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I groaned and threw the phone on my mattress. “Fuck my life!” How in the hell was I going to get out of this one? Mom had clearly seen through my lame-ass excuse. Under no circumstances could Brie see my face. I wasn’t worried about what had happened so far—I was always covered—but if she did see me, she would know who I am. Massaging the back of my neck, my brain scrambled for a legit excuse to try and get out of helping Mom. Dammit. In my opinion, I’d already given her a solid reason, though, and she pulled the parent card on me. Mom didn’t do it often, but when she did, there was no use arguing with her.
I sat up, my bare feet landing on the walnut wood floors. My gaze swept the room, then landed on my navy-blue baseball hat. Maybe it would help if I wore it low on my forehead, then Brie couldn’t see me very well.
While I showered, I recalled the evening before. Brie hadn’t ever seen my face at the society, but that was the least of my worries. I could almost imagine the shock registering over her pretty features and her cherry-red lips forming an O.
Seeing tears in her eyes last night when I came all over her cheeks and hair made me hard just thinking about it. I used the soap to lather up, then wrapped my fingers around my shaft. With each stroke, my mind drifted to her well-rounded tits and ass. But her mouth. Jesus, I bet that mouth was like a goddamn hoover. My lips parted as I imagined entering her sweet, wet pussy and banging her so hard we were breathless. I moaned with my release, but the name that left my tongue wasn’t Brie—it was Lyndsay.
I pounded on the shower wall, then leaned my forehead against it as the pain and rage swirled inside of me. The memories of her laugh, the softness of her hands on my body, her wide-eyed innocence that she’d shared with me … What had happened to make that girl disappear and the new one take her place?
Disgusted, I reminded myself that girl was gone, and she’d left me to fucking rot. I slammed my eyes closed, a lump of anguish lodging in my throat.
“Fake Statue of Liberty, Hail Mary … Hidden Ball Play.” Water streamed down my face as I continued to call out football plays, seeing each of them unfold in my mind.
When my thoughts quieted, I took a deep breath and tried to figure out how in the hell I was going to manage the situation with Brie and my mom.
Once again, when I thought the universe had dealt me a sweet hand, it turned into a fucking shitshow. At first, Brie landing in my parents’ rental was exactly what I needed. I hadn’t expected it to bite me on the goddamn ass, though. Not to mention, I had to clean up my own fucking mess and swap out the locks. That wasn’t the problem. I would have a new key, but an alarm system was a big issue all on its own. If my parents wanted to add cameras, there was no way I would be able to stay off the radar, which meant I had to change my plan.
Once I showered and dressed, I grabbed my baseball hat and phone, then hurried down the stairs and into the kitchen. When I bought the place, I had a designer come in and help with the kitchen remodel. The rest of the place needed new floors and paint, but it was in great shape. The two-thousand-square-foot house had offered enough space for a gym, three bedrooms, two baths, and now had a top-of-the-line kitchen and outside patio. It was my heaven. Too bad the devil was knocking, ruining my solitude.
I had just enough time to make some eggs and a large cup of coffee before Mom arrived. My short hair had dried, for the most part, so I slipped on the hat before I met her at the door, then locked it behind me.
“I certainly hope you’ve had an attitude adjustment.” Mom crossed her arms over her chest, pinning me with a don’t-mess-with-me look.
I drew her in for a big hug, then placed a noisy kiss on her cheek. “I’m sorry, Mom. I was asleep and not thinking clearly. I didn’t mean to be a jerk. You know I’ll do anything for you.” I meant every word I just said. I would do anything for her, but the situation was about to kick me in the ass if I didn’t play my cards right.
The tension eased from her small frame, and I released her. Tears welled in her blue eyes. “Apology accepted. This is so serious, honey. Poor Brie is a wreck, and the idea that someone can break in and cause damage to someone else’s home unnerves me. If anything happened to her, and I had to call her family ...” Mom looked away, pursing her lips.
“Hey, we’ll get it fixed. Try not to stress. Let’s get over there so you can talk to Brie while I work on the locks. What time will the security company arrive?” I slid my arm around Mom’s shoulders as we walked to her Mercedes. I opened the driver’s door for her, then hurried to the passenger’s side and climbed in.
“They’ll be there at two. I paid extra for a Sunday installation, but keeping Brie safe is my main priority at the moment.”
“That’s what makes you an amazing person. You really want to do right by people.” I squeezed her hand as she shifted the car into drive, then headed toward the rental.
“Thank you, honey. Your dad loaded the trunk with the new locks, tools, paint, and everything else you’ll need for the job.”
“Okay.”
Mom focused on the back road from my place to the rental, and my thoughts returned to what my fate would most likely look like in a few minutes. Although Mom and Dad knew about my past, they didn’t know a lot of details. All the secrets that I preferred to stay buried were about to climb out of the grave and haunt me all over again. Panic spiraled through me.What if I lose everything?Would the NFL no longer be interested once they found out who I was and where I came from? If that happened, I could kiss my career goodbye. No team would want me after that, and my dream would go down in a blaze. What if the guys voted me out of the society, then gave me the cold shoulder on and off the football field? These people and things were my life—my home—and I would defend it at all costs.
My heart skipped a beat as Mom pulled into the driveway. Before I could say a word, she turned off the engine, then jumped out and made a beeline for the entrance. The door opened a crack, then far enough to let Mom in. I couldn’t see Brie, but for now, I would count my blessings.
Pulling the hat down lower, I hoped like hell it was enough to disguise my face. Once I unloaded the items from the trunk, I made my way to the house. Out of courtesy, I knocked before I let myself in. Well, it wasn’t out of courtesy for Brie, but my mom would rip me a new one if I were rude.
Mom and Brie were at the kitchen table when I entered, and Brie barely glanced up. She and Mom were in a deep conversation, which worked for me. Mom held her hand while big tears streamed down Brie’s cheeks. It made me happy as hell to see her so wrecked.
I took a step back and admired my handiwork on the walls. When I painted last night, the place had been quiet and peaceful. Brie was sound asleep in her bed, and I closed her bedroom door so the paint fumes wouldn’t wake her. Plus, I opened the kitchen window for some ventilation. It hadn’t taken long to leave my message, along with my signature scorpion.
“Honey, are you sure you don’t want to call your parents? If you were my daughter, I would want to know. And I’m happy to refund the rent money if you need to go home to Tennessee,” Mom said.
I set the items down on the kitchen counter, holding my breath that Brie would agree to leave.
“No. I think with an alarm system and new locks, I’ll be fine. I know I’m rattled, but I’ve never been one to run. Besides, if whoever comes back, I’ll be waiting.” Her voice shook with the threat.
Bring it on, little girl. I will always win.
“Okay, but I think you should at least tell your parents what happened.” Mom patted Brie’s arm.
I forced back a scream that threatened to erupt. Mom had no idea who Brie really was—what she’d done.
