Page 64 of Home Town Advantage (Fourth Quarter Fever #1)

THIRTY-ONE

SULLEY

I ’m in my bedroom, packing a bag for Vance’s house, when I look around and take in my surroundings.

This place doesn’t feel like home anymore.

Once the sanctity of it was violated, I stopped loving it, only feeling safe at Vance’s.

Maybe I should pack a bigger suitcase and make things more permanent.

I know he wouldn’t mind. In fact, I think he’d prefer it that way.

I grab my larger suitcase from the storage area and begin to pack it when the doorbell rings.

It’s probably Keith wondering what’s taking so long.

I told him I’d be five minutes, and it’s been much longer.

He has a key but never uses it. He says it’s for emergencies only. Such a stickler for the rules.

Without bothering to look through the peephole, I open the door and am shocked by what I see. “Shane? What are you doing here?”

He smiles. “Miss me?”

I shake my head and answer honestly. “Not really.” I haven’t given him a second thought other than to think how much happier I am with Vance .

His face falls. “Can I come in? I’d love to catch up. For old time’s sake.”

Fuck, I don’t want to catch up, but I also don’t want to be rude. We shared a year and a half together. I suppose I can give him a few minutes.

Keith appears seemingly out of nowhere. “Is everything okay, Ms. O’Shea?”

I hold up my hand. “It’s fine, Keith. Thanks. He’s an old friend. I might be a little longer than I mentioned. Do you mind waiting?”

He nods. “No problem, ma’am.”

I motion for Shane to come inside, and he does. Closing the front door behind him, he asks, “What’s with the muscle?”

“I have a few…overzealous fans. He keeps an eye on me.”

“Wow. You’re on the rise, just like you always wanted. That’s some big-time shit.” He says it with the same derogatory tone he always used when it came to my success. What did I ever see in this guy?

Yep, sometimes it takes the right guy to come along to see just how wrong the last guy was. Shane doesn’t deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as Vance.

We walk through the house to the living room area. “Can I get you a drink?” I politely offer.

He nods as he looks around. “Sure.”

I walk into the kitchen, grab a glass, and pour him some iced tea. When I walk back into the living room, he’s not there. I yell out, “Shane?”

He emerges from the bedroom hallway area, tucking his phone into his pocket. “I’m here. Just checking out your pad. It’s really nice.”

It’s weird that he felt like he could just walk around my house at will. A bit of a chill works its way through my body, but I ignore it, just wanting to get through the next few minutes and get to my man’s house .

I hand him his drink, and he smiles as he takes it and sits in a chair. “Thanks.”

I sit on the couch across from him. “No problem.” I point toward his hair. “I see you grew it out again.”

He nods. “Yep. I know you always preferred it longer. My girlfriend, the one in Rome, preferred it shorter.”

That mystery is solved. Now I know why he cut it when he knew I liked it longer.

“Not to be rude, Shane, but what are you doing here? We didn’t exactly end on good terms, if you remember.”

He presses his lips into a straight line. “I remember. I’m sorry things ended as they did. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

I shrug, acting unaffected. “Honestly? You didn’t. I was planning to call things off with you. Things weren’t right with us for a while. We both knew that.”

His jaw tics, but he otherwise remains silent. Why is he here?

In the absence of a response, I ask, “How are things going for you? Are you still living in Rome?” I know he’s no longer on the team, but I don’t let on.

He shakes his head. “No, that team wasn’t right for me. They didn’t appreciate my talent.”

It takes every ounce of restraint I have not to roll my eyes. Teams don’t appreciate entitled assholes who don’t work hard. If every team you’ve ever been on or wanted to be on doesn’t appreciate your talent, perhaps it’s time to look inward.

No need for me to kick him while he’s down. I reply, “Sorry to hear that. What have you been up to?”

He shrugs. “I’ve had to get a little creative. My parents told me it was time to get a real job, but I know I’m destined for greatness. I just need someone to give me a break. If only I were given the opportunities you were handed on a silver platter. You had it so easy.”

This guy is delusional. I need to get him out of here.

“Is there something you need from me, Shane? I was on my way out when you got here. I’m in a bit of a rush. ”

“I saw your suitcase in your bedroom. Going out of town?”

Enough is enough. “That’s not really your business. What is it you want from me? If you’re not going to tell me, then I’d like for you to leave. Like I said, I’m on my way out. Keith is waiting for me. He’s right outside,” I add, suddenly feeling uneasy.

He scratches his head. “Hmm, where to start. Thanks to you, my girlfriend left me. She recognized you and did a bit of research after you left. She realized you weren’t my cousin.”

I shrug, not feeling a single ounce of guilt. “I didn’t post us on social media, you did. And starting a relationship with a lie isn’t exactly an ingredient for success.”

He runs his tongue over his top teeth. “Lying, huh? Like you’re lying to the world?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Fucking Vance McCaffrey. How cliché,” he snarls.

“Who I choose to spend time with is none of your business.”

And then it hits me. How does he know? “What makes you think I’m seeing Vance?” I ask.

“It’s not exactly like you’ve been hiding it. I’ve seen his hand up your skirt in clubs, restaurants, and parks. I never got that side of you, Gully Sulley .”

All the air escapes my lungs as things come into focus. I stand, feeling extremely unsafe. Mustering as much courage as I can, I point toward the door. “You need to leave. Now.”

He shakes his head. “I don’t think so. You owe me. It’s time to pay.”

VANCE

I race to Sulley’s house, running through every red light and stop sign along the way. She’s not answering her phone, and neither is Keith .

I punch my steering wheel. Where the fuck is he? I’m scared out of my mind.

The police are on their way, but I’ll get there first at this point.

Our entire lives together run through my head like a movie. Tears stream down my cheeks as I fear what could be happening to her right now.

I make every promise to God. Please just let her be okay.

Pulling up to her house, I leave my truck in the middle of the street with the engine running and the door open, practically jumping out with it still moving. I see Keith’s car, but it doesn’t look like he’s in it. I can’t worry about that right now.

As I’m sprinting up her steps, Sulley comes bursting through the front door. Her tear-filled, scared eyes find me, and relief washes over her as she yells my name and falls into my arms.

I hold her tight. “Are you okay? Is someone in there?”

She starts crying. “It was Shane. He’s the one taking photos of us. He’s the blackmailer.”

“Eurotrash guy?”

She nods and cries, “Yes.”

“Where is he?”

“Lying half-conscious on my living room floor. I used Beau’s neck chop move on him, and he went down. I ran out as soon as he did.”

“Where the fuck is Keith?” I shout.

“I don’t know,” she cry-yells. “I came out here looking for him.”

“Does Shane have any weapons?”

She shakes her head. “No, I don’t think so. None I saw. He just wanted money in exchange for silence.”

I turn and see Keith leisurely walking down the street with a cup of coffee, looking like he doesn’t have a care in the world. His eyes widen when he notices her hysterical in my arms. Dropping his coffee, he comes running toward us. “What happened?”

“Where were you?” I bark.

“She…she was inside with a friend,” he stutters. “She wasn’t alone and said she’d be a bit, so I figured I had time to grab a cup of coffee. Like when you’re around.”

“Where’s your phone?” I scream.

He pats his pockets and at least has the dignity to look ashamed. “I must have left it in my car.”

If Sulley didn’t need my arms around her, I think I’d strangle him.

I grit out, “I’m taking her to my truck. The police will be here any second.” I point inside the house. “Don’t let that asshole out of your sight until they get here.”

With a shaken Sulley tucked into my side, I take her to my truck while we wait for the police.