I look at the phone because I’m not sure what Sam has done with it either.
“The video of the orgy is wiped clean from your email and his hard drive,” Sam says.
Emily swings her gaze to the phone. “He could’ve saved it on a thumb drive or to a cloud account. He’s smart, guys. He knows how to cover his tracks.”
I reach out and gently grasp her hand. “Hey, Sam is the best there is with computers. He’ll find every copy and make sure that video never sees the light of day.”
Sam mutters something that I can’t make out.
“Where’s the camera from last night, Sam?” Emily was my only focus when shit went down.
“I have it,” Sam says. “It’s in a safe place in the event that we can use it. Emily, you should consider pressing charges.”
She pinches her eyebrows, shrugging out of my hold. “No! Wes will find a way to make it look like you two are in that video and not him or his asshole friends. Besides, if I make waves, Wes will retaliate, and both of you would get into trouble for assault.”
I’m on my feet. “Wes won’t do anything of the sort.” I pull her to me, holding her as she shakes. “I told you. I got you, baby. You don’t need to worry about me either.”
“Iamworried about you. This isn’t your fight.”
I guide her chin up, grinning that she finally admitted she cares. “It isourfight.”
“Adam.” She melts in my arms. “If my mother finds out, she’ll think I asked for it. And I can guarantee you she’ll have my head on one of her gold-plated platters. She hates negative publicity. She’ll brush all this under the table and make it go away. Somehow, Wes will come out smelling like a rose.”
“Not if she saw this video,” Sam says.
Emily’s face turns snow white, and she shakes her head. “We can’t use it, so that’s not an option.”
“Not now,” Sam agrees. “But maybe later.”
“What if we can find this other girl to make the case stronger?” I suggest.
She presses her small hand on my cheek, sadness dripping from her. “You shouldn’t get involved. You’ve got football and your family to think about. I want to graduate so I can get the fuck out of Dodge. None of that will happen if we make waves.”
I temper my anger because she’s scared. She feels she’s alone. But I want to bust up some heads. I want to make Wes suffer. Last night was only a taste of what I can do, but Emily is right; I have my family to think about. But Mom will understand my motives of protecting a friend.
“Adam,” Sam’s voice breaks the brief silence. “Do you want me to send what I found to Wes?”
Emily stiffens in my arms, a sign she’s hesitant to do anything to upset Wes.
“Baby, Wes needs to be taken down a notch. He needs a taste of his own medicine. I’m in this with you all the way.” I glue my gaze to hers, hoping she sees that she can trust me, feels that I have her back. I’m not letting her go through this alone. “He won’t know that you are involved.”
Sam clears his throat. “Adam is right. We have to stop Wes. We need to protect other women.” Anger weaves through his tone.
Emily leaves my arms and heaves a sigh. “You’re right. We can’t let him do that to any other woman. He’s been getting away with it for far too long.” She massages her temples, looking a little perplexed. “Sam, you didn’t want to help me when I asked you. What’s changed?”
“Adam asked me to help. He’s like a brother to me, and he adores you. Family sticks together. Besides, now I know what that rat bastard has been up to, I no longer have any crisis of conscience. I’m happy to help, especially if it’ll put that creep away.” He pauses for a beat. “I’ll send Wes an email from an anonymous account that he’ll never be able to trace.”
She rolls her pretty blues. “He’ll know it’s from Adam.”
“You let me worry about that,” I say, drilling her with a serious look.
She drags her lip between her teeth as fine lines furrow her brow. Silence engulfs us for a few seconds. Air whooshes out of her mouth and her shoulders slump in defeat. “Okay.”
“Good. I’ll work on it. Talk soon.” Then Sam is gone.
Emily wrings her hands together. Suddenly, I’m not sure if it’s nerves or she needs a fix or both.
I close the distance between us. “We’ll get through this. But promise me one thing.”
