Page 71 of Hot Receiver

My shoulders slump.

“But don’t wait too long, either.” She wrings her hands together. “Zak cares about you. It’s obvious. Don’t miss out on that.” Her sad smile makes my stomach wrench. “Maybe one day some guy will look at me the way he does you.”

“You’re amazing. Any guy in his right mind would give his left nut to have you.”

She gives me a little shove and pushes me away. “Go find him. Be happy. You know you want to.”

“You’re the best. I mean it, Anna. You’re fucking incredible.” I pull her in for a tight hug and squeeze when her assistant Melanie’s panicked voice barges in on our goodbye. She rushes toward us, her iPad in hand.

“Thank God I found you,” she says to Anna, her eyes wide. “I was so worried. There’s a huge accident outside, and when you didn’t show up for your speech, I freaked out that you might have been out there.”

“What happened?” I ask.

“People say a car ran a red light at the corner and got nailed by an oncoming SUV. There are cops and ambulances everywhere. I don’t know how bad it is, but it definitely doesn’t sound good.”

People spill out of the dining room as we walk toward the front of the venue.

Sirens blare, flashes of red light up the night sky.

“I hope everyone is okay,” Anna murmurs, biting down on her lower lip.

They walk toward the door, and I follow behind. Someone grabs me by the shoulder and pulls me backward.

I jerk away and turn, my eyes narrowing when I see Brett seething.

“If you think you’re gonna get away with what you pulled today before the game, you’re wrong, Harrison.” He leans in close, his eyes spitting fire. “I’ve kept your secret for a long time, dick. And you have the nerve to make an ass out of me like that? You’re gonna pay royally for that.”

A rush of anger surges through me. “You’ve kept my secret because I kept yours, you prick. I let everything happen, and I’ve fucking regretted it ever since. If I don’t deserve my spot, then neither do you.”

“You’ve got no proof, Harrison,” he sneers. “Not like I do. It’ll be your word against mine if it comes out.”

“Then why the fuck do you look so panicked right now?”

Brett smiles, a slow, demonic smile that makes my blood curdle in my veins. “You’ve got too much to lose. You’re not gonna do a goddamn thing. And after I show the proof I have, nobody will believe anything you have to say.”

“You’ll look like you’re trying to blame the loss on some bullshit reason instead of taking it like a man and being better next time around. You wanna blame anyone, blame yourself. You’re the captain, yeah? You’re the one who’s supposed to set an example for the team. Think about that before you walk around making threats you can’t deliver on.”

I turn back to the door and step back into the crowd when Anna runs inside, her eyes wide with fear.

“Matt,” she cries out. “The car that was hit… it was Zak’s. You need to get out here.”

The din of the crowd mutes the noise in my head. Anna pulls me through the throng of people until we’re standing at the curb.

“You need to stand back. Nobody gets closer.” A cop stands in front of the crowd, his thick arms folded over his chest.

Blood rushes between my ears, my temples pounding like my head is a gong. The area is blocked off by bright yellow caution tape. I scour the scene for any glimpse of Zak. My eyes land on the crumpled mess that used to be Zak’s car.

“I need to get in there,” I choke out.

The cop lifts an eyebrow. “I don’t give special treatment, even to football stars.”

“Please,” I say. “He’s my…he’s my family.”

Anna squeezes my hand tight. “Please, Officer.”

He looks at her and his grimace melts away. He lets out a deep sigh and calls over another cop.

“Take Mr. Harrison back there,” he mumbles to the other cop. “Says one of the victims is family. Make sure he gets to the person he’s looking for.”

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