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The four ball and the nine ball.
Several guys laugh as realization crosses Chase’s face.
“What? How? That’s impossible.” Chase pulls the nine ball out of the pocket and stares at it.
“It’s all in the backspin.” I say as I hand off the cue to Rhett. “This was fun, but I’m going home. I’ll see you all in a couple of days.”
“Wait, I’ll come with you.” Spencer jogs toward me. “You drove us here.”
Rhett downs his beer and says, “I’m coming, too.”
We say our goodbyes to the team and head downstairs.
A group of bikers stands at the bottom of the steps with their arms crossed. “Just who we were looking for. The one and only Joseph Marino.”
I am not in the mood to be confronted by a wannabe gang.
“Where’s Gage? These look like some of his people.” I try to push past them, but they step in my path.
The middle man with a Santa Claus white beard says, “Listen here, wannabe frat boy. We are here to deliver a message. Nothing more. Nothing less.”
“Well, go on, because you’re wasting my time, and my time is valuable.”
He ignores my dig and says, “We were sent by the Emerald City Reapers. They want you to know they have video evidence of the attack from three days ago. They know you destroyed Giuseppe Rossi’s house, and as soon as they find him, they will take the evidence to the police and have all of you arrested.”
“What attack?” I play dumb, hoping like hell that they are bluffing.
Santa doesn’t take the bait. “You’re done. All of you. Your daddy won’t be able to buy his way out of this.”
I glance at the men standing at my sides. “Any idea of what he’s talking about?”
Both men shake their heads, but I can see the fear and worry in their eyes. They mimic my own.
We were supposed to scrub the video footage at Rossi’s house, but we must have forgotten. Now, it could bring my entire family down. Everything we’ve worked to build will be gone in an instant.
Part of me feels relieved.
I could live a normal life with Alexandra and our baby. If she ever forgives me.
“You can play dumb all you want, but the truth will come out and your futures will be wiped in a second.”
The bikers turn around and leave without another word.
I stare at Rhett and throw his words back at him. “It will be a good distraction for me tonight, huh?”
He shrugs. “It was supposed to be a small distraction from your personal problems.”
“Yeah, well, now we have bigger problems to deal with.”
When will I get a break?
Chapter Twenty-Three
ALEXANDRA
My phone chimes with a notification.Grabbing my phone off my coffee table, I see a new post from the Savannah Sharks social media account. Also known as the Director of Public Relations, who just happens to be Francesca Marino.
The picture shows the guys warming up before this afternoon’s game in San Diego. She must have asked a reporter or a fan to take the picture.