Page 104 of Through the Flames
My accusations were backed up by evidence, all of which I made available to those with the power to act.
The deliveries were timed: A foreman would see the email while the plant was doing its morning check, a pastor would have a packet waiting before Sunday service, or a contractor would get a text about a pending audit during the lunch hour.
Little jolts in the aspects of life where it would hurt the most: income, family face, public standing.
I grabbed another plate and slammed it on the bar. Loading up more weight than I should have, because if I was going to carry her, protect her, and build the life she deserved, I had to be unstoppable.
Unbreakable.
Ella hadn’t flinched in the face of my full-on obsession. Hadn’t shied away, hadn’t cared I’d been watching her longer than I should admit, but instead leaned into it.
And that had sealed her fate.
The Combine was fast approaching, and every scout would have their eyes on me. I refused to let them see anything but a machine, but my girl would know the truth.
Every drop of sweat, every rep, every breath —I was doing it for her.
Because when I’d get the call, when I stepped onto the field, it wouldn’t just be my dream. It’d be ours.
My girl. My future.The only thing that mattered.
Twenty Nine
Hunter
I wiped sweat off my face, chest still heaving, and grabbed my phone. It was as much a habit as it was a need.
Her location blinked back at me. She wasn’t home, wasn’tevenclose.
With frantic movements, I zoomed in, my heart pounding against my ribs.
The blue dot blinked merrily, determining my girl’s location at the shitty dive bar in town, with the sticky floors and neon lights.
TheNeon Possum.
A new notification slid down the top of my screen. One of her teammates had posted a story of the whole crew, drinks raised and cheeks flushed from victory.
Scanning the picture, I immediately spotted Ella’s vivid hair right there in the middle. My pulse kicked into a sprint.
I snatched the keys off the bench, feeling them bite into my palm. The drive was a blur of headlights and red lights I barely stopped for.
Every second she spent there laughing, drinking, and letting them bask in her presence scraped against my skin like barbed wire.
My hands gripped the wheel so tightly, my knuckles turned white, and my veins stood out. She didn’t even know what she was doing to me.
Or maybe she did.
Maybe she wanted to test me, see how far I’d go.
The thought made my jaw grind until I tasted copper.
I’d goallthe fucking way.
When I finally swung into the cracked asphalt lot, I knew I was right. Her teammates’ cars lined the row like mocking grins. My chest tightened, as rage and need choked me in equal measure.
She was in there.
The thought alone narrowed my vision, and a hot pulse of violence sparked in my skull. I slammed the truck door shut hard enough to rattle the frame, and my sneakers ate up the pavement.
