Page 46 of Ruthless Game

“I called her a—I called her a slut for the hockey team.” Matthew was almost turning purple now from the lack of air.

“And what do you tell her?”

Shit. I tugged on Lawson’s arm again, trying to free Matthew, but I wasn’t tall enough to reach Lawson’s hand around Matthew’s neck.

“Lawson, this isn’t necessary. Let him go before you kill him.”

“Not until he fucking apologizes to you.” He jerked Matthew’s head around, like he was trying to shake words out of him. “Apologize, you little fuck.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Matthew chanted.

“Still not good enough,” Lawson said, shoving Matthew back under water.

“Lawson!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. Then: “Max, stop!”

He froze immediately, releasing Matthew, who fell into the water with one more splash before doggy paddling away.

“You called me Max,” he told me, blue eyes shining like the sun over Lake Gehenom. “You called me Max again, Starburst. I’m …” he shook water out of his hair. “Say it again.”

As if my calling him Max was the most important thing that had just happened, not him almost drowning someone.

“You’re crazy.” Matthew gasped. He’d used the distraction to paddle to the edge of the pool and haul himself out. “You’re both crazy. I’m going to have you arrested and expelled, and her fired. Do you even know who my parents are?”

This was what I’d been worried about. Lawson seemed unworried, because he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me against him, nuzzling my neck like he hadn’t nearly just killed someone for calling me names. “I don’t care who his parents are,” he murmured against my skin. “Not if you call me Max again.”

Skin that was buzzing, and not just from the adrenaline pumping through me. No one had stood up for me like that in years. The last time someone had slut shamed me, it had been Lawson himself. For him to come to my rescue, even unnecessarily, sent fizzles of heat through me. Had things changed?

“You probably should,” I managed. “Because⁠—”

Lawson sighed and released me. “I’ll go take care of it.”

He walked toward the steps leading out of the pool, water dripping off his body, and only then did I realize the most shocking, amazing thing that had happened.

“Lawson,” I called. “Look at you. You’re actually in the water. You got in!”

Turning to me, he grinned, looking for a moment like the boy he’d been. “Guess we know what it takes now.”

And with that he headed off after Matthew to make things … well, probably not right, but at least less risky for both of us.

It had been a long time since I’d had anyone to take care of me or defend me. And as much as I told myself I hated Lawson, it felt better than anything had in a long time.

16

Lawson

I’d always promised myself I wouldn’t turn out like my father. Wouldn’t use my size to intimidate someone else or my fists to solve a disagreement. My father had been horrible in so many ways: drinking, drugs, verbal and physical abuse, and generally just not giving a shit. That wasn’t the man I wanted to be. I’d worked hard to be a friendly, easy-going guy who didn’t let much shake him. Especially after that night my life went to shit. The more I could distance myself from feeling much, the better off I’d be.

But when that asshole called Emma a slut, I no longer gave a shit if beating the crap out of him made me like my father. If waterboarding the guy was how I taught him to be respectful to Emma, then waterboarding it was.

“Hey, jackass,” I called as I followed him into the men’s locker room. Thankfully, it was empty, just me and the idiot who thought he was tough shit until he grew intimate with the sensation of being dunked under water.

“Don’t you fucking come near me! I’m about to call the police,” he told me, his eyes darting around, looking for an escape route. There was the door out to the lobby area, and he started backing toward it, still barefoot in his swim trunks, brandishing his cellphone like some kind of weapon.

“Michael,” I said, “Where are you going? I just want to talk some more.”

He puffed up his chest, trying to look tough. “My name is Matthew!”

I shrugged. “I know.”