Page 41 of Chasing Football Dreams

“It must have been Kelly. She couldn’t stop asking questions and digging,”

“We need to silence her before he silences one of us,”

“We did as he asked. We picked the Martin girl up from the hospital, and made sure to convince her that her parents died in a tragic accident,”

“Until she reconnected with her father and became the new talk of the state with her hidden skills,” He slammed something on the desk.

“Zoey has always been throwing that damn ball and impersonating Shane Martin as if he was her hero. We didn’t think much of it as we believe she would outgrow it,”

I covered Eliza’s mouth when she gasped. At least they didn’t hear it as they continued talking.

“And to think it was all about money that got that girl kidnapped,”

“We have to make sure he doesn’t get caught because that means we will also be caught,”

“I can’t go to prison. What will happen to my daughter?”

I snarled at the audacity of her thinking about her daughter when she was part of the reason I got taken from my mother and father. They raised me on lies—made a fool out of me and had me believing that my life meant nothing.

I never wanted something as bad as pushing harder at life and giving it my all now. I don’t care about the past I’ve lost but I won’t let anyone stand in my way of chasing my dream.

“It wasn’t Kelly,” I heard Eliza whisper next to me.

“She’s here today with her team,” The man noted.

“Yes, she comes here every week with Eliza. They bring the kids some gifts and spend time with them,”

“Can’t we use it to catch her?” My blood turned cold at his question.

“And take her where?”

“Kill her this time. She’s disrupting my life. My wife already suspicious,”

“Zoey,” Eliza touched my shoulder.

To hear how people I didn’t even know wanted to get rid of me terrified and confused me. What have I done to them to deserve this treatment?

“We got to go,” Eliza urged. “Someone is going to see us and alert them,”

I nodded and followed her but stopped. “We need evidence to give to the police,”

“We can’t go back in there while they are there,” Eliza argued.

“I know but we can ask for a diversion,” I suggested, pointing at another window where one of us can get back inside and cause a diversion.

“I will do it. You make sure you get what you are going to need,”

I nodded and tip-toed over to the window with her helping Eliza through and crawling back waiting for her diversion to get back inside. I peeked through the window noticing they were standing with their backs to me.

“Where are you, Eliza?” I muttered watching them gather the photos together and slipping back into the envelope.

My shoulders jerked when I heard the alarm going off before hearing kids screaming. I smiled at the thought of Eliza using all the times I saved her ass as a diversion.

I raised my head to see Candice and the man exiting the office. I only had a few seconds to get the envelope they left behind before they returned and found me.

I paused when is saw Duncan entering the office, his eyes immediately finding me and assuring me that it was safe.

“I am starting to see a whole different Zoey than I met months ago,” He surprisingly noted with a smile walking over to me, snaking an arm around my waist and pressing his lips against mine.

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