Page 66 of Hard to Break

“You could stay in the car,” Miles suggests.

“You think I’m going to scare her away? I’ll have you know I can be very welcoming and approachable. Kappa pledges were up twenty percent the year that I was recruitment chair.”

“That’s not it.” Miles grunts. “I want to keep you as far away from this as possible.”

My chest warms at his protective words. I shift closer, running my hands through his hair. “No way. We’re in this together.”

We enter the coffee shop, the bell above the door jingling softly. The air feels thick with anticipation as we take our seats, Miles's knee bouncing under the table. I give his hand a reassuring squeeze.

The bell above the door jingles again, and a middle-aged woman enters, her eyes darting around the room until they land on us. She recognizes Miles right away, but she orders a drink and waits for it.

I stand and cross to her with a warm smile. “Hey, Lisa? Thank you for meeting with us.”

I insist on buying her drink and she takes a seat, her hands wrapped tightly around her cup of coffee. “I'm not sure how much help I can be.”

Miles leans in. “Someone planted drugs in my locker and tried to blame it on me. I need to find out who.”

I squeeze Miles’s arm, a warning. We can’t scare her off before we’ve started.

My voice is gentle but firm. “Lisa, why did you quit your job with the team? It seems like a great place to work.”

Lisa takes a deep breath, her eyes flickering between Miles and me. “I didn't want to get involved, but I saw something that didn't sit right with me.”

Miles leans forward, and my fingers tighten on his arm.

Lisa continues, her voice growing stronger. “It was one of the training staff. They all have the same jackets. He seemed jumpy. He kept looking around as if he wasn’t sure why he was there.”

My heart races as I exchange a glance with Miles. This is the lead we've been hoping for.

Lisa’s hands fidget with her cup. “I was cleaning the locker room before the game, and I noticed him come in. He went straight to your locker, Miles.”

Miles's jaw works.

I take a steadying breath, trying to keep my emotions in check. “Lisa, this is extremely important. Can you remember any other details about that night? Anything at all?”

Lisa furrows her brow, her eyes distant as she sifts through her memories. “I heard him talking on the phone on the way out, couldn't hear the other voice. He seemed agitated, like he was arguing with someone.”

I nod, my mind racing. “Could you identify him?”

Lisa shakes her head. “I didn’t get a good look and I don’t know the coaching staff well. I remember thinking it was strange, but I didn't want to get involved. I should have come forward sooner.”

Miles leans forward. “You're doing the right thing now. Thank you for being brave enough to tell us what you saw.”

Lisa nods. I fix the smile on my face as the flicker of hope extinguishes in my chest.

There are no cameras in the locker rooms for privacy reasons, which means that it’s one thing if she saw someone, but if she can’t identify him, we’re back to square one.

18

BROOKE

Nova: Need your help. It’s a friend emergency.

The cryptic message came through after I got out of the shower. Miles was gone at practice, so I had the condo to myself.

As I pull up to Nova's house, I can't help but admire the beautiful exterior that she and Clay fell in love with months ago. I walk up to the front door and ring the doorbell.

Nova opens the door, her eyes wide and expression worried. “I'm so glad you're here.” She pulls me into a warm hug before ushering me inside.

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