Page 141 of Scrum Heat

Marcus, though?

That bastard’s still fucking smiling.

Rory was right about Denton Vale, and the same applies to this asshole. He’s not playing for the win, either—he’s playing to push us until we give them a reason to shut us down.

Next restart—same story. Jax takes the ball in a clean break. He’s tackled legally, but when he hits the ground, one of Denton’s players “slips” and lands an elbow to the back of his neck.

This time, the whistle doesn’t even come.

Jax rolls to his feet at rapid speed before jumping back to his feet, his fists tight, jaw clenched. Rory steps in front of him fast.

“No.”

“They’re gunning for us,” Jax mutters.

“They want you to retaliate.”

“They want areason.”

“I know,” Rory says quietly. “Don’t give it to them.”

I see the moment Jax chooses restraint. He pulls back, turns away—

And then Marcus walks past, just slow enough for me to hear him.

“Nice leash.”

I laugh once, but it’s sharp, lacking any sense of humor.

“You better hope I never get let off it.”

He raises a brow. “What, you gonna cry into your scent-matched hoodie and kick another penalty?”

I step forward, moving until I’m toe to toe with him.

“We’re still winning.”

He shrugs. “Yeah. For now.”

Rory comes from nowhere and yanks me back. “Theo.”

I let him—but just barely.

Because this isn’t just about rugby anymore.

This is about pride. It’s about Frankie. It’s aboutus.

And if Denton Vale wants to play dirty?

Fine.

Let’s make them bleed for it.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Jax

The locker room is tense.

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