Page 123 of Brutal Game

“Maybe we should tranquilize her,” Lucy muttered. “It might make her stop pacing.”

“Aviva, take a deep breath,” Tovah ordered, watching me with concerned eyes.

All three girls were in Tovah’s and my apartment. Lucy and Leslie had been sent to keep me company by way of Mason, and Tovah had come home as soon as I’d texted an S.O.S.

“I’m worried,” I explained.

I wasn’t worried, I was terrified. Not only because there was so much riding on Jack finding the evidence. I’d seen the kind of man Joshua Jensen was. The DSM didn’t have a code for evil, but it leaked from his eyes all the same. If he caught Jack, what was to say Joshua wouldn’t hurt him—or worse?

Tovah scoffed. “Please elucidate on how we went from ‘Jack Feldman’s an abusive bully who belongs in prison’ to ‘Jack Feldman’s my boyfriend, I love him, and I’m scared he’ll come to harm.” I’d caught the girls up onsomeof what had happened.

I sighed. “If I tell you everything, you’ll hate him more.”

“That doesn’t fill me with confidence, Aviva.”

Finally sitting on the couch, I explained everything, sharing the whole story—minus some of the more salacious details. Tovah listened without speaking, but I could see the anger, the judgment, on her face.

“You don’t have to worry about the coach hurting him, because I’m going to,” she announced when I was done.

Leslie and Lucy looked at each other.

“Here we go again,” Lucy giggled.

Leslie was gentler. “Tovah, as someone who’s been there…you don’t understand it unless you’reinit.”

Tovah, skeptical, raised an eyebrow. “I’ll take your word for it.”

I scooted around to look at her. “Jack’s so much more than his early actions. He loves me, and yes, his love is brutal and intense, painful and all-consuming, but he’s gentle, too. Tender, too. He wants me safe, and happy, and unlike other men—he’ll do anything to make sure both happen. He sees me, and he loves what he sees, and we understand each other. I know you don’t get it, but please, at least accept it. And if loving him is crazy, then I don’t want to be sane.”

“Fine.” Tovah threw up her hands. “I’ll accept him, but I reserve the right to kick his ass.”

I cracked a smile. “I’ll let him know.”

“SoTed Lasso?”

I nodded. “Ted Lasso.”

As they settled in, my phone buzzed. I pulled it out, hoping it was Jack.

But it was from an unknown number.

I have that evidence you’re after.

My stomach dropped.

who is this?

You know who it is, Ms. Gold. Come—alone—and I’ll give you the evidence.

I snorted. Like I was going to fall for that. I didn’t know how Joshua Jensen had figured out what I was looking for, but I wasn’t going to let him get me alone, or he’d hurtme.

But if Joshua Jensen knew, what did that mean for Jack?

I texted him.

did you find it? coach jensen texted me, I think he’s onto us

No response.

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