly white chest freezers, one of which held blood bags recently stolen from the nearby hospitals.

"It shouldn't take long for Gabe to get back to me," Raid justified. "There's plenty of blood bags down here just in case."

"Wonderful," Zara snarked. "I'll just suck on one like a popsicle. Very dignified for a vampire."

"You're not making this easy –" Raid started, regret already forming.

"I don't intend to make this easy," Zara hissed. "I intend to wait here, bitch about it, and give you an even harder time the moment I'm allowed out of here."

"I'll wait with you," Adam told her reassuringly.

"That's not a good idea," Raid advised. "You're human, she could compel you."

"Oh, fuck you, Raid!" Zara burst. Out of everything he suspected she was capable of, that one hurt the most. There was nothing – no false accusations, no proof – that suggested she would ever compel him. "Remember, I didn't have to agree to this!" She tracked Raid across the room as he strode towards the dust sheets, tore off a long strip of fabric, and brought it over to her.

"If you want Adam to stay with you, then put this over your eyes and your hands behind your back."

Her lower lip trembled, her fierce stare burning away the tears before they could fall. That was something she couldn't do. It meant she would be alone and vulnerable with a man she loved but barely knew. She'd been in this position before and it had gone horribly wrong. But she also didn't want to be alone. This wasn't a decision she wanted to make.

"No blindfold," Adam declared, hating the look of fear on Zara's face, knowing why she had that expression. Hating the man who had made her feel that way.

"Then no staying down here," Raid stipulated.

No, that wasn't what she wanted. She needed Adam with her. There had to be another way. "Adam stays," Zara demanded. "No blindfold. I'll cuff myself to the freezer chest. Adam will keep his distance from me. I can't compel him from across the room."

The offer was reasonable and Raid considered it as he walked over to the chest, inspecting the thick handle that formed part of the lid. It wasn't impossible for a vampire to break it, but it would take a lot of effort – effort that would give Adam enough time to run out and lock the basement door if needed. It wouldn't be a problem providing Adam did keep his distance, which was a huge gamble in itself. Begrudgingly, Raid walked back to them, dropped the cuffs into Zara's hands, slapped both keys into Adam's palms, and watched her head towards the freezer.

But, as Zara sat on top of the freezer chest, clicked the cold metal around one wrist, the other on the freezer handle, she dropped an ominous bombshell that Raid hadn't considered.

"You know the worst part about this, Raid?" she said, her light voice contrasting with her icy stare. "It's that I know I didn't do this, which means somewhere in this house is the person who did. You're too much of a coward to even tell Stef about the threat, and now you're down one extra person who is able and willing to protect her." Her words were like icicles, each one piercing the conviction he had in his eyes. Good. He needed to feel the uncertainty, the fear, in order to keep searching for the real threat. So she didn't stop there. "For all you know, that person could be attacking Stef right now, while you're down here, acting so smug in your belief that it was me."

Raid's breathing sharpened, a new sense of urgency driving him. What if he was wrong? All this time he had been hoping he was wrong, but wouldn't that be worse? He started towards the stairs, pointing towards Adam with a few parting orders. "Keep your distance and watch her."

With that, he was gone.

And Zara immediately broke down crying.

The sound shattered Adam's heart. So the moment he heard the basement door close, he ignored all of Raid's conditions, rushed towards Zara, bent down to slot a key in the cuff against her wrist, turned it, removed it, and let it clatter down against the side of the freezer.

"What are you doing?" Her tears slowed from the sudden confusion.

"I trust you." That was all he said, like it was all that mattered.

"You're going to get into serious trouble."

He straightened, suddenly placing his hands tenderly either side of her cheeks. "I'm already in serious trouble," he breathed, scanning her face, watching the tears slowly dry against her skin. "I love you." It was like an ache had burst out of him. "I'm sorry you had to hear that from him. I'm sorry I even have to do this to you. I hate myself for it."

Her heart pounded for him, his words, everything he felt for her. "What are you talking about?" she asked, glancing down at the lips she wanted but couldn't yet have. "You believe me. You defended me. I don't even understand how or why."

Adam tilted her face, bringing her eyes up to his. He didn't deserve the way she was looking at him, yearning for his lips against hers. He was extinguishing the fire inside of her with her own tears. It was no way to treat his future wife. "Raid is stupid for trusting Cristian. I know he's lying. You didn't do this."

"You heard the evidence, Adam. How can you be so sure?"

"Habibti, I know you didn't threaten Stef's life. I know you didn't take that photo." His hands never left her face, his touch firm. He was intent on helping her understand. He owed her that. Telling her he loved her wasn't enough. Telling her he knew her wasn't enough. Telling her that he could see how much she cared about Stef wasn't enough. She deserved the truth. He lowered his voice, a tone of both determination and shame. "I know because the person who did that... was me."

A brief flicker of shock entered her eyes, right before he forcibly twisted his hands, snapping her neck.