Page 4 of Hard to Break

“We’re here to decide how to move forward in the wake of the assault in front of the arena,” James goes on.

“On Miles,” Chloe says smoothly.

“Excuse me?” James’s eyes narrow, but Chloe only taps her pencil on her tablet.

“If there was an assault, it was on Miles.”

“None of the security cameras had an angle that would show that, and oddly, none of the fan videos do either.”

“Then if we can’t prove it, we call it an altercation.”

James curses. “The other man could lay charges.”

“He won’t,” I cut in.

He turns to me for what feels like the first time. “How do you know?”

Because I know what he did back in college.

“I just know.”

“Well, thank you, Garrett, for bringing your crystal fucking ball to the meeting.”

“He could have already. He hasn’t.” Harlan’s answer is more defensible. “But we have to respond somehow.”

“We close ranks.” Chloe spreads her hands. “Miles Garrett is our all-star candidate. We support him. We put out a team statement saying we don’t condone what happened, particularlyon team property, but he didn’t start it. It ended promptly with the help of security before the police arrived. Anyone who was there can vouch for him.”

“That’s up for discussion.” James stops pacing next to the window.

“Which part?” she asks.

“The all-star part.”

His words suck the oxygen from the room.

Getting the nod from my team was an honor I never expected but appreciated more than I could say. If the Kodiaks withdraw their support, formally or informally, there goes my chance of getting to represent the organization—a chance that’s supposed to be announced in the next few days.

My sponsorship deal was inked on the assumption that I’d get seriously considered, if not selected. If the Kodiaks back away, my sponsor will cut ties. The security I want for Grams could evaporate. Everything I’ve been building since I started in the league, since I started playing basketball, could come crashing down.

“Second option—we distance ourselves from this.” James’s gaze lands on me, and I take “this” to mean “me.” “Garrett is on leave pending a full investigation where he puts his fucking head down and does not appear on the court or the property or otherwise in anything with a Kodiaks logo on it until we are well and fully satisfied this ‘altercation’ was a mistake.”

Every cell of my body hurts. It’s partly the idea of losing the chance to be an all-star, but more than that, being ripped from my team—the guys, the routines, the job. It’s who I am. It’s my family.

Harlan shifts in his seat. “We can spin ourselves around in circles trying to protect the image of this team, but the team’s value comes not from a spotless reputation, but from winning.We finish tenth in the standings, no one cares how clean our noses are.”

I’m usually the guy who breaks up fights, not starts them. The one who keeps the peace, and right now, we need some peace.

“I get that you’re concerned,” I interject. “And if I made things worse for the Kodiaks, I apologize. It won’t happen again.”

James grunts. “It’s a little late. The best way to move forward cleanly is to distance ourselves from this. An assault—altercation—with a fan?—”

“He wasn’t a fan,” Jay cuts in for the first time. Every head swivels toward him. “He’s a grade-A asshole.”

James consults his phone again, his expression doubtful. “Ivy League law school. Multigenerational family firm. Doesn’t exactly scream troublemaker.”

“Not everything worth knowing is on the internet,” Jay responds evenly.

Chloe blinks at him in surprise.

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