Page 116 of Brutal Game

“You know, Aviva told me he wasdealingit. It makes sense, he was a scholarship student?—”

Coach cleared his throat. “Unfortunately, that’s the truth. Asher was dealing Vice and Vixen to students at Reina and other schools, namely Tabb. We tried to keep it quiet because, as I said, there was no reason to destroy his future. But yes, he was a dealer. From what I learned, a very successful one.”

Lie.

Even if my gut hadn’t told me so, his words confirmed it. Although I didn’t deal Vice and Vixen, I was the liaisonbetween the people in charge of Vice and Vixen and the low level dealers on campus. Asher Gold had never had anything to do with Vice and Vixen, and he hadn’t dealt it. I would know.

Lie.

Liar.

Coach had absolutely no reason to lie, to make up Asher being a dealer—unless he was hiding something. And what else was there to hide, other than the fact that he’d sexually abused Asher Gold? And who knew how many other of my teammates?

Rage—and regret—were so powerful inside me, I almost choked on them. Aviva had been right. She’d never once lied, and neither had her brother. Coach had groomed him, abused him, hurt him. And then when Asher threatened to tell, he’d flipped the script and ruined Asher’s life in the process.

In order to protect his own ass.

Who else on the team had he abused? Who else knew?

The room spun around me, lockers and benches going blurry. I stumbled backward, dizzy.

“Jack?” Concerned, Coach moved toward me. “Are you okay?”

“Sick,” I told him. I wasn’t lying. I wanted to hurl.

He moved toward me, put his hand on my shoulder. I wanted to rip his hand away—rip it off his body—but I forced myself not to recoil and instead accept his “comforting” touch.

“Maybe you should head back early. You certainly aren’t playing tonight. Go rest, think through what went wrong. And I’ll see you at practice tomorrow morning.”

I nodded. “Thanks, Coach,” I said. “You always have our best interests at heart, don’t you?”

He smiled. “I try to, at least. Now, I better get back to that game.” He grimaced. “They don’t play the same without you. Your team needs you, Jack. Don’t forget that.”

And then he was gone, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I grabbed my phone, checked the app to see where Aviva was, and then ordered a car to her apartment.

I’d fucked up, big time. Let my demons run the show.

I’d lost her because of my own stubborn idiocy.

I felt nausea roll through me, a burning stab in my gut, my heart, at the prospect of never being inside her again, having her in my arms, getting that rare soft smile and laugh from her.

No.

I wouldn’t believe that. Couldn’t. I’d meant what I’d said to her. I loved her, and she loved me, and I wasn’t letting her go.

No matter what.

And Coach would pay. Not only for what he’d done to Asher, but for coming between me and the person whotrulymattered most to me in the world. The person I couldn’t—refused to—breathe without.

Oh, he’d pay.

I’d make sure of it.

39

Aviva

At least this time Jack had told the truth.

---