Page 114 of The No Try Zone
Frank moves toward me.
“And before you take another step, I’d like to remind you that not only is he recording us, but there are cameras all over this place capturing everything.”
He halts, considering.
“Get the fuck out of my face.” My voice is deadly calm. I’ve already punched an opposing team’s player tonight; this snake is nothing but a nuisance.
“You’re finished,” he warns, then turns to leave.
Once he’s turned the corner, I look back at Sullivan. “Did you get all that?”
He thumbs the phone to stop recording and flips it around so I can see. “Every last word.”
I exhale, glad I trusted my instincts. Turns out that it’s not Sullivan who’s the issue; it was Frank the whole time. “Good. You want to help me get this press conference situated?”
He grins. “You really giving me the exclusive on the backstory?”
“Seems only fair.”
“Deal.”
A little later, after Sullivan and I have sorted out a few more details and I’m up in my room, I text Neesha.
How is she?
Shaken up, but okay.
She tell you the story?
Yes
All of it?
Enough.
Is she in her room?
No. She’s staying in mine.
An ache lances across my heart. I want nothing more than to curl around her and protect her. I want to fucking kill that asshole who put his hands on her. But neither of those things are options at the moment.
Thank you for taking care of her. Tomorrow morning at nine I’m doing a press conference. I set it up with Sullivan after you two left.
Should I be worried?
Not at all. Or…maybe a little.
Am I going to have to fire you?
I grin.
Hope not. Thanks again.
I close out of the text with her and pull up a text to Sam next. My thumbs hover over the screen as I try to decide what to type.Are you okayseems like a stupid thing to ask, because no, she’s definitely not okay.I love you, I’m an idiot, please watch the sports channel at nine tomorrow morningalso doesn’t seem like the way to go. In the end, I settle on something safe.
Hi. Feel like talking?
She doesn’t answer.
