Page 5 of Pick Six

“Yeah well, we didn’t fucking want you in the first place. You should have fucking stayed in California!” Tobias calls after him.

“Tobias…” Ben says under his breath giving him a look.

“It’s the fucking truth,” I echo the sentiment.

“Yeah, well we’ll see who’s on the field after this.” Daniels spits blood on Ben’s floor as he wipes at his face again, and I hear a little gasp from Harper.

He and his friends make their way out of the house, throwing one last look and a finger over their shoulders as they leave. Once the asshole’s finally out of sight, Tobias releases his grip on me, and I roll my shoulders and my neck.

“I don’t know that you needed to be that fucking overzealous,” I grumble at Tobias.

“You were threatening to kill him.”

“It was an overstatement. I was just planning to maim.”

“Do it wrong and it’ll be him in a hospital and you in a jail cell. No thanks.” Tobias gives me a pointed look.

I needed to learn Westfield patience. Both brothers and their father had it in spades even when they were pissed. The ability to stay calm no matter what was put in their way. I just see fucking red and go for the throat. He’d pulled me out of more than one fight on and off the field. I was probably lucky he was here tonight given she was at the center of this.

My eyes land on her again and there’s a little trickle of blood on her lip that has me feeling like I want to follow his ass out the door to finish what I started.

“You okay?” I frown as I get closer and see the swelling setting in.

THREE

Harper

“You okay?”His eyes go soft as he reaches for my chin, tilting it up and to the side gently to get a better look at what I am sure is a lovely bruise already forming.

“Well, I think my work is over for the evening.” I try to laugh because having a whole group of football players staring you down is intimidating. Especially when you’re the reason for the screeching halt to everyone’s fun this evening.

“I’m serious.” His eyes find mine, and as I look down, I see the blood on his hand and shirt.

“I’ll be fine. Are you bleeding or is that his blood?” I reach for his hand and see even more blood smeared across his forearm.

“I’m fine. Your face though. Maybe weshouldcall the fucking cops.” He eyes the door, and he looks to Tobias who gives him a swift shake of his head.

Violet chooses that time to walk in and quickly closes in on me. Her eyes dart around the scene as she tries to make sense of it. Alex steps back so she can see the damage.

“Oh my god! What the hell happened?”

“Our new lineman fucking happened. Fucker should be arrested.” Alex practically growls the words.

“Let’s not make the situation more dramatic than it already is. I just need some ice.”

Violet looks back and forth between Alex and me.

“I’ll get you some ice too. You wanna use the restroom upstairs?”

“If you don’t mind,” I say sheepishly, feeling guilty she put on this perfect event and now I’ve ruined it by helping cause this scene.

“Of course not. I’m really sorry, Harper.”

“I’ll be fine. Honestly. I barely feel it if I don’t touch it. But Alex, we should get the blood off you before you get it on her furniture.”

He glances down at his hand but doesn’t say anything. He looks rattled like he’s finally coming to some sort of realization that this is all a huge mess.

“Come with me?” I ask quietly, tugging on the edge of his shirt gently as I walk by him.