Page 13 of Rushing Her: Seattle, Westerners (Gridiron Warriors #2)

Alexandra

“ C ome on, Brayden, get your head in the game!” I yell at the television while sitting on the sofa in one of his jerseys. I had Raven buy it for me today and bring it to the apartment.

“I can’t believe I’m watching this. In all the years I’ve known you, you’ve refused to watch this man play.” She takes a swig of her beer, and I pick up my bottle of water.

Months ago, when I decided to start this journey of egg retrieval, I attempted to quit drinking and only had those drinks that night at the retirement party. Now, with the chance of being pregnant, I stay away from alcohol just in case.

I shrug at Raven from next to her on the sofa. “I would still keep an eye on him.”

“So explain to me again what happened. I know you all broke up, but why?”

“Like I said, I was approached by a person important to Brayden’s college career. They told me that it would be best for Bray to focus on football and less on me. I broke up with him the very night he was going to propose. A month later, he was drafted, and the rest you know.”

“Who was it?” She’s been trying to get me to tell her, but I won’t. I won’t do that to Bray or Coach Winters.

“I’m not saying. I don’t even remember,” I fib, and she just chuckles.

“Sure, you forgot. Okay, so we are all team Westerners now?”

“I guess. I’ll root for my players’ teams, too. Just not sure what I’m going to do if they play against each other. It was so hard last week when Bray and T.K. went head-to-head.”

Raven takes another sip of her beer, then leans back farther into the sofa. “You going to tell me more about this stalker or just give the quick brush-off like you did already?”

“Just what I’ve said. I don’t understand what she was trying to do to me by switching my meds.”

“Hurt you. I think we should look at prosecuting her. I’m sure we can also get her for attempted assault.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m not going to see Brayden in public if I can help it, so that we can keep our secret and maybe she’ll go away, or the police will find her.”

“If you say so.”

The sportscaster on TV says, “Murray on the breakaway. He pushes through. He’s down at the ten-yard line.”

My head whips around to see Bray getting up from the tackle.

He’s slow but then stands and shakes it off, returning to the lineup.

He won’t give up. This is a different Brayden.

Last year, he would have stepped off to the sideline to rest and make sure he was okay, but now, he’s pushing through and supporting the team.

In the next play, they fake to Brayden, then pass it off to another running back who makes it into the end zone. “Another win for the Westerners.”

The game is called, and I stand to stretch my back before going to the bathroom. As I step back into the living room, I notice that Raven is on my phone.

“Here she is now.”

I take the call, and my stomach drops. “Ms. King, your office was broken into. The only area that was damaged was your personal office. Can you please come in?”

“Yes. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Call your security; tell them I’m with you,” Raven offers.

R aven pulls up to the skyscraper where Top Tier Sports Agency resides. My hands would not stop shaking, so Raven decided to drive.

Warner walks up to Raven’s car and opens the door. She hates that my friend insisted I ride with her, but we all walk into the building together, and when we reach security, I notice police everywhere.

“The perp came in through the service entrance and accessed the floor that way. They broke in, shattering one of the doors, then rushed to your office,” one of the officers explains. “They also left you something.”

I follow them upstairs and carefully step over the glass when we arrive at the agency’s entrance. Looking over at the building maintenance manager, I speak directly to him.

“I’ll have that door replaced on Monday.” He nods, and we move along to my office. “How did this person get this far in without being caught?” I glance around, wondering how they escaped.

“It was a quick drop, and they were gone before security made it to the floor. We think they hid in another office while security swept the floor, then escaped the same way they came in. Your office wasn’t discovered until the alarm triggered a second time.”

Nearing my office door, I step back, dumbfounded. A strong smell of smoke churns my stomach, and everything in my room is covered in a fine red dust.

“It was a red smoke bomb that must have been set off by a timer after they left. And that’s not all,” the detective says as he points to my receptionist’s desk.

Spread across the surface are pictures of me out and about in Seattle and Portland.

There’s even a picture of me entering the retirement celebration in my gown.

However, the images of me with my family are what cause my stomach to roll and my breath to catch.

“Oh, dear. I don’t feel so good.” I waver for a second before dropping into a chair. “This can’t be happening.”

“It is, ma’am,” Warner says as I notice her on the phone.

“I’ll get a cleaning service in here,” the building manager offers.

“We will retrieve what prints we can, and tomorrow you should be able to bring someone in here to clean and repair the door.” The detective says this to both me and the building manager.

I mumble, “I’m flying to the main office tomorrow morning, but I’ll be available by phone.” My head is bowed, trying to keep my stomach down.

“Just based on those,”—the detective points to the pictures, then to Warner—“I suggest you keep her by your side.”

“I will.”

We’ve never discussed Warner traveling with me or whether they believed the stalker would go to those lengths, but for now, I agree with the detective.

When we return home, I finish packing and preparing for a trip I’m now dreading. Given all that has happened, my concern is that I’ll be forced to resign from my position or, worse, be fired. Due to my relationship, I’ve brought a destructive focus on the franchise’s business.

Brayden

T wo days have passed since the break-in at Top Tier Sports Agency and Alexandra’s office being destroyed. She tried to leave for New York without Warner, but I insisted that she travel with her. We don’t know to what lengths this bitch will go to harm my woman, but I’ll always protect Alexandra.

The team and I are in Salt Lake City, where we played the Saints tonight.

We didn’t win, but it wasn’t a total shutout, either.

My mind wasn’t on the game as much as it should have been, so I try to focus on that and not all the noise in my head about the stalker and if Alexandra’s pregnant or not, but I’m not quite successful.

I want to make sure I tie her down to me in every conceivable way.

A ring already sits at home, waiting for the right time, and I’m sure she’ll love my house as much as I do once she sees it.

I will even drag her to the courthouse if I must, to give her my name.

The baby is it for us. I know she wants one, and I’ve wanted kids with her for longer than not.

After having dinner across the street, I walk into our hotel and notice a few of the guys in the lobby bar. I decide to join them. It’s something I know I should do but haven’t in the past.

“Hey, guys.” I thump Rex Winston, our star kicker. He’s a nice guy, but still green, even though this is like his fourth season. He is blond and built, almost as big as I am. He’s not as tall, so he focuses on building muscle and strength, rather than bulk.

“Hey, Murray,” they say in unison. Markus “Jet” Wilson, our running back, is seated at the table. A couple of rookies, too.

“Call me Brayden,” I offer, realizing that I’ve never told them to call me by my first name. I’ve always used my last name with these guys.

The rookies all smile and are excited, while Jet and Rex just stare at me, uncertain.

“Want a drink?” one of the rookies asks, and I decline.

“No, thank you. I don’t drink while on the road anymore.”

Jet nods his head. He’s in his eighth season with the Westerners and is familiar with my past. “I get that. I do the same. Too many risks out here.”

As if on cue, a redhead saunters over to us. I do a double-take for a moment at that hair color, thinking of Alexandra, but this woman is too petite to be my girl, and the red looks fake. When she gets close, I catch the brown eyebrows, giving away that she dyes her hair.

“Hello, sexy. Can I buy you a drink?” she purrs while trying to touch me. I step back, not wanting another woman’s hands on me.

“Not interested,” I bite out the words, pissed off at her forwardness.

“Aww, come on, lover boy. I can make you forget about your loss.”

That right there tells me she knows who I am, and this time, she turns, giving me her back and attempting to rub up against me. When I step away, she begins to fall, and one of the guys grabs hold of her, so she remains on her feet. Something feels off, and I want this woman nowhere near me.

I turn as a soft click sounds; there it is, a photog watching us. I’m in the clear because she didn’t get near me, but still, a part of me worries what Alexandra would say if she saw this.

“Again, not interested. Maybe another guy, but not me.” I don’t mention that I have a girl, which would lead to questions from the guys, but it usually gets these women to leave us alone.

“I’ll buy you a drink, handsome, and then we’ll talk.” She moves off, and I know this is my moment to escape.

“Guys, have fun with her. I’m out of here.”

I rush off, taking the elevator up to my room. We fly home tomorrow, but my girl won’t be there; she’s still in New York. I talked to her earlier, and she told me she was going to bed early because she was tired.

When I do climb into bed, I dream of Alexandra and her being round with my baby.