Page 12 of Faking it with the Billionaire
I attempt to head in the same direction that we came from. It’s a maze of hallways, and Kyler is right behind me.
He grumbles something unintelligible under his breath. I’m not sure if he’s cursing me or what, but I hurry my pace to get away from him.
Seconds later, he’s strolling alongside me.
Damn his long legs, making it effortless to catch up. “If you want to play games, you can find someone else. I wasn’t hired to entertain you and your brother.”
“Hey, wait a second.” Kyler grabs my arm, and I shrug out of his hold, but I stop walking, turning to face him. I don’t know why I give him the opportunity. Nothing he says is going to make me forgive him for his inexcusable childish behavior.
I stare up at him, waiting for his grand apology.
Boy, am I severely mistaken.
“You can’t quit,” Kyler says. “I signed a contract.”
“You can take up your complaints with Jaxson Monroe, the owner of Eagle Tactical,” I say. “I quit.” I turn on my heel and hurry down the hallway for the exit. Grabbing a ride from his chauffeur seems a bad idea, given the fact I just quit. So, I grab my cell phone and request a ride-share service.
I have to walk around the outside of the stadium to catch my ride. It’s not ideal, but at least it’s still light out.
I eye my phone. My ride is ten minutes out. In the distance, I catch a glimpse of Kyler in his jersey, stalking toward me.
There’s no avoiding him. He’s not out here for a nice leisurely stroll.
“Just great,” I mutter under my breath. “Come to grovel?”
“Hardly.” His jaw is tight, and his eyes are piercing and sharp. His gaze sends butterflies into my stomach as he studies me. “I thought you’d make it a week, M&M. It’s a shame you can’t even realize I was trying to help you.”
“You’re delusional if you think your little antics back there were helpful.”
“They were helpful to me. I needed to see that you were capable of subduing a man twice your size. You proved me wrong. You are plenty qualified to protect my daughter.”
“You should have thought about that before you humiliated me. You know what? It’s not even that. I don’t care that you embarrassed me in front of your teammates. It’s the fact that you blatantly lied to me. How am I supposed to protect someone who can’t be honest with me?”
“You’re supposed to protectmy daughter,” he says.
“Why does your daughter need protecting?” I ask, staring up at him. He’s tall and brooding. I hate the fact that he’s handsome, and I bite down forcefully on my bottom lip, dispelling any such thoughts from my mind.
“Bristol’s mother, Ashleigh, she has ties to the Italian mafia.”
FIVE
KYLER
I hadn’t intendedto share Ashleigh’s secret with anyone. I swore to Ashleigh that I would keep our daughter safe, give her a good home, and protect our daughter from her uncle, Antonio Moretti.
But enrolling Bristol at a private academy had proven more challenging than I originally anticipated. Antonio happens to send his children to the same school. I’m sure it’s a coincidence. The institution is known for being elite and highly sought out.
But the fact that his son and my daughter are in the same class, it’s unsettling. I tried to shake it off as a mere coincidence. Antonio doesn’t know about Ashleigh, Bristol’s biological mother. From what Ashleigh told me, Antonio went missing before she was born. He was kidnapped, but one of those at-home DNA tests had confirmed her suspicions long before she was pregnant with Bristol.
He shouldn’t know about Ashleigh. But it wouldn’t be hard for him to find her. And so, when she became pregnant with Bristol, she wanted to protect our daughter by any means necessary.
I didn’t expect Ashleigh to walk away as a mother or leave me as a single parent. But that’s all in the past.
Ashleigh granted me full custody before disappearing.
“What do you mean Bristol’s mother has ties to the Italian mafia?” Emerson asks. She’s fidgety with the news. Her eyes are wide and bright as she folds her arms, tapping her fingers against her forearm.
“It doesn’t matter. She’s out of the picture. But if the Italians find out Bristol is their blood, I don’t know what they might do.”
