After The Fire (One Pass Away Book 3)

by Mary J. Williams

“Do you believe him?” Sean asked Logan.

  “Yes. But just to be sure, we’re sticking around.”

  “Fine,” Gaige was in the mood to argue, but not with his best friends. “Maybe you’re right.”

  “Do you want me to make the call?” Logan offered.

  “I’ll do it.” Gaige punched in the numbers.

  “Hello?”

  “My room. Now.”

  Gaige didn’t wait for an answer. He expected a quick response, not surprised when two minutes later he heard a knock. Gaige crossed the room and opened the door.

  “Come in.”

  “You sounded strange. Has there been a new development?”

  “Yes.” Disillusioned, Gaige looked at Walter Crenshaw with new eyes. This was one of the few people he thought he could trust. It was devastating to find out that all this time he thought Walter had his back, instead, his agent had been shoving in a knife. “Why the hell have you been giving my father money for the past sixteen years?”

  “What?” Walter’s eyes darted around the room, landing on Sean, then on Logan. Anything but Gaige. “Why would you think that?”

  “He told me.” Gaige shook his head. “Jesus. I can tell by your face that it’s true. You knew how I felt about it. How many times did you hear me go on about my father and his destructive use of money? Now this shit—this stupid bet that has the press foaming at the mouth like rabid dogs? I find out that you funded it.”

  “I had no idea, Gaige. How could I know he would do such a thing?”

  “How could you give him a chance? How much, Walter?”

  Knowing he had no bluff, Walter apparently decided to come clean. “Fifty thousand a year.”

  “Fuck me,” Sean whispered.

  “It was necessary,” Walter insisted. “It kept him in check. As long as he didn’t drag you into any of his messes, I agreed to pay him. And it worked. This is the first time anything has happened since—”

  “Violet. You can say it. Sean and Logan know everything.”

  “Everything?” Walter’s contorted with anger. “That goddamned bitch. She swore she wouldn’t say anything until after the game. I should have known I couldn’t trust her.”

  Gaige saw red. He grabbed Walter by the shirt, pushing him hard against the wall.

  “Watch your mouth.” He was breathing hard.

  “Should we stop him?” Logan asked.

  Sean shook his head. “Hell, no.”

  “She’s been a pain in my ass from the day you stumbled into her hospital room,” Walter shouted, ineffectually pushing at Gaige’s arm. “I talked her mother into taking that letter, and I would do it again. It was for your own fucking good, whether you want to believe it or not.”

  “Did I ever know you?” Gaige pulled Walter close until he could look directly into the other man’s eyes. He saw anger and a little fear. No one would ever call Walter stupid. “All this time, you orchestrated one lie after another. And you want me to believe it was for me?”

  “It was,” Walter insisted. “Yes, I wanted the money. But I had your best interests at heart. The money, my money, that I paid your father was nothing. Your reputation, your image was all that mattered.”

  “And Violet?”

  “What about her? She’s a cunt. And we all know those are a dime a dozen.”

  It was more than Gaige could stand. He felt his fist clench, pulling his arm back, all he could think about was shutting Walter’s mouth.

  “Go ahead,” Walter shouted. “Hit me. I can’t defend myself so do your worst. I guess you’re more like your father than you thought.”

  The red in front of his eyes didn’t clear, but Walter’s words penetrated the haze. Horrified, Gaige pushed away, stumbling back.

  “Get out.”

  “You can’t let this change what we have, Gaige. I’m your agent. Forget the friend crap. You have plenty of those. What I can do for you professionally is all that’s important.”

  “Are you out of your fucking mind?” Sean grabbed Walter and Logan opened the door. “Take it from two of Gaige’s friends. Don’t come near him again.”

  Sean shoved him, making Walter lose his balance. He landed hard on the floor, his face skidding on the carpet. Happy with the unintended results, Sean didn’t give him a second look before he moved out of the way so that Logan could slam the door.

  “The man has seriously lost it. He needs help.”

  “He’s right.” Gaige looked at his hands. Big, hard, and capable of doing a lot of damage. “I was going to hit a man twenty years older than me. A man half my size.” He raised his head, his eyes tortured. “In that instant, I was my father.”

  “What are you talking about?” Sean took Gaige by the shoulders. “You just found out that a man you thought was your friend has been fucking with you for years. To top it off, he called Violet some nasty names. If I were you, I would have broken the bastard’s jaw.”

  “Sean is right, Gaige. You stopped yourself. That makes you nothing like your father.”

  “I could have done it. I wanted to.” Gaige went to the mini-bar, pulling some water. He ripped off the cap and downed the entire bottle. “What was I thinking? Blood will tell. Isn’t that what they say? What if I hit Violet?”

  “That will never happen.”

  “Won’t it?” He rounded on Sean. “How can I take the chance? She thinks I’m gentle. I don’t want her to find out the hard way that she’s wrong.”

  “I’m calling Riley.”

  “And Claire.”

  “No.” Gaige stopped them. “I need to think. Alone.”

  “You need a steak. You shouldn’t think on an empty stomach. Logan can make that call to room service. We’ll eat, have some wine. Give yourself a chance to calm down before you make a mistake you can’t fix.”

  “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but I can’t think about food right now. Go and find your women. Take them out. I have to figure this out by myself.”

  Reluctantly, Sean and Logan left. Gaige leaned against the door, breathing deeply. There was nothing to think about. He knew what needed to be done. Before he could chicken out, he picked up the hotel phone and called Violet.

  “Hello?” Violet answered on the second ring.

  “It’s me.”

  “Gaige.” He heard her relieved sigh. “Thank God. I was going crazy. The internet is filled with crazy people. Did you know that? I’m canceling my service first thing in the morning.”

  “Violet—”

  “I’m sorry,” Violet rushed on. “Listen to me. How are you?”

  “Fine.”

  “Really? You sound exhausted. Have you eaten? Order soup. Something with lots of meat and vegetables.”

  Under different circumstances, Gaige would have found everyone’s need to feed him amusing. At the moment, he didn’t think he would ever laugh again.

  “I need to talk to you.”

  “Okay. Talk.”

  “I don’t think you should come to the game.”

  “I thought of that. I know the press is bound to dig up the past, but so what? I don’t care if you don’t.”

  “I care.”

  “What are you talking about.”

  “I don’t want you here, Violet. It would be a mistake.”

  There was a long pause. Gaige was grateful he couldn’t see her eyes. Those big, blue, expressive eyes. He would rather take the coward’s way out and end it over the phone than see the pain he was causing her.

  “Fuck that.”

  “What did you say?” He didn’t hear hurt. Her voice was filled with pure rage.

  “You heard me. Blame yourself. I didn’t use that word before I met you. I don’t know what is going through that beautiful mind of yours, Gaige Benson, but I can guess.”

  “I doubt it.”

  “You aren’t anything like your father.”

  How Violet hit on the truth, Gaige would never know. But it didn’t matter. His mind was made up.

  “I don’t want you
. Is that so hard to understand? Have some pride. When a man breaks it off, begging is just sad.”

  “Begging? Why you—” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Here’s what is going to happen. I won’t come to the game. That’s up to you. But if you insist on ending this, you aren’t doing it over the phone. Face to face, buddy. Win your Super Bowl. Then be a man. If you can look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t want me, I’ll honor your wishes. You know where to find me.”

  Gaige hung up the phone unsure what had just happened. He had tried to do the right thing, but Violet wouldn’t let him. The expected hurt and possible tears hadn’t materialized. She wasn’t crying—she was pissed off.

  Reaching up to rub his chin, Gaige grazed his mouth with his hand. Touching it again, he shook his head in amazement. Son of a bitch. He was smiling.

  What a woman. She turned his self-pity back on him, not only refusing to give up on them but lifting his mood at the same time.

  Gaige looked at the ceiling and sighed. God, he loved her. He had to be the luckiest S.O.B. in the world.

  The pounding on the door made him jump.

  “Gaige,” Riley called out, knocking again “Open up.”

  He grabbed the doorknob before she disturbed everyone on the floor.

  “Hello to you too,” Gaige said when she stormed past him.

  “I don’t know what you have to smile about. Violet just texted me.” Riley shoved her phone in his face. “What the hell did you do?”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  IT WAS GOOD to have friends. The kind that will kick you in the ass when you need it. Ones who aren’t afraid to tell you some hard truths—no matter how difficult they are to hear. Gaige was blessed with not one, but four such people. Between Sean, Logan, Riley and Claire, they finished the job that Violet had started. No more self-pity. No worrying about his father or Walter.

  Gaige Benson had worked most of his life for this moment. No one—not even himself—would ruin it.

  “Are you certain she’s coming?”

  “Ninety-nine point nine percent certain,” Riley told him. When Sean shot her a look, she shrugged. “I refuse to say it’s set in stone. Better Gaige knows now that there’s still a slight possibility Violet won’t be here, rather than finding out during the game.”

  “She sounded like she was coming?” Gaige asked, adjusting his shoulder pads.

  Riley had flown to New York on Thursday. Again, it was good to have friends. She spoke with Violet, explaining everything that had happened the day before. They went out to dinner. Drank plenty of wine. According to Riley, Violet was still angry, but she planned on coming to the game.

  Riley sighed. “One last time. Violet understands that you want her here. Though calling her yourself would have been a nice touch.”

  “I told you. I did call. When it went straight to voicemail, I left a message. I was an idiot. Please come to the game.”

  “Short. Sweet. And accurate,” Sean grinned. “What woman could resist that?”

  “Sarcasm? Really? From the man who once broke up with a woman via e-mail—sent by a teammate?”

  “That was completely justified. She—”

  “Now is not the time or the place.” Riley gestured to where they were standing. The noise was deafening, even in the tunnel under the stadium. In a few minutes, the Knights would run out onto the field and play the biggest game of their lives. Riley was right. They needed to worry about the other team—not their love lives.

  Gaige took a deep breath, centering his thoughts. Today was about victory. There was no other option. His last hurrah would be a memorable one.

  When her phone buzzed, Riley checked the screen and grinned.

  “Gaige?”

  He looked at the text from Claire. It didn’t say much, but it made his heart soar.

  Violet is in the building.

  COMPARED TO THIS, the league championship game had been child’s play. Violet wondered why they bothered with seats. From the playing of the Star Spangled Banner, everyone stayed on their feet. Violet and her father included.

  “I need to thank your friend for giving me her ticket,” Alden Reed raised his voice above the crowd.

  “You’ll meet her after the game.”

  Claire had planned on watching the game with Violet. But on Friday, Riley surprised her by making her an assistant trainer. It had once been Claire’s dream—to work for a professional football team. For one day, that dream would be a reality.

  “I don’t know how they can stand it,” Violet said, watching the activity on the field. “It is taking forever. When will the game finally start?”

  Alden chuckled. “You’ve never paid attention before today. The hoopla before the game is all part of the process. Pre-game ceremonies always take a long time.” He patted her hand. “I imagine it’s worse when you care about one of the players.”

  “This means so much to him, Dad. I don’t know what he’ll do if the Knights lose.”

  “Right now, I know that winning seems like the be all and end all. Gaige’s life won’t be over if he doesn’t win. Besides, with you there to help him, I know he’ll be just fine.”

  “I love you, Dad.”

  “I love you, too.” Alden hugged her close. “By the way, how would you feel about your old man moving to Seattle?”

  “Really?” Violet couldn’t believe her ears. “I thought you were an entrenched New Yorker. What did you once say? Not even dynamite could budge you?”

  “I didn’t have the incentive I do now.”

  “Me?” Violet asked, her head on his shoulder.

  “I would like to be there to see my grandchildren grow up.”

  “Aren’t you getting a little ahead of things?”

  Alden’s blue eyes, so much like hers, crinkled at the corners. “Am I?”

  Violet laughed. “Let’s get through the game. We’ll talk babies later.”

  FOOTBALL WAS A battle. That was how Gaige thought of it. Today, it felt more like an all-out assault. Winner take all. No mercy. No prisoners. Baltimore was the enemy, and they wanted the prize just as much as Seattle did.

  “What the fuck is Stanhope doing?” Logan demanded.

  “He’s doing his best to eliminate me.”

  Gaige’s old nemesis was in fine form today. The Baltimore linebacker used every opportunity to inflict as much damage as possible. An elbow to the ribs. A knee to his hip. On the last play, Gaige barely moved his hand in time to prevent Stanhope from making it into a pincushion with his cleats.

  “Coach needs to alert the refs. That guy is out to get you, and he’s going beyond the average dirty play.”

  “Harry let the officials know what’s going on,” Gaige assured Logan.

  Unfortunately, penalizing Stanhope for unnecessary roughness wouldn’t do Gaige any good if the behemoth had already taken him out of the game.

  “It’s hard enough to score against their defense. We shouldn’t have to worry about our QB getting his head taken off.”

  Gaige agreed, but it was up to him to avoid Stanhope. His offensive line was one of the best in the game. With their help, he planned on getting out of Florida in one piece. And with a victory.

  “You worry about running the ball. Let me take care of the rest.”

  The third quarter started with the Knights down by four. It would have been worse, but just before the half, Gaige used his quick feet to avoid a sack and sent a bullet forty yards to the end zone. Sean stretched out his body and kept his feet in bounds. Those seven points were a huge boost to the team’s morale.

  Gaige looked down the line at the other Knights. His men. As the battle ticked down to the final quarter, they were bruised, battered, and covered with dirt and sweat. They were ready for the next fifteen minutes—ready for the final push.

  Seattle held Baltimore to a field goal on their next possession. Then the Knights answered with one of their own. The teams were locked in a stalemate—exchanging points and blows. The pendulum sw
ung toward the good guys when Sol Fellows knocked the ball loose from the Ravens’ running back. The big man fell on the fumble.

  Gaige pulled on his helmet. He ran onto the field calling his men into the huddle. The play was a designed call. He would fake a handoff to Logan then make a quick pass to an open receiver. They had run it a thousand times to overwhelming success. This time, it didn’t go as planned.

  The Baltimore defense had everyone covered. Gaige could either force the pass, risking an interception, or do what he always did in these situations. Vamp until Sean broke free of his coverage.

  Scrambling to his left, Gaige slipped by the defensive tackle, pirouetted, before heading to his right. Maybe fifteen seconds passed, but it felt like twice that. Then he saw it. Sean was wide open near the far sidelines. Gaige hurled the pass with ease, confident it would find its target. He waited, following the projection of the ball. Sean raised his arms, ready for the catch.

  Gaige willed the ball into Sean’s hands, but before he could see if it landed, he was hit by a freight train. The air burst from his lungs as his body crashed onto the turf followed by three hundred plus pounds of linebacker.

  For a moment, the world went black, but Gaige didn’t pass out. If he had, he wouldn’t have felt the searing pain across his chest.

  “Get off him, you mother fucking son of a bitch.”

  Logan and God knew how many of his teammates pulled at Phil Stanhope, but the Baltimore linebacker held onto Gaige’s jersey, doing his best to do as much damage as possible.

  “Good luck coming back from this, asshole,” Stanhope growled at Gaige.

  The linebacker slammed his fist into Gaige’s rib cage. Stars burst in front of his eyes. He tried to take a deep breath, but it hurt too much. Even the smallest inhale sent fire ripping through his body.

  It helped when they finally pulled Stanhope off him, but not much. Gaige knew he had at least one cracked rib. He just prayed that’s all it was.

  As they loaded him onto the stretcher, Logan reached for Sean.

  “Did you make the catch?”

  Sean grinned, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. “And ran for ten bonus yards.”

  “Beasley is a good QB,” he said of his back-up. Gaige winced when he was loaded onto the flatbed trailer. “Help him, Sean. He can lead you to victory.”