Page 66 of Eight Count Heat
My father's office. Which means this wasn't random. Someone specifically targeted my family with information about tonight. Someone who knows exactly how to apply pressure.
"Which regatta are you competing in this weekend?" Mom continues. "You might not want us at the school, but you can't keep us from the regatta. I'll have your father's assistant coordinate our schedule around it."
I close my eyes, knowing I'm trapped. "Riverside Invitational. But Mom, I'm not even sure we're competing yet."
"Nonsense. You're the captain of Westlake's women's team. Of course you're competing."
She doesn't know. Somehow, despite someone calling about a security incident, she still doesn't know I've transferred schools. Which means I have roughly eighteen hours to figure out how to explain why I'm coxing for the Sable Ridge men's team instead of competing with Westlake's women.
"Mom, there's something I need to tell you about that."
"Save it for this weekend, sweetheart. We'll be at Riverside Friday evening. I'm having the concierge at the Riverside Marriott arrange a suite."
She says a hurried goodbye and then the line goes dead, leaving me staring at my phone in mounting panic. My parents are coming to Riverside. They think I'm still at Westlake. And someone, probably Kinsley, has deliberately set this up to expose me at the worst possible moment.
I text Gray immediately:We have a problem. Can I call?
His response comes within seconds:I'm not far. I'll just come back.
As I wait for him to arrive, I pace the small hotel room, mind spinning through possible solutions. There's no way to hide my involvement with Sable Ridge now. No way to explain why I'm not with Westlake's team. No way to avoid the confrontation that's been building since the day I walked away from my old life.
This weekend, at Riverside, my past and present are going to collide in the most public way possible at the first big event of theteam's season. And I have no idea how to survive the impact or keep it from the team.
A knock at my door interrupts my spiraling thoughts. Gray's voice, low and concerned: "Reese? It's me."
I open the door to find him looking concerned, keys still in his hand.
"What happened?" he asks, stepping into the room.
I tell him about the phone call, about my parents' impending arrival, about the deliberate targeting of my family. He listens without interruption, his expression growing grimmer with each detail.
"So someone's playing a longer game," he says when I finish. "This wasn't just about scaring you away from Riverside. It was about forcing a confrontation with your family. Maybe getting you removed from the school. From the team."
"Which means Kinsley knows more about my situation than I thought." I sink onto the bed, sudden exhaustion hitting me. "She's been planning this. Probably since the day she found out I transferred."
Gray joins me on the edge of the bed, careful to maintain space between us. "We'll figure this out. You're part of this team. That's not negotiable."
"My parents won't see it that way." I laugh, but there's no humor in it. "They'll see it as another disappointment. Another way their daughter has failed to meet expectations."
"Then they're idiots," Gray says with such flat certainty that I blink in surprise.
"Gray, you can't just say that about my parents."
"I mean it." He turns to face me fully. "I've watched you command eight Alphas for two weeks. I've seen you make split-second strategic decisions that will win us races. I've seen you stand up to harassment and threats without backing down." His voice intensifies. "Any parent who sees that as failure isn't worth impressing."
The fierce defense catches me completely off guard. Gray Lockwood, who barely acknowledges emotions exist, defending me against parents he's never met.
"Thank you," I say quietly. "For saying that. For all of this."
"Get some sleep," he says, standing. "Tomorrow's going to be challenging enough without you being exhausted."
"Gray?" I call as he reaches the door. "What if I can't do this? What if seeing them, dealing with their reaction... what if I can't cox this weekend?"
He looks back at me, steel gray eyes steady and sure. "Then we'll figure something else out. But Reese? You're stronger than you think. And you're not facing this alone."
When he stands to go, I follow him to the door watching his back. He grabs the handle but instead of opening the door, he stops and turns back to look at me. I stare back, confused, and let out a little yelp of shock when he grabs my shoulder and pulls me into a hug.
His warmth envelopes me and I sink into it instinctively, breathing in the yuzu and sandalwood if his cologne. Pulling in the Alpha scent underneath with desperate breaths as I bury my face in his hoodie. I didn't know I needed to be hugged like that but he doesn't let go until I push gently at his chest.
