Page 70 of Skin In the Game (The BlackWater)

“She’s in my apartment no doubt trashing it as we speak.” She muttered thinking that when this day was over she was going to give that girl a serious piece of her mind.

“I thought she learnt from the last one.” She said after trying to rid the images from her head.

“Not sure that girl is capable of learning.” Brandon said and Maddie nodded in agreement.

“And this is why I keep the fact she’s my sister on a need to know basis.” Maddie stated.

Brandon laughed and Douglas gave her a sympathetic look. She got up back to her desk then.

“Where’s Becky anyways?” Maddie asked.

“Her mum’s sick. She’s coming in later.” Douglas said.

“Oh.” Maddie said. Poor Becky’s mum had cancer, and it didn’t look like it was getting any better. She seemed to be spending more and more time staying at hers and looking after her, especially after the chemo sessions.

“I want you and Douglas to go through the footage from yesterday. Especially those photos.” Brandon said and she swallowed. She knew this was coming. She knew they’d want to dig deeper into them. “Map out each one, where it was, what you were doing. Everything. I want to know if any are linked.”

She saw it then, in her head. That photo. How had they gotten that? Where had they gotten that? Who had even taken it in the first place?

“Sure.” Douglas said and Maddie blinked hoping no one had noticed she’d just zoned out.

She muttered about needing coffee and she hoped he wouldn’t notice the half-drunk mug right there by her computer.

“No worries.” He said. “I’ll start loading the footage. We can print off the photos, map them on the board and then link any.” He added and she nodded not listening, not taking it in.

She needed to walk away, to take a moment because that image was in her head and soon it would be there, on the board, staring at her, staring at all of them.

Fuck Maddie, she thought, how the hell was she going to explain it? What was she going to say? Brandon wanted them mapped, where they were, who had taken them, all of it. She could barely bring herself to think about it let alone communicate it to anyone. She swallowed, trying to calm herself, to control herself. She needed a lie, a good one, something that covered it, something that explained it, something that made it fit with the rest, made it seem nothing, made it seem unremarkable. Her head spun, trying to come up with a tale, an explanation.

She realised she was standing there, staring at the counter, and mentally shook herself. If anyone walked in right now, she thought, and she stuck the coffee on watching as the water slowly bubbled through the filter to the glass jug below.

Cole walked in and she turned feeling her eyes widen. She hadn’t seen him since she’d half swung at him but he seemed to be acting like it hadn’t happened.

“Good Morning.” He said with a smirk.

“Is it?” She muttered.

“Not for your sister apparently.” He quipped.

“Urgh please don’t start. Not today.” Maddie said reaching for a mug and Cole took the opportunity to admire her arse.

“My favourite moment was the coke off the dick.” He said and she groaned because she knew he wasn’t going to stop now. She knew he was enjoying making her squirm and it was all Kelsey’s fucking fault.

She put the mug on the side, filling it up and not even looking at him because it was mortifying.

“…followed closely by the spit roasting while the third guy came all over her.”

“Oh dear god.” Maddie said turning round to face him. “Please say that’s a joke?”

“I never joke Maddie.” He said.

“She’s a fucking slut. She’s an absolute fucking slut.” Maddie said covering her face and he laughed which if anything made it worse.

“If you want to take the day off…” He said.

She felt her hands drop and she stared at him.

“Why are you being nice to me?” She asked.

“I’m always nice to you Maddie.” He stated.

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