Page 27 of Look What You Made Me Do

Ignoring Pete, she eyed Jake with a level of disgust that made him feel lower than a snake’s belly. “Trust me. They’ll know.” She shook her head. “Shit Jake, I didn’t think I’d have to give you a code of conduct. I mean really?—”

Unable to stand one more hissed syllable, Jake placed two fingers against her mouth. “Shh. Please. Just shh.” His head felt like it was going to explode and her low, angry whisper was throwing petrol at the fuse.

Even hungover as he was, Jake felt the transient pulse of awareness as the softness of her mouth and the sigh of her breath against his fingertips streaked straight to his groin. He wanted to press harder, use his finger to smear the gloss off. But it didn’t take a genius to figure out she’d probably bite him if he tried right now.

Dropping his hand, he used it to rub a temple that was bitching at him instead. “Just go and introduce me, Ella.”

She looked like she was about to argue but decided against it, turning on her heel and walking toward the crowd.

“Okay, everyone.” She raised her voice to hush the few murmurs that hadn’t stopped as she’d approached. “I’m sure to many of you, he will need no introduction, but I’d like you all to meet Jake Prince.”

She gestured vaguely in his direction and Jake took the cue, smiling and waving beside her.

“Jake apologizes for being late, he’s… been unwell and dragged himself out of his sick bed to make this first session.”

Jake grimaced at the paltry claps and cheers, realizing that his tight-end rep alone would not be enough to win these kids over. They were clearly not easily impressed and his tardiness had ruined any idolizing he’d come to expect as his due.

Today he definitely had feet of clay.

But he just didn’t have the patience for niceties today. So he was late. So they were pissed at him. He had a few months to win their respect. Today was not the time for pleasantries. Today just had to be endured.

“Can I have—” Jake stopped as the effort to raise his voice caused a stabbing pain at the back of his head. He continued, his voice quieter. “Those students interested in trying out for the team head over to the end zone.”

There were a few moments of shuffling and low murmurs before a couple of boys peeled hesitantly off followed by more and then more. “If the rest of you want to watch on the sidelines, you’re most welcome. We’ll be here every afternoon at three.”

Jake headed toward the boys who were waiting for him, Pete trailing behind. Every step reverberated through his brain, kicking his headache up another notch. If he stood very still for the next hour maybe his head would still be on his shoulders by the end of it.

“We need between twenty and thirty guys,” Jake announced to the assembled boys. Professional teams had a roster of fifty-three and most high school teams had around thirty. The final number would depend on how much raw talent was standing in front of him.

He turned to Pete. “How many here?” The realm of counting was beyond him.

“Fifty.”

Jake nodded, the action jarring through his temples and he wondered again how the hell he’d been roped into this. Then he spotted Cameron among the hopefuls and side-eyed Ella.

Well… hell.

“Right. This week is the selection process. Pete here” – Jake slapped Pete’s back – “is going to put you through your paces and next Monday I’ll announce the team.”

Pete looked at Jake with startled eyes and turned his back to the assembled students. “Err, Jake?”

“You got this,” Jake assured. “You live, eat and breathe this stuff and have been to every public Founders training session since you were twelve years old.”

Pete stared at him for a long moment before nodding. “Okay.”

“Good,” Jake murmured. “Run them into the ground.”

Pete smiled. “Yes, sir.”

“That’s it?” Ella demanded as Pete rallied the troops.

Jake grimaced. “Yup.”

“What? No pep talk? No encouraging words from The Prince?”

“Nope.”

She glared at him and Jake felt it all the way down to his balls. “As much as I enjoy monosyllabic conversations, would you care to elaborate on your game plan here?”

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