Page 66 of The Defender

“The policy doesn’t forbid us from being flatmates.” Brooklyn’s argument brought me back to the living room. “But of course the club is what you’re worried about.”

Like me, she’d started out trying to appease her dad, but his refusal to see reason had worn her down, and her tone had taken on a defiant, almost combative edge.

Coach stopped pacing long enough to glare at her. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means the only thing that matters to you is football. You find out your daughter is living with one of your players, and your first thought is official policy.” Brooklyn’s knuckles whitened around the edge of the sofa. “We’re not breaking any club rules, and a normal father would be concerned about other things.”

I flinched on Coach’s behalf.

I didn’t know much about their relationship. He’d been happy when she joined Blackcastle, and she’d never said a bad word about him. However, it hadn’t escaped my notice that they didn’t interact much outside of Blackcastle. This was certainly the first time I’d seen him at the flat since I moved in.

Coach’s breath gusted out in shock. His shoulders sank as some of the indignation seeped out from his body, and his mouth opened and closed like he couldn’t decide which response to land on.

Brooklyn’s voice softened. “I’m sorry we lied to you, but this is a temporary situation. We’re not going to live together forever.”

Her dad’s glare had lost some of its edge, but his voice remained tight. “How temporary?”

“I’ll be out by the new year,” I said.

Brooklyn’s eyes flitted toward me, her surprise evident.

I’d pulled the time frame out of my ass, but I’d wanted to step in before their argument spiraled again.

I’d find a way to make a hotel work. I couldn’t let their relationship deteriorate further because of me.

Coach examined me. It was the first time he’d focused on me since he arrived, and I felt like an insect under a microscope.

“Have the police caught your intruder?” His voice flattened with eerie calm.

“No.”

“Do they have any leads?”

I winced. “No.”

“Then how do you know you’ll be out of here by the new year if your alleged reason for moving in is still a threat?”

I’d walked right into that one.

“I guess I don’t. But given the current circumstances, sir, I’m happy to relocate to a hotel until the threat has been neutralized.” Apparently, when I was nervous, I talked like a bad side character from a Nate Reynolds movie.

The thought of moving home still sent my nervous system into overload. I’d considered renting another place in the city, but there were too many unpredictable variables. I didn’t want to rent a random house in a random neighborhood from a random person.

At least hotels had security, and I could blend into the crowd a little more.

“You’re not moving into a hotel,” Brooklyn interjected. “It didn’t work out the first time for a reason. It’s so much more public, and people can find out where you’re staying as easily as they can search up your address online. You’re already settled in here,andyou pay rent, which is very helpful, by the way. There’s no reason for you to uproot yourself.”

She laid out her reasoning with impeccable precision. I couldn’t tell if she actually wanted me to stay or if she was trying to spite her father. Either way, my pulse spiked more than it should.

Coach’s scowl returned. “I can think of at least one good reason.”

“Which is?”

“Theinappropriatenessof all this.” He gestured around the flat. The smoke was gone, but its acrid stench lingered. “Bloody hell, Brooklyn, I’m trying to look out for you. It doesn’t matter if this is a platonic setup. If people at work find out you’re living with DuBois, they’ll never take you seriously again. It’s already hard enough when—” He stopped short.

“When what?” Brooklyn’s cheeks flushed. “When I’m the only woman on the nutrition staff, and people already look at me funny because I’m your daughter?”

“That’s not what I said.”