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I feel my jaw clench. Because she’s right. And Iknewit. And I did it, anyway. Because part of me still thought I didn’t deserve better.

“I didn’t want to bother anyone,” I say quietly. “You’ve all done enough?—”

“Oh, don’t give me that crap,” Ava snaps, eyes flashing. “You’d walk through fire for anyone on this team, but the secondyouneed help, you go radio silent and let yourself drown like that’s the only story you know how to tell.”

“Easy, princess,” Lucas says.

“You are part of this family,” she says, softer now. “And if anyone tries to screw with you, legally or otherwise, they’re going to have to go through us first. But you have to let us in.”

I nod again, slower this time. “I’m sorry,” I say. “You’re right.”

“Damn right I am,” she mutters and crosses back to her seat. “You’re getting every fucking penny back, and she’s going to agree to give you profit from that penthouse?—”

“She can keep it. That was for her. She loves that place. I just want a divorce.”

“She doesn’t love it too much. She sold it for double three months ago.”

“That’s—”

“Twice what you paid for it. It will all be yours.”

“I appreciate whatever you can do, but I was told it was never in my name.”

“Perhaps that’s true, but the down payment was written from your account,” she points out.

“All I want is a divorce. If I can get that done, no matter the cost, I would be eternally grateful.”

“I have them by the balls,” Ava snaps. “I can’t wait to see them in court. Let those old monied NYC elitist fucks?—”

I swallow back the bile rising in my throat and stop her. “I’m going to ask you not to.”

“Why the hell?—”

“Ava,” Ryan Brooks cuts her off. “It’s a lot of information to process in five minutes when you’ve been living it for years. You think we can get through the season and deal with it then?”

“That leaves him without a contract and us an open roster spot. I’m not chancing that they haven’t paid off some judge to take any more of his hard-earned money.”

The room gets smaller, and air becomes a little harder to take in, but I cannot do this shit.

“I’ve gone this long. I need to stand my ground. I won’t take this to court. My life isn’t for public consumption in the media.”

“Even if it means you don’t have a contract? Jesus, Grimes, we?—”

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

Lucas cuts her off. “His call, Ava. We have bigger fish to fry. This isn’t connected, and it waits until after the playoffs.”

“All right, Kolby, let’s head out,” Ryan says.

“I’ll catch up with you tomorrow,” Lucas says, squeezing my shoulder. “Fuck the noise. Head in the game.”

I nod.

We walk silently through the corridors and outside into the crisp air.

“This way.” He nods toward an SUV.

I was surprised to notice that Jade’s and Ryan’s vehicles were navy blue, not black like the majority of the owners’ vehicles.