Page 19 of Hate the Game (Playing Dirty #1)
***Cole***
“Itried to tell you she was up to no good, Cole.” Cass tapped the paper angrily and then sat down across from me and crossed her arms. “Maybe you’ll listen to me from now on.”
I couldn’t take my eyes off the paper. There was a photo and an article beneath it talking about Sam Ford and his four children, all football fanatics in their own ways.
The three Ford sons, Weston, Cash, and Hayes, I recognized from playing Texas the year before.
The fourth child, the daughter, was Savannah.
Savannah Lane Ford. The article was a few years old and she looked younger but it was her.
S. Lane. Little sister to three assholes that had actively shit talked us after we killed them in a championship game.
Three assholes who’d accused us of trying to end their careers.
“Are you fucking serious?” Jax snatched the paper off the table and studied it closer. “What the fuck?”
“I did some digging after I got weird vibes from her. You know how she’s doing that huge article for Varsity Ledger?
I can’t be sure but I think she’s going to trash you guys.
” Cass glanced over at Ryder. “None of you have given her anything, right? I can’t believe that bitch is going to try to hurt you three. She is, though. I know it.”
“Why?” I blew out a deep sigh and sat back. I didn’t want to admit it and I never would but I felt a little hurt. And fucking embarrassed. I’d just been talking about how different she was and about how I’d kissed her. She hadn’t had to try very hard to get to us. All of us.
Cass knew me too well. She came over and sat next to me and rested her head on my shoulder.
“I’m sorry, Cole. I would never want to upset you but I had to tell you.
I won’t let her hurt you. I’ll figure out a way to take her down before she even thinks about publishing some bullshit article about you guys. ”
Jax tossed the paper down. “How do we know for sure?”
Cass winced. “I saw the name of the woman running the program. I looked her up and recognized her. Marla Knight.”
“Oh, goddammit.” Jax stood up and started pacing. “Of course. She fucking hates Dad.”
“It’s okay. She couldn’t have gotten very much on you guys yet.
We know who she is and what she’s doing now so we can control the narrative.
Right?” Cass went into Cass-mode. She stood up and paced opposite of Jax.
“If she thinks she’s going to come in here and trash you guys, she’s going to have a rude awakening. ”
I sighed. “Thanks for finding this out, Cass.”
“Of course. You know I love you guys. I’ll always look out for you if I can.” She smiled and ruffled my hair. “Same as I have been since we were kids.”
I stood up and hugged her. If she hadn’t found out about Savannah we might’ve been led by our dicks straight into career suicide. We’d probably already done too much. “Love you, too. Thank you.”
“Those fuckers lost fair and square and then send their little sister to fuck with us? No fucking way.” Jax perched on the edge of the couch, ready to pace again if he needed to. “I’m not letting this go. I took her to Billy’s. I don’t take anyone to Billy’s.”
“Wait. You took her to Billy’s? Why?” Cass sounded genuinely confused. “You dated Sarah Booth for a year and a half and never took her.”
“It doesn’t matter. All that matters now is we stop this hit piece and take her down a few pegs.” He shook his head and glanced over at Ryder. “What do you think?”
Ryder looked so still it was eerie. He slowly sat forward and tapped the picture of Savannah. “I want to take her down more than several pegs. The way she did her best to get inside of our group…”
“How did she…” Cass looked at the three of us and then threw her hands up. “Do men ever think with anything other than their dicks?”
“Not when the woman in front of us looks like Savannah.” I looked down at my dick and scowled. “He doesn’t exactly make great decisions at the best of times.”
Cass groaned. “Ew. Don’t talk about your dick in front of me.”
I waved her off and rolled my eyes. “How long have you been our friend, Cass? Come on. You’ve heard way worse from us.”
“I think we hit her back. Hard. She tried to seduce us with that whole stupid act. I say we make her fall for us. Make ourselves look like such fucking saints it blows her whole world. Make her betray her asshole brothers and think we hung the fucking stars.” Jax surprised me with how vehement he sounded.
He didn’t typically show his darker side but apparently Savannah had already gotten under our skin.
“Agreed.” Ryder stood up and cracked his neck. “I need to go work out. Let me know when you hammer out the details.”
We watched him leave and then Cass sighed. “I feel awful for upsetting you guys.”
“It’s fine. I’m glad you told us.” Jax gave her a quick hug. “I’m out, too. I have a meeting with Dad and a paper to write. I’m going to think about how to handle this.”
Cass sat down next to me and tried to wrap her arm around me but she was just too small. I smiled and held her against my side instead. “We owe you one, Cass. It would’ve been easy to fall for her bullshit.”
A few moments of silence passed before she looked up at me. “Did you?”
A wave of unease washed over me. There were times when I worried that Cass maybe still held onto some of those childhood feelings for me and I hated even thinking it.
I knew she didn’t actually still carry a flame for me and I was thankful for it, but I did worry she sometimes thought she might.
I considered her a good friend and that was all.
“It wasn’t like I was in love. I barely knew her.
I kissed her, though. I wanted more. There’s something about her. Now I know it’s all shit, though.”
“We won’t let her get away with it, Cole.” She grimaced. “Just keep your lips to yourself from now on. There’s no need to give her more ammo to use against the three of you.”
I stood up and rubbed my hands together. “You’re usually way smarter than me but I think I have to disagree with you this time, Cass. If I’m going to beat her at her own game I have to play. It’s time for Savannah Lane Ford to feel the full force of Cole West.”
She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Remember that I tried.”
“Always. You’re the best, Cass.”