Page 21 of Hot Receiver

“You don’t fucking deserve it,” I rasp. “You only care about yourself. Nobody else. You took the money I sent to Mom for bills, and you pissed it away on Christ only knows what. I came down here to save your ass. If I didn’t, what the hell would they have done to Summer? Or Missy or Mom? How the hell can you be this selfish?”

“I do the best I can to take care of my family. Not all of us have million-dollar paychecks. And if it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t, either.”

A disbelieving laugh escapes my lips. “Oh, are you taking credit for my football career? Did I miss the part where you had anything to do with it at all?”

“I let you leave when you should have shown more loyalty to your family than yourself. You couldn’t get out of here fast enough when you had the chance.”

“Because I knew I could help you more if I was able to make good money than if I was working bullshit jobs around here. Seems like I was the only one of the two of us who gave a damn about the big picture.”

Dad’s eyes narrow, spitting fire. “I didn’t ask you to come here.”

“No, but you knew I’d never let anything happen to the girls. You used me as a safety net all the time because you’re a pathetic excuse for a husband and father.”

I can’t swallow back the fury anymore. It spews and spews, years of anger and accusations unfurling from my lips like a cheap rug.

“You’re not going anywhere near those fuckers again. You’re gonna be the man you promised Mom you’d be, thefather you promised your kids you’d be.” I lean close to him. “If one hair on any of their heads is hurt in any way, I will let those drugged-up assholes chop you up and sink you to the bottom of the goddamn Ohio River.”

I stare at my father, daring him to touch me again or slice into me with a single scathing word.

“You may have ruined your life, but I won’t let you ruin anyone else’s.”

He already came too goddamn close eight years ago.

My brain trips back to Zak, and the guilt that torments me every day.

I destroyed his life and almost destroyed my own in the process.

Money definitely can’t buy my fucking freedom. The more money I have, the tighter the noose around my neck.

And the one person who knows my truth will eventually be back to tug it.

I know that he’s just watching and waiting for the right time.

Chapter 10

Zak

Isweep my eyes over the sea of press people jammed into the conference room at the stadium. Bunch of fucking vultures just waiting to tear into me because I dared to stand up for myself. I wonder how many of them already posted this shit on their stupid blogs because they want their one minute of fame and figure they’ll go after it at my expense.

“Stop grimacing,” Marc hisses as he scrolls through screens on his phone. “It’s almost go-time. Where the hell is Harrison?”

A group of photogs hangs outside the room where we’re hosting the press conference and I know they’re waiting for Matt to show up. I’m not the real star here, he is.

Or will be when he finally shows up.

My heart beats a little bit harder. Did he go back to Anna’s last night after he left Marc’s office?

Oh Christ, I can’t even think about that. He’s obviously fucking her, and last night, Marc all but told him to do it as much as possible to keep the focus on him and his star-wielding powers. Panic rises in my chest. I can’t think about what he does to her, knowing how badly I want him for myself.

And damn, I didn’t expect that realization to hit me like a runaway freight train when I saw him last night at that event.

I felt his eyes on me every second that I stood against the wall outside Marc’s building waiting for my ride to show up. Leaving him brought back so many toxic memories. I couldn’t bring myself to so much as peek in his direction the whole time I was outside because I knew if he looked back, he’d see everything I’ve been trying to hide, everything he dredged up by coming after me last night to save me from myself.

He should have just left me to deal with those ignorant assholes on my own.

Apprehension grates on my nerves.

“Just remember what we talked about. Put the focus on your time at Ohio State. This is a reunion, not a courtroom, okay?”

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