Page 56 of Call the Shots (For The Arena #1)

JUNE

THE DUMBEST MISCONDUCT

Usually my shifts at the Colo began with checking our social media numbers, scheduling future posts, and responding to emails, but I drummed my fingers on the fold-out table, waiting for Riley to arrive to our meeting.

“Why is this so early?” Riley demanded, closing the door behind him. “Where’s Vernon?” His eyes narrowed. “Where’s Denali?”

The truth was, I had specific instructions for the Gladiators and Cleo.

No one else could walk into this room, no one could be involved with this.

If I didn’t get information from Riley, I didn’t want anyone else in trouble.

This conversation would either uncover what was going on or I was saying goodbye to the hockey team.

I gestured to the chair. “They’ll be here later, I want to help you adjust to your captain role.”

“Being captain is easy. I don’t let them walk all over me like Bear did.” With a flick of his wrist, he yanked out a chair. “It’s mindless shit.”

My eyebrow twitched. “Before that, let’s discuss something.” I placed my phone on the table. “How much were you and Vernon hoping to embezzle from Marrs?”

“I—what?”

“Which is why he hasn’t touched his budgets.”

“Budgets? What? ”

“And is somehow connected to you because you’re obviously not a hockey player.”

Riley gaped. “What are you talking about? We’re not embezzling anything!”

“It’s why you joined a dying team?—”

“You’re a fucking idiot—the Gladiators aren’t dying!”

The door handle jiggled, and we glanced together. No one was supposed to come in—was it Vernon? I stiffened, watching as the door opened, but my eyes widened when I saw the familiar broad shoulders.

Bear slipped inside, shutting the door behind him.

“We have a limited supply of laces, ” Bear remarked. “The Gladiators are dying. You really don’t see that?”

I stared in disbelief. “Bear?”

He brought a chair next to me. “You’re not doing this alone.”

That was such a dumb move—this wouldn’t be worth the retaliation from Vernon if it turned out Riley was just a poor decision of a freshman player—but I couldn’t stop the way my chest squeezed as Bear slid closer to me.

“This isn’t a dying team, you’re both morons,” Riley scoffed. “We were on the news! What are you—where’s Vernon?”

“So, you wanted to be on this team?” Bear pushed.

A realization struck me. “Vernon lied to Riley.”

“He didn’t lie to me?—”

“What did he tell you?” Bear asked, mystified. “It’s normal for the checks to be delayed? For the arena to have mold?”

I pointed at Riley. “He doesn’t live at RV, he hasn’t been around for the renovation shifts, the gym slots, the practices…

Riley has no idea what’s going on. And why would he care about the checks?

The Townsends have money.” I made a noise at the back of my throat, shocked.

“Oh my god, he doesn’t know anything. Vernon’s been lying to him this whole summer! ”

“No, he hasn’t!” Riley shouted.

“Did your family pay or something to get you on this shit team?” Bear burst into laughter. “Vernon swindled you?”

“He wouldn’t do that!”

“Let’s say Vernon knows this rich family,” I said, ignoring Riley.

“Vernon knows the Gladiators are on their last rung, it’s the end.

He offers this kid a spot on the team for money and figures it doesn’t matter because the team will be done at the end of the summer.

All he has to do is wait for the team to fold. ”

Riley shot up from his chair, but Bear frowned. “Wouldn’t the Townsends come after him if the deal falls apart?”

“Depends on the amount of money.” I shrugged. “Maybe Vernon thinks he can escape the country, or because it’s illegal, they won’t go after him?—”

“He wouldn’t do that!” Riley snarled.

“Yeah?” Bear raised his eyebrows. “Why not?”

“Because I’m his godson! He wouldn’t do that to me!”

The three of us froze and I slid my phone across the desk. “So he put you on the Gladiators out of the goodness of his heart?”

“Duh, there’s money involved, but he wouldn’t lie to me?—”

“How much money are we talking about?” I asked, fighting to keep my voice level.

“Half a million!”

Bear’s mouth fell open. “For this team?! Your family paid half a million dollars to get you on the goddamn Gladiators?! ”

“Cleo, did you hear that?” I asked, nudging my phone.

“Um…yes.”

Riley’s eyes landed on my phone and back to me. His voice dropped to a dumbfounded whisper. “What…? What the fuck…?”

“Vernon didn’t call this meeting, I did,” I explained. “Because this is textbook bribery—uh, illegal —and honestly the stupidest crime possible, your godfather is the dumbest conman.”

“This is misconduct.” Bear grinned wide. “This is fucking misconduct?—”

The door swung open, and our conversation faltered as we turned to see— Vernon, walking through, his eyebrows drawn with concern.

“What’s going on here?” he thundered.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Bear asked, mystified. “You’re never here this early.”

“June, you don’t call meetings, I call meetings,” Vernon snapped and thumbed towards the hallway. “You two need to leave, these rooms aren’t open-use.”

Of course Riley told him but one look at Riley showed a flash of disbelief over his eyes. He hesitated. “Vernon? What’s this about the Gladiators sucking shit?”

Silence fell and Vernon’s eyes slid from Riley to Bear and me. “What do you mean?”

“The Gladiators suck shit, that’s what they’re telling me?—”

“No, no.” Vernon shook his head so quickly, it must’ve hurt. “We’re an up-and-coming team?—”

“You don’t believe that,” Bear scoffed. “Or you’d be doing your job.”

I held up my phone. “Vernon, the scheme’s up. Cleo’s on speaker, we know the Townsends paid you half a million. What you did is illegal and Marrs won’t forgive this.”

More silence. More stunned looks.

“Vernon,” Riley urged. “Tell them they’re wrong.”

The coach gazed at us, frozen to the floor.

“Vernon! Tell them they’re wrong!”

One second, he was there, the next, he was gone, the door swinging shut behind him.

Bear jerked back to gape at me. “Did that dipshit escape?”

We leaped out of our chairs, abandoning Riley still asking questions, and raced down the hall after Vernon.

This was a complete admission of guilt—he was running away from college students.

Harsh breaths tore out of me as Bear and I stumbled to a stop by Vernon, pausing at the hallway entrance leading to the rink, and to the group of hockey players lounging over the bleachers, waiting for us.

Denali caught sight of Vernon’s sweaty face and folded his arms over his chest. “Coach, where do you think you’re going?”

With a curse, Vernon whirled around and would’ve barreled into us if Bear didn’t yank me out of the way. His teammates leaped to their feet and everyone ran up too, into the maze-like hallways of the Colo.

“He’s going to get away!” Fridge shouted.

“There’s a dozen exits that lead outside,” Bear yelled.

“Everybody split up!” Denali sprinted ahead, his voice booming through the hallway. “FIND HIM! WE NEED TO TAKE HIM TO CAMPUS POLICE!”

Eventually Vernon would find an easy path to the outside and once he was there, I wasn’t sure we could grab him. We couldn’t let him leave the Colo. We had to stop him—and besides…

My eyes widened and I abandoned Bear, racing down the hallway towards the bathroom in the opposite direction. Bear stumbled to a stop and raced alongside me. “Where are we going?!”

“We know this place better than he does!” I searched for the ‘ do not touch ’ piece of tape over the light switch Montoya had accidentally used when we started the renovations. I flipped the switch, and the harsh fluorescent lights of the Colo blew out like a candle, plunging us into darkness.

“Oh, man,” Bear laughed, and I could hear his sneakers squeal against the floor. He returned to the mouth of the hallway. “LET’S GET HIM, BOYS! WE’RE KICKING THIS FUCKHEAD OUT!”