Page 37 of 40-Yard Line

“We have a game tomorrow night. If we win, we play them next weekend in the playoffs. If we lose, I wouldn’t have access to their players unless it was just as a civilian out and about.”

“You mean like in a bar or something?” asked Jean.

“Yeah, although most of us aren’t stupid enough to go to bars. We will frequent coffee shops but not bars.”

“Smart,” smirked Kari. They started to stand to leave when Kari turned back toward Sheffler. “Who else is she paying?”

“What?” he asked in a shaky voice.

“Who else?”

“Fuck, lady, why did you have to ruin my coffee this morning?” Miller slapped the back of his head, and his chin snapped downward to his chest. “Hey, that fucking hurts!”

“Really. You mean like taking a cheap shot on another, going at full speed with a shitty helmet?”

“Okay. Point taken. She pays the refs or blackmails them. She’s notorious for catching the refs with strippers, hookers, hell, anything and everything. Two of them were caught in a room with a seventeen-year-old girl and a table full of blow.”

“Who else?” Sheffler rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

“The doctors, EMTs, trainers, anyone and everyone. She pays them enough that they keep their mouths shut, and if she thinks they’ll talk anyway, she finds something to hold over them. She’s good at that.”

“And what does she have on you?” asked Kari, tilting her head to the side. Sheffler froze, unable to look up at the men around him. Jean started to slap the back of his head again, but he jumped, moving out of reach.

“Please don’t hit my head again,” he said. Jean almost felt bad for him. It obviously was painful and uncomfortable for him.

“What does she have on you?”

“It was a party my second or third year in the league. I was drunk, so were the other guys. When I woke up the next morning, I had two naked guys next to me and a bunch of used condoms on the floor.”

“So, you’re gay?” said Kari.

“I’m bi-sexual. I like men and women,” he whispered.

“And she knows and will announce it to the world unless you do her bidding.”

“Yes.” Kari stood, tucking her purse under her arm.

“Call her and then call us. If we can get the footage from that party, I give you my word that I’ll burn it. All of it.”

“You’d do that?” he asked in surprise. The three men looked down on him, and Kari stared at the man.

“I’m not like you. I’m not in the habit of ruining men’s lives just for my own pleasure. It gives me no great joy to watch a man’s career go up in flames because of something I did. Call me or I will send these three after you.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said quietly.

Back in the SUV, Miller turned to his wife grinning at her like a Cheshire cat. He grabbed her hand, kissing the back of her fingers.

“That was the hottest fucking shit ever.”

“Ewww,” said Antoine. “Please. I don’t need to hear this.”

“Seriously, bro. Make whoopie with my sister-in-law when I’m not around.”

“Fuck all of you. I’ll damn well tell my wife exactly how I feel about her whenever I want to.” Kari laughed, reaching across the seat to give him a big kiss.

“I love my big scary husband. And, I love his brothers.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

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