“If he so much as touches her, he dies. I don’t care how it happens, but he’s done for. Dave, you keep eyes on Fallon. Reaper, you do what it is you do best outside of the sports complex. I have two other men patrolling around. And, Reaper, please keep your earpiece on if you can help it.” Tossing on my jersey, we were out.

Just one more game, I told myself.

“I’ll be out of reach until the game is over. Watch her like a hawk and don’t let shit happen to her. Who knows how many knives are out with not that long to go until her birthday. Protect her like she’s me and don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself out there. She can’t.”

They all nodded in silent agreement with me. I felt like I was pleading with them, but she was the center of everything and–fuck it. She became my fucking everything the first time she looked into my soul.

Every fucking laugh. Every judgmental look. Her hesitation with me made me want into her walls. Watching her hope in humanity falter made me sick. I wanted the lights in her eyes to stay as bright as the moonlight on a full moon. She was the moon in my night sky. She was the sun of my summer.

Whatever she did to me, I never wanted it to end, and I would go to the ends of this earth to grovel for her to simply look at me.

“One more game,” I whispered. Tossing my duffel over my shoulder, I made my way down the corridor, leaving it in their hands while I went to play a rigged game of fucking baseball.

––––––––

“She’s waiting for you,” Reaper nodded to me when I entered the empty locker room.

Sloane played dirtier than I thought she would. She planned to get me back in whatever way she could. Every ingredient would be tossed into her fucked up cake she was baking with plans to get rid of Fallon and force my hand. Anything it took to bring me to my knees and give up.

I’d rather die first.

There were hired men from every fucking possible side at the game keeping tabs on everyone there. Every family was on high alert and Sloane hired as many men as possible–her men replaced the stadium security and staff. We got played.

Alexander was thrusted at Fallon to distract her. He wanted to play for keeps and power. The plan for him was to, what, get a chunk of her company? Get in the circle being created by the Whitmore family? If only my grandfather told me more, I’d be better prepared to do whatever it took to protect not only Chamberlain, but Fallon. She was integral to his plan–he just had his stupid fucking rules of not acting until the last minute.