Page 119 of Off Court Fix

“You’re a good athlete, but you’re in yourstrugglingera. People won’t think anything of it after what you’ve gone through this season. They’ll see the same inconsistency you’ve had on the court since this spring. That makes youperfectin my eyes, Maxine.”

Hunter’s words make me perfect to be a cheat, to be his cash cow. But he doesn’t know how much more I’d rather be labeled a whore, a slut, than a cheat.

“And you’re aware of the terms?”

“What if I don’t play how you want me to?”

Hunter’s face hardens. “Then wealllose. This isn’t some amateur bullshit where people put twenty bucks on you to win the entire match. There’s a science here and lots of money. You win the first set, lose the next two, or everything you’ve worked so hard to hide will be on the front page of theNew York Timesthe morning after the match.”

“Crosby warned me about you.” I make sure my words are clear as I lean against the door. “He said you’re always up to no good.”

Hunter smiles. “You should’ve listened then, little girl.”

“I guess so.”

Hunter places his glass on the hood of my car. “He said something about you way back. That you couldn’t be bought.”

And you should’ve listened.

“He’s right,” I say. “What you’re doing is extortion.”

“I said, everyone has a price. Yours just happens not to have a number on it, because whatevercutI’d give you under normal circumstances for throwing the match, I’m keeping to put toward that million and a half bucks you got me on the line for.” Hunter’s eyes narrow before relaxing. “But I should thank you. I guess it was rather good for optics. You could’ve given me a heads-up first.”

“Where’s the fun in that? I prefer to keep people on their toes.”

Hunter presses his lips together. “I bet you do. So, are we set? How about a celebratory drink?”

My eyes look over his shoulder at the back of the bar.

“My brother used to come here?”

Hunter nods. “From time to time. When he wanted to turn a couple hundred bucks into something else. Never had much luck most of the time. Hard to be strategic when you’re...” He pauses. “Well, under the influence is putting it mildly. Your brother was out of his damn mind. But since you’re here, I gather you got what was left of his estate.”

I look down at my bag in the front seat. “I’m returning it to you. I don’t want it.”

Raising his head to the night sky, Hunter laughs. “What’s with people? That’s free money.”

“It’s blood money to me. Because what you’re doing in there? It can wreck lives.” I press my lips together, focusing on Hunter’s car parked beside mine before I look back at him, standing there without a care in the world that his actions have consequences. And all I see is another person trying to take advantage of me, another person in this life wanting more out of my mind, my body, my spirit.

But Hunter isn’t like Mason, who most of the time, couldn’t know any better.

He isn’t like my father, who backed off when I finally told him enough.

Hunter is justevil.

“No. Here’s where you’re wrong, Max. Business is business. I’ve got clients who pull in six figures amonthtrading down on Wall Street, and I’ve got people coming to me who shop with food stamps. I don’t care where they come from, who they are. They have cash, they can play the damn game.”

And that’s exactly my point—addiction doesn’t discriminate. It infests without caring who its victims are or where they come from, whether they wear tailored suits to the office or they bag groceries in the supermarket.

“So you let them know your tricks?”

Hunter shrugs. “A select few. I need losers as much as I need winners to avoid the attention.” He digs into his pocket, pulling out his cell phone.

I shake my head. “Who are you texting?”

“I’m texting the select few that this is a sure thing, that you’re in it for them to win it even though you’re going to lose on purpose.”

I scoff and open my door, reaching into my bag where the money is stashed, but I pause. I don’t want to even touch the envelope. Instead, my hand floats to the other side of the bag, where I take out my rackets, leaving one on the seat and keeping one in my hand.

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