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Ranger and Trey hold me back.
All of us start shouting.
Tony shuts us up when he grabs a glass from the cabinet and throws it against the wall.
“Since I’m going to have to pay for this anyway, might as well enjoy it too,” he says. “Right?”
“I’ll pay for the glasses,” I say. “And the rental. Whatever. Charge me for it, Tony.”
“Cutter, you knew the risks of burying that story for so long. You knew it was about your contract. Your time to cash in on the sport and make something to retire on. I’m sorry it crept back up and I’m sorry we couldn’t stop it in time. Whoever did this was going to release the story no matter what. They wanted fifty million to-”
“Fifty million dollars?” PJ yells. “For a story about having a baby with some woman?” PJ looks at me. “Who the hell did you knock up? The owner’s daughter?”
I lunge for PJ again.
Ranger grabs me and forces me out of the kitchen.
He blocks the way.
“Go,” he says.
“You’re kicking me out of my own house?”
“It’s not your house. It’s a rental. Go.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t tell me,” Ranger says. “Go tell Piper. She’s the one you need to speak with. You’re acting this way because you finally found someone you want to be with. This is you being afraid of losing her. Of getting hurt. It’s you being afraid to be vulnerable to someone who can actually break your heart.”
It requires a lot of control on my part not to punch Ranger.
Only because he’s right.
I step back.
Ranger nods.
Like I’m being coaxed into going to talk to a pretty girl.
Except this is much deeper.
It was just last night when Piper told me not to fuck this up.
Then again, if there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s fucking things up.
I park out front and before I can get to the door, Maryanne is outside on the porch, jumping the railing like a track star hurdler.
“Cutter, what are you doing here?” Maryanne asks.
“I have to talk to her,” I say. “I have to tell her everything.”
“She read it all. I did too.”
“Maryanne, please let me knock on the door. Let Piper slam the door in my face. Okay?”
Maryanne takes the binoculars off from around her neck. “I knew it, Cutter. I saw someone around here. I had this feeling in my gut.”
I nod. “I’m sorry if you felt unsafe in your own home. If it helps, there’s security here now.”
