Page 126 of Good Girl's Guide to Love
“It’s just all too coincidental,” Stella says as she digs her phone out of her purse. “Did Katie and Brad know each other?”
All eyes are on Linc as he thinks about it for a second. Except Stella, who’s been activated into private investigator mode. “Not that I know of. I was introduced to Katie throughmy agent, but Brad isn’t represented by him. Then again, Katie’s an independent publicist, so she might work with a lot of sports agencies, for all I know? And she was randomly wearing a T-shirt with his name on the back once. I don’t fucking know anymore.”
“And where does Dipshit fit in?” Quinn asks. “God, that name just feels right.”
“If Katie is as crazy as we think, she could’ve found him easily,” I say. “I still have old pictures of him on social media. I’m sure that line isn’t hard to draw. And now that I think about it, I bet that first blog that came out about me? That had to all come from him. He would’ve been the only one to know those kinds of details who would’ve talked to her.”
“And I’m convinced now that Katie is the one who was the source for all the hit pieces against me,” Linc says. “I had to tell her everything when I hired her. She used it all against me.”
We all fall silent, letting all the possibilities run through our minds, when an alert goes off on Linc’s phone.
“It’s the Fury,” he says as he answers. “Hello?”
The room is silent as we watch every reaction he has. Because if the photos and videos are as bad as we think—and if the Fury doesn’t believe him—that’s it. Season over.
And that can’t happen. I won’t let it.
“Okay, thanks. I’ll see you guys in an hour.” Linc says as he puts the phone down, the color draining from his face.
“Are they out?”
He nods and navigates to something on his phone. “It’s not good.”
I suck in a breath as I look over his shoulder. I’m guessing everyone else is reading along with us on their phones, judging by the gasps and cuss words floating in the room.
The Brawl on Broadway: Nashville Fury’s Linc Kincaid and girlfriend get into heated fight for all to see
The headline takes some liberties. Sure, the bar was on Broadway, but we were in an alley. And for "all to see" is also a stretch.
But that doesn’t matter when there are photos and videos of everything.
Me running toward Katie. Me slapping Katie. In my defense, Jonathan had just slipped up and told me that Katie reached out to him and said she had a way to get me back, but he needed to help her.
But the worst part of the whole video is the clip of Jonathan running into Linc, which is cropped and framed in just way that absolutely makes it look like Linc punched him.
My heart sinks when I see it. This could be it for Linc. And all because of me.
“I’m so sorry,” I say, wrapping my arms around him. “This is all my fault.”
“Don’t you fucking dare,” he says as he pulls me onto his lap. “A smart woman told me once that we were a team. And that’s what we are now.”
We sit in silence for a second, forgetting that my siblings are all around us, as we try our best to comfort each other. The problem is, there’s nothing we can do when we don’t know what the future holds.
“He clearly ran into you,” Maeve says. “Is he really trying to say he was punched?”
“Apparently,” Linc says. “That phone call was also to let me know that Dipshit plans on suing me for injuries and emotional damage. So I guess I need a lawyer.”
“Don’t you worry, it’ll be taken care of,” Logan says. “I have plenty at my disposal. Simon does as well. You just tell us what you need and it’s done.”
“Thanks but?—”
He shakes his head. “No buts. It’s done.”
Linc nods and tears come to my eyes, everything starting to hit me.
“What else can we do?” Quinn asks. “What else did the Fury just say?”
Linc’s face is covered in defeat. “They want to talk to me in an hour. Our head of communications. Coach McAvoy. My agent. It doesn’t look good. And if everyone is in that talk, and I’m really being sued, I have a feeling I’m about to get suspended. And that’s if I’m lucky.”
