Page 99 of Broken Play
Shock covers Anna's face, and I want to believe she didn't do this, but we have proof. "Who?" she asks.
I close my eyes and feel tears pricking at the corners. "You," I mumble.
"Anna. Why would you do this to your best friend?" Greyson asks, squeezing my hand.
"What? I would never. She's my bestie forever."
I find the courage to stare into her eyes. "We have proof that all of the videos and demands came from your computer." One tear rolls down my cheek, and I quickly wipe it away because someone who would do this to me doesn't deserve my tears.
Bodhi's head whips around in disbelief. Damn, they're good actors.
Greyson's phone rings, and it's Witt, so he answers it. "I've got you on speaker. Did you find out anything?"
Witt's voice is changing, and it cracks a few times before he finishes. "The blackmailer tried to get cute—masked his IP with a VPN, kept bouncing it all over the place. But he made a rookie mistake. He ran it through Anna's connection every time she played a match. I finally pieced it together. It's Francisco. Every single message was fired off during one of Anna's games or practices. He thought hiding behind tech would protect him, but he got sloppy."
All heads turn to Francisco. "That's bullshit."
"Greyson, I'm not done," Witt interrupts from the speakerphone.
Frustrated, Greyson asks, "Do you know who Francisco was working with? I think I know. Bodhi, right?"
"Sorry, it's Sutton's brother."
Sutton's shoulders fall, and she backs away from the table.
Francisco continues to yell, "It wasn't me!"
Anna glares at Francisco, tears in her eyes, but her voice is clear as she says, "I can't believe you blackmailed Sutty. She's my best freaking friend. You love her." She stands, dragging Francisco from the table and pushing her finger into his chest. I'm lost. Why would Francisco do this to me?
Francisco's face turns an angry red. "Because you'refucking Bodhi," he screams and bulldozes his way out of the house, but Greyson is right behind him.
Unsure what to make of all these revelations, I call the police. "I'm filing a restraining order so you can't come within one thousand feet of us. You can't contact us. If it were up to me, you would rot in jail for extortion, playing God with other people's lives. So, fucking what if you got cheated on? Move on."
I watch it all unfold and then address my brother. "Why would you help him?"
"Because Dad chose you when I've been with him my whole life. It wasn't fair."
"Life isn't fair. It isn't fair that I grew up without parents. Or that Greyson's mom died after giving birth to his brother. It isn't fair that Paulina just lost the last piece of family she had. I gave you a job so you could prove yourself after rehab, so that you could work your way up."
"That's the thing, sis," he hisses. "You just waltzed into the best job with no experience, but I... I have to work my way up."
Bodhi's and Anna's mouths hang open, and I'm beginning to understand they had nothing to do with the videos or blackmailing me.
The cops pull up without their red and blue lights. Greyson drags Francisco back inside, and I say, "I'd like to press charges against Francisco and Heath for blackmail, extortion, and whatever else I can charge them with. Heath, you violated me in the worst way. I'll never forgive you."
Greyson wraps his arm around me and says, "I want every copy of that tape. Every trace of Sutton and me erased from your phones, computers, etc. If I find one picture leaked, I will sue you for everything you've got. I'll ruinyou. Sutton is mine. If you reach out by any digital means, I'll have my lawyers find out every bad thing you've ever done. Because a guy doesn't start out with blackmail."
The cops lead them out and put them in the police car. They're able to hold them for forty-eight hours, and if the district attorney doesn't charge them, they'll be set free. Greyson shows me a text from Witt.
Witt: I've sent all the information to the police. They should have enough to charge them.
Greyson: Couldn't have done this without you. How can I repay you?
Witt: It's all good.
"What the hell just happened, and what are you talking about... blackmail and videotapes?" Bodhi asks.
"Someone—well, not someone, I guess it was my brother—filmed us in the locker room in a compromising position and demanded that we break up, that Greyson be benched, and that we pay ten million dollars, or they would release the tape. We thought it was you, and... Anna. Witt said it came from your computer, and I thought you were in on it. I'm sorry."
