Page 85 of Call the Shots (For The Arena #1)

JUNE

UNKNOWN NUMBER

My football friends tried to convince me to come to seniors’ night.

It was the annual tradition of the team to have a banquet celebrating the end of the summer.

I’d spent so much more time with my football friends to rebuild those relationships, but I had other plans tonight.

I had a gaming session with my boyfriend.

Comfy sweats, no makeup, and I made us a little taco bar for the perfect night at home.

I dug a chip into the guac. “How do I turn the machine-thingy on?”

“I got it.” Bear stretched out on the couch until his head was in my lap. “If I didn’t love you already, I’d fall in love all over again with this salsa.”

“Fastest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”

“You took the shortcut with my dick.”

I rolled my eyes, glancing down at that smug hockey player, so proud of his joke. With his cute, swept-back hair and raised eyebrows, daring me to say it wasn’t funny. His warm brown eyes trailing down my face?—

“I know what that look is,” I said.

He slipped a hand under my shirt. “Huh?”

“We’re gaming, I’m in sweatpants, I didn’t wash my hair?—”

“You’re so sexy. Fuck, I just want to bite you.”

I flushed. “What’s up with you and biting?”

He tugged my shirt up and pressed his lips to my stomach.

“I like making you wait for it. Scraping my teeth on your skin and listening to you grabbing the blankets in anticipation, it gets me hard. I like that you can’t get off from me just biting you, so you grind on my hand or rub your thighs together, and you smell really good because you’re turned on.

” He kissed me again, nuzzling me. “I like marking you as mine.”

I swallowed. “Yeah?”

He rolled up, relaxing on the couch away from me. “Uh-huh.”

“ Bear .”

“Huh?”

“We’re not…?”

“I have more to offer than my dick—is that why you made me tacos? To get in my pants?”

My phone buzzed from the kitchen as I got up on my knees. I grabbed a throw pillow and smacked him on the shoulder with it. “You piss me off?—”

He grabbed me by my wrist, laughing. “Beg for it.”

“I’ll lock you out of the dorm?—”

“I’d love to see you try. I saw you struggle to carry tools at the Colo, you can’t shove me out.” He tugged me closer until he had me hovering above him. “How about we try cock warming again?”

“Hell no. You wouldn’t play fair.”

“You don’t,” he murmured against my lips, kissing me. “So why would I?”

My phone buzzed over and over again from the kitchen and Bear finally released me, so damn smug. I sighed in exasperation on my way to check my messages. “You’re an asshole.”

“Tell me that when you’re on my lap.”

Rolling my eyes, I grabbed my phone. No doubt there were more pictures from my friends’ big evening out.

There were a couple of new messages, the most recent one on my screen.

Unknown Number

You can’t ignore me, June. I know you’re getting these.

I stared, perplexed. There wasn’t even a number attached. I unlocked to see what else the mysterious person sent and came face to face with a picture.

King at the party. Punching Elijah in the face.

The breath escaped me. Where the fuck did this picture come from? After the party, I’d scoured through the hockey team’s phones, making sure the evidence disappeared.

Unknown Number

I’m concerned, June.

We both know King has a temper. Please, can we talk? I’m worried about you.

I think it’s best if we wait to tell everyone, I don’t want to see either of you in trouble

Gianna’s -Xavier

“Since we’re building a new zoo, you get to pick the terrain,” Bear said, and I flinched. “We can stay in the grasslands or do something fun. Arctic zoo?”

I wet my lips, heart racing.

Oh my god—I was being blackmailed . The threat was so clear. If I didn’t do what he wanted, the picture would get released. The picture that not only had King in a fight, but Willow clearly there too.

If King’s coach saw that— Willow’s father.

Harsh breaths rushed out of me. How did Xavier get this?

“June?” I could feel Bear’s eyes on me. “You okay?”

“I—I?—”

Panicking didn’t do anything for King. I focused on calming down. I had to meet with Xavier. I couldn’t let anyone see this picture.

“Baby?”

“I—I’m going to Gianna’s. ”

“Why?”

What the fuck was I thinking? Xavier was my stupid ex-boyfriend, not a CIA operative. If I told someone, he’d have no way of knowing.

“Your stepbrother’s blackmailing me.”

“ What?! ” In seconds, Bear was at my side, checking my phone. His jaw tightened. “If he thought that beating was rough, I’ll break his fucking arms?—”

“I need to go?—”

“The hell you are—June this is fucking nuts. Let’s call the police?—”

“And tell them what? This just sounds like Xavier’s worried about me.” I shook my head. “I don’t know what he wants, I have nothing to give him, but I have to go.”

“I’m coming?—”

“He can’t see you.”

“I’ll hang outside,” he promised.

I opened the door. “He wants you to get in trouble, Bear. Promise me. You won’t touch him. ”

“I promise,” he said reluctantly.

Bear split from me with a warning that if I didn’t text him in thirty minutes, he’d come regardless. The entire walk to Gianna’s, I felt sick to my stomach. At this point, I just wanted Xavier to leave me alone. It was over, done with, I’d moved on—why couldn’t he?

Stay calm. No concha.

I saw Xavier at a quiet booth, still covered in bruises, the only difference was his smirk.

“Did you tell anyone?”

“No,” I lied. “Where’d you get the picture?”

“You’re not the only one who does their homework, June. And I think you forget that I know you.”

“I didn’t come to chit chat—who gave it to you?”

“You rented the house and had a party,” he said, ignoring me trying to rush him, “Elijah had bruises, King had stitches, I wanted to find out what happened. I remembered what you used to say about Sloane and Elijah…I figured she’d be there…

” He shrugged. “I told Sloane that Elijah was under investigation and risked expulsion. "

Sloane.

Quickly, I looked around the restaurant but didn’t see any sign of her.

“She panicked,” Xavier admitted. “Started crying, basically threw the picture at me. She was worried about King, but I told her, I’m under FERPA, and I would be, if this was a school-related issue?—”

“What the fuck do you want?” I hissed.

“Because of your boyfriend’s little stunt, I’m the one with eyes on me.”

I stared at him. “What?”

“Next Thursday, I’m getting called in for a behavioral hearing. It’s a witch hunt! It hasn’t even started yet and they’re already trying to push me out of my director positions!”

“But—when I?—?”

“When a crazy bitch yells, no one gives a fuck.”

Holy shit. The organizations were now taking my complaints seriously because Bear made a big deal about it. I didn’t know whether to be relieved or pissed that it took my boyfriend for something to happen.

“You need to tell everyone you made it all up,” he said simply.

“No one will believe that,” I retorted.

“Yeah. I know. So we’re going to date for real and you’ll explain this was all because you’re obsessed with me.”

“I— what? ”

“If you say, ‘he didn’t do it’ once, no one believes it, so you’ll say it for your entire senior year.”

“Did you hit your head on the way in here?” I demanded. “No one will believe that! And that sounds miserable for both of us!”

“June, a behavioral meeting! They wouldn’t call me in for one if it wasn’t big. What if they see this as an abuse of power? That’s not just getting kicked out of my organizations, I could get in trouble with the university for this?—”

“You fucking deserve it, ” I snarled.

He glared. “It’s not just the picture, June.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Xavier picked up folders from his side of the booth. “I have your pictures too. Imagine how disappointed your parents would be if they got out.”

“My nudes? Do it! I don’t care if they go out there! That’s a misdemeanor, I’ll happily sue, fucking try me?—”

“Be real. What judge is going to take a look at this face and sentence me?”

I faltered for a moment, thinking it through.

This would be a first offense for Xavier, no prior record and a horde of people behind him who would vouch for his character.

I could almost hear the judge’s words ‘a bright future ahead of him’ before they waved the charge away with nothing more than community service.

I doubt Xavier would even have it on his record.

He grinned. “The lawsuit you did for Bear was clever. It inspired me. I had my lawyers threaten Vanysh with a warrant, I wanted our message transcript. It’s amazing how far you can get with a proper header.”

My eyes darted to his. I froze.

“Oh, yeah. It’s good.” He set down the folders. “Messages talking about how dad’s never winning his election and how your mom’s been playing in his face for years?—”

“No,” I whispered.

“Texts about King, what he was up to in high school, I won’t publicly post them, but if they show up in a court transcript…”

Anxiety clawed its way upon my throat. “Xavier, no?—”

“And Bear. Because you told him everything, right?” He studied me. “I thought about it—I don’t think you did.”

“Xavier, no, please ?—”

“You had your boyfriend—my fucking stepbrother—embarrass me in front of everybody and now you want to say please?”

Tears pricked at my eyes. The bell rang over the door and my stomach dropped when Bear walked inside. In his hoodie. His hair ruffled, eyes searching the tables with concern before he landed on me.

It hadn’t even been ten minutes—he was early.

“I knew you told somebody.” Xavier gloated. “That’ll cost you. I guess the photo’s going out.”

“No, Xavier, please,” I begged but it was too late. He crooked his fingers, motioning Bear over.