Page 33 of Quarterback Keeper

Dad’s eyes narrowed, and he pointed a finger in my direction. “Meet me at the office in an hour, and we’ll discuss your betrayal.”

“That’s not going to happen. I have class”—that I’d missed—“then practice. And I expect to sleep in my bed tonight.”

“Don’t you dare threaten me. Tell the girl to find a new place to stay, or your mother will be put out before the news channel gets wind of what happened.”

He brushed past me, and I watched as he strode down the pier, got into his car, and drove away. The hatred I’d had for him before grew into something dark and unmanageable. My greatest concern was Mom and making sure he didn’t hurt her.

I turned back to Gia and gripped her shoulders. “I can’t let him get to Mom first. I need my keys for the SUV.”

Her mouth opened, but no words came out. She gave a clipped nod, wrenched her shoulders free, then pulled the keys from her pocket and dropped them into my hand. She turned, her long dark hair fanning as she raced down the stairs. I had to force myself to leave when she disappeared, though all I wanted to do was follow her.

As I hurried off the boat and down the pier, my thoughts warred over not reassuring Gia. I should have made my presence known and gotten between her and my father sooner. But I couldn’t focus on that until later. I had to make sure Mom was safe.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

GIA

My hands shook as I pushed my hair away from my face. I paced in a small circle in the boat’s primary sleeping cabin while Kylian’s Dad’s words played in my head. I’d been insulted, accused of intentionally getting pregnant and targeting Kylian for his money—okay, that one hurt because it aligned too closely with the truth. Sort of. It was a mutually beneficial contract, and recently… circumstances had changed our deal.

I never should have let him kiss me.

The encounter with Mr. Wilder had been so full of drama and painful accusations. I hadn’t been that emotionally abused since Dayton, another time I would never forget, though I wished I could.

Screw it. I grabbed my purse, raced up the stairs, and slammed the door that separated the lower quarters from the deck. I had to get away and clear my head. The attempted payoff made me feel dirty. I hated when people used money to control and manipulate situations and people to their benefit, and that was exactly what Mr. Wilder had done.

I jogged down the dock, wondering what I should do and where I could spend the night. I didn’t want another run-in withMr. Wilder, and Kylian wouldn’t be there to run interference. I would have time to return and get my things once I had a plan. Fortunately, Kylian had football practice, so he wouldn’t be back. I didn’t want him to know I was running scared.

Wandering along Chicago’s lakefront eased some of the chaos churning in my mind. Navy Pier wasn’t far from where Kylian docked his boat. I could see the Ferris wheel spinning, the sun glinting off the metal against the clear blue sky.

I couldn’t blame Kylian for putting his mom first. His dad probably wouldn’t come back while I was alone.Right?He should care for his mom’s well-being. I would’ve too.

I kicked at a pebble and cringed when it bounced off the leg of a woman in front of me. She didn’t spare me a glance as she hurried down the sidewalk, weaving through people ahead of her. I didn’t want to be alone with my thoughts. When I reached Navy Pier, I turned toward it along with several others. It was loud and teeming with people. One of the three huge dining and entertainment boats that typically parked at the dock was out carrying a lunch crowd.

The pier was busier than usual, with booths and games lining the dock—some kind of event.A carnival of sorts?Despite being late afternoon, the lighting from the flashing colors, games, and rides felt eerie.

A hint of mint permeated the air. The abhorrent smell disoriented me, sending a sliver of fear in its wake, and I stumbled, bumping into someone on my left. As I turned toward the person to apologize, whoever it was didn’t pause. But I did as pins and needles pierced every inch of my skin. Instead of confronting a stranger, I saw a familiar figure half-hidden behind one of the booths.Dayton?

I stood frozen, people parting around me as I squinted to better glimpse the dark form. It was his shape but thinner. Panic laced my blood, just as it had so many times in our relationship.I took a hesitant step closer to be sure it was Dayton, but he was gone. Only the crowd that meandered along the pier remained.Could I have imagined him?

A few blinks to clear my eyes, and I looked again. I must have imagined him. The day had begun with stress and accusations.Why wouldn’t my mind instantly go to my ex?

That made more sense. I pushed out a breath and turned to head back to the boat, doing my best to dismiss the way I’d felt when I’d thought it was him watching me.

A gentle breeze stirred my hair, and I enjoyed the sun’s warmth. I loved the sound of the waves breaking along the shore as I walked adjacent to the beach. I was glad I’d decided to walk. It gave me time to think. Mr. Wilder was trouble, and without Kylian running defense, I wasn’t up for round two. Not if it would mess with my head and dredge up phantom glimpses of Dayton.

I had to keep reassuring myself that there was no way he’d found me. I would have known.Right?The article about Kylian’s connection to me didn’t even matter. The picture of me in Kylian’s passenger seat wasn’t clear, since I’d held up my hand to block my face. Only my hair was visible. I dismissed that. Dayton wouldn’t have known it was me from that one incident. Besides, Science Barbie had been all over Kylian at the fundraiser. I was safe.

It helped, especially after he’d left me alone—with good reason. If he hadn’t, I liked to think that I would have told him to go and maybe even to forget about the contract, that his mom’s health and safety were so much more important. I didn’t want to add to their stress. Maybe I should think about moving on, since my presence only infuriated his dad. And people like him were dangerous.

When I arrived at the dock, I leaned against one of the pillars and stared at Kylian’s luxury sailboat, which I wouldn’t be sleeping on anymore. It was for the best.

A shadow fell across me, and I jumped.

“Hey.” Kylian laid his hand on the small of my back. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, you just startled me.” I cleared my throat, needing to say what had to be said. “I was going to get my stuff and head out.” A strand of my hair danced in the wind, and I tucked it behind my ear.

“What are you talking about? I had to check on Mom, but she wasn’t home. So I wanted to make sure my dad hadn’t come back. He’s not here.”

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