Of all the bullshit things Calie had done, of all the bullshit things I thought her capable of, this was the last thing I could imagine her doing. I felt half sick, but I wasn’t sure if it was because she’d accused me of raping her, because it looked like she’d put her hands on my baby brother, or because Raye had believed her.

I didn’t know which one was worse, but all three made my stomach turn.

One thing was certain, though – there was only one thing I could fix, and that was keeping Calie away from my brother.

He was seventeen, even if he didn’t look it. That made him a minor, and I’d move heaven and earth to keep a leech like Calie from putting her hands on him again.

I had no doubt that she’d touched him, either.

The poor, stupid idiot probably had no idea that she’d been using him to get to me.

Idiot. I was frustrated beyond all belief at this insane turn of events.

The target of two turbulent female gazes, I debated on what to do. I couldn’t believe that Raye had chosen to believe Calie over me, but there was nothing I could do about that.

And I needed to find my brother, get him the hell away from Calie, out of her reach and beyond that? I needed to find out just what they’d done, and then, as much as it turned my stomach to think about it, I might have to drag him to the police.

He’d never want to go, but the two of us had shit on our hands now, thanks to this stunt Calie was pulling. I’d risk talking to cops, something I personally tried to avoid, if it would protect my brother.

Under the intensity of Raye’s gaze, I had to fight not to wilt.

I shot Calie a look, and she flinched, but Raye didn’t even notice.

“Be gone when I get back,” I advised her.

Raye opened her mouth to snap at me, but I turned on my heel and strode off.

Now that I had a destination of where to look for my brother, I wasn’t going to waste any more time.

* * *

I found him just a block from Calie’s, heading in the direction of the subway I’d just left.

He caught sight of me and went still.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded.

“Looking for you.” I braced myself in case he decided to try and go around me. He didn’t, though.

Rocking back on his heels, Austen eyed me up and down. “Why are you looking for me? I’m doing just fine.”

“The hell you are,” I snapped. “School’s calling Mom, hassling her and threatening to take her to court because of your truancy issues. You’re on the verge of flunking out of school, and that’s not exactly the ideal way to start off your adult life, you idiot kid.” Leaning in closer, I added, “And let’s not talk about the way Calie Smalls has accused the two of us of raping her.”

For a few seconds, he just stared at me, no reaction.

Then he blinked and shook his head. “What?”

“You heard me.”

“That’s a bunch of bullshit,” Austen fired back at me. “You’re just fucking jealous because she wants me now.”

“She doesn’t want you,” I snapped. “She came after you after I told her I didn’t want her anymore. She’s using you to get to me, and guess what? It worked.”

He opened his mouth, then closed it. “You’re so fucking full of it.”

“How in the hell do you think I knew where to come looking for you?” Lowering my voice, I added, “Girls don’t typically run around bragging to one guy that they went and shacked up with their baby brother. Not unless they’re up to something.”

* * *

The two of us trudged back to the garage, not speaking much.

He’d asked several questions, and I’d answered him the best I could.

I’d asked him a few questions myself, and I was still debating on how to go forward.

He and Calie had most definitely slept together.

He wasn’t too keen on the idea that what happened between them was anything other than a hot chick being into him. But he was slowly coming around to accept the idea that Calie had accused both of us of raping her. I didn’t know what changed his mind, but maybe he knew I wasn’t the type to jerk him around about much of anything.

I had no idea.

When we finally got to the alleyway that opened up to the back of my garage, I said, “I’m going to call Mom and let her know you’re going to crash with me for the night. We need to figure out what we’re going to do.” I pulled my keys from my pocket, thinking about nothing more than getting warm and getting a beer.

Both thoughts left my mind the second we turned the corner because the miserable excuse of a security light was shining down on a familiar head of flame-red hair.

Raye.

She was still here.

She huddled against the back door of the garage, arms wrapped around her midsection, head tucked low.

Something must have alerted her to our presence, because no sooner had I realized she was there than she was raising her head.

Her gaze met mine, and she shoved off the door, her chin coming up as she looked from me to the teenaged boy standing next to me.

“Is this Austen?” she demanded.

I didn’t answer her.

“Calie left.” She moved a few steps away from the door but didn’t leave the stoop, eying me warily. “She told me she doesn’t want to press charges because she’s afraid nobody will believe her. But I think the two of you should do the right thing and turn yourselves in.”

I snorted. “I just bet she doesn’t want to press charges.”

“Nobody ever wants to believe the victim,” Raye said, her voice tight. “But I believe her.”

“It’s kind of funny how you’ll believe a total stranger, somebody you’ve never even met, over me,” I said, fuming and at the same time…hurt. How could she believe that lying bitch over me? I didn’t understand it. And I didn’t understand why I was so damn hurt by the idea.

Raye stared at me with haunted eyes. “Nobody ever wants to believe the victim.”

“Yeah, I can believe that, but the problem is, you don’t know who the fucking victim is,” I told her. Cupping a hand over my brother’s shoulder, I nudged him toward the door. “You need to go on inside, kid. I’ll deal with this.”

“You’ll deal with it? This concerns both of you–”

I clamped my hand tighter on Austen’s shoulder, squeezing until it had to be hurting him. “Go inside,” I said again. “You got me?”

He nodded, and I caught sight of his pale face, realized he’d finally figured out, once and for all, that I hadn’t been jerking him around.

I turned on Raye. “No,” I said in a cool voice. “This doesn’t concern both of us. At least not in the way you’re talking.” I almost told her off, so sick with anger I couldn’t see straight. Instead, I focused on the hurt. “I can’t believe you’re choosing to believe her. This is a fucking joke.”

“I guess it was a fucking joke when nobody decided to believe me when I was raped!” Her voice cracked as she shouted at me, the words left to linger between us.

I gaped at her, shock jolting through me. “Raye?”

She flinched at the sound of her name and whispered, “Nobody believed me.”