Page 47 of Catch Me

I hear a few cars start up and see some drive down the street past us shortly afterward.

“They just disappeared around the corner of the building.”

This spurs everyone to move. Lex first, then Cade. Reid pulls me behind him while still keeping his hand latched securely in mine. When we come around the side of the building, I see Oscar and Eli talking like it could be any conversation, but when Eli turns to see us, he goes from curious gaze to wide eyes in a nanosecond. “Fuck.”

He tries to make a run for it, but we—the five of us, Oscar included—close ranks around him until Eli’s back is pressed against the side of the brick building and we’ve formed a semi-circle around him. “Not getting away this time,” Lex says.

Eli turns to Oscar. “You fucker.”

Oscar just shrugs and puts on one of his devilish grins. “Well, I really did need to talk to you, and technically, it kind of is about Sasha. I didn’t lie about everything.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Eli says. He turns to Reid. “I haven’t looked at your girl. Not once. I haven’t touched her, looked at her, thought about her...”

Reid’s green eyes flare. “We’re not here about that. What I want is proof you and Sasha scheming tried to take me out. You got text messages implicating Sasha’s dirty ass in this shit, or are we just going to kick your ass? It’s long fucking overdue.” He lets go of my hand and crosses his arms over his chest. His intimidation factor just went up a hundred degrees. Oddly, so did his sexiness factor.

“I told you I was done with this shit,” Eli tries again. He has a long, thin nose and super gelled dark hair. “I told you her parents were going to throw me in jail. Besides, a tackle’s a tackle. You don’t need to be a bitch about it.”

Reid, Lex, and Cade step in closer, so I follow suit. “A fair hit’s a fair hit,” Lex says. “What you did was fucked up. I know it wasn’t just you on my QB, and I also know it wasn’t your idea. But don’t stand there and tell me you’re just a victim in all this.”

“I’m not looking to get you in trouble,” Reid says, the shadows on his face darkening. “You’re right. It was out on the field. A hit’s a hit. You sacked me fair and square. I want to know Sasha’s involvement. I don’t give a shit about you unless it’s to beat your ass like I should have that night at the party for fucking with my girl.”

I feel Oscar’s eyes settle on me. It makes a tickle of unease settle in the back of my neck. He didn’t know about the hotel room and what Richards and Sasha tried to do.

Reid continues. “And don’t think that by not talking you’re sparing Sasha either. She gives as many fucks about you as I do.”

Eli runs his hands through his hair. His gaze darts behind us like he wishes his football buddies would come back. I hope they don’t.

“I was hoping I wouldn’t have to do this…” Oscar stalks away from the group. I watch him as he moves to his car, which I now notice is parked on the street a few down. He opens up the back door and brings out a baseball bat.

“Aw, fuck,” Eli says, teeth clenched.

Cade lifts his eyebrows, but turns his attention back to Eli. “You know he’s from Heights, right? I don’t think he’s playing. He doesn’t give a fuck about playing fair.”

“If I get shit…” Eli starts.

Oscar’s voice carries over to us on his way back to the group. “We both know Sasha hasn’t contacted you since she got me.”

“The team’s everything to me, man,” Eli says, eyeing Oscar the entire time as he moves back into the group, the bat lying on his shoulder all casual-like.

“I said I wasn’t interested in getting you,” Reid says. “If you ask me, Sasha needs to get taken down. She thinks she can get whatever she wants whenever she wants. She played you. She played me. She’s playing Oscar.”

I sneak a peek at Oscar, but his face is made of stone. His fingers are white-knuckling the grip on the bat like he could take a swing at any moment.

I never thought about how convenient a bat might be in a fight. And here all I have is pepper spray to warn off an attacker.

Oscar sighs. “Did I mention my patience sucks?” He turns toward the rest of us. “Fuck this. He’s not talking.” He raises the bat and takes a step forward, bringing it back like he’s about to swing for the fences.

“Fuck, fuck. Okay!” Eli’s nostrils flare, his hands outstretched. “She asked me to hit you hard. She wanted you to get injured. I wore a weighted vest, even had weighted metal wrapped around my forearms and went right for your helmet with it. Okay? Fuck!”

“That was the fucking noise I heard,” Lex growls. “You piece of shit.” Lex steps toward him, his fist moving back.

Eli brings his hands up in front of his face when Oscar also takes a menacing step forward again. “Where I come from, we get retribution for that fucked up pussy shit.”

Cade holds his hand out to stop Oscar and Lex. My stomach clenches as I study Oscar’s profile. It looks like he’s out for his own blood, like he has a personal stake in the matter and not like he’s doing this for someone he came to Spring Hill to ruin, anyway. But like he’s said before, he’s a man of opportunity. Maybe he’s more like a man who just likes bloodshed and fear.

Reid steps closer. “Listen to me, you fucking asshole. I haven’t been able to play since you gave me that hit. I’ve got some fucking clown in my spot, and I’m not leaving here until you make it right one way or another. Either we kick your fucking ass. Or you give me something to use on Sasha. Since I’m guessing you like to play as much as I do, I’ll give you the courtesy you didn’t give me. Look through your fucking cell. Find me something.”

My mouth dries. I watch the thinly veiled anger seethe through Reid, settling in the tight lines of his back. In front of him, Eli pulls out his phone and starts pressing the screen frantically. Finally, he says, “Here. Here’s something.”

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