Page 76 of Hard to Break

The last thing I need right now is another lecture about staying out of this mess, but something in her expression gives me pause. With a deep breath, I open the door.

“What are you doing here?”

She steps inside, her eyes scanning the room before settling on me.

I brace myself for the familiar arguments, but as she takes a seat across from me, I notice something different in her demeanor. There's a tension in her shoulders, a glint in her eye that I've only seen when she's preparing for a major political battle.

“I owe you an apology,” she says, catching me completely off guard. “I should have taken your concerns about Kevin more seriously. But I'm here now, and I want you to know that I'm on your side.”

I stare at her, unsure if I've heard her correctly.

She reaches into her briefcase and pulls out a thick folder. “I've been doing a little digging of my own.”

My heart races as she spreads documents across the coffee table.

I leaf through the papers, my mind reeling. “How did you find this?”

A small, grim smile plays at the corners of her mouth. “I didn't get where I am by playing nice. I have contacts, people who owe me favors. It didn't take long for the cracks to show.”

I look at her, a mix of emotions churning in my gut: gratitude, hope, and a lingering thread of suspicion. “Why now?”

Her expression softens, a rare vulnerability shining through her political armor. “Miles came to my office. He reminded me about my responsibilities to you. I wanted to protect you, Brooke, but I didn’t realize how bad it had gotten.”

My mouth parts in shock. The sincerity in her voice brings unexpected tears to my eyes. “So, what do we do with all this?”

My mother's eyes harden, the seasoned politician taking charge. “Once this goes public, Kevin's family will have no choice but to cut him loose to save their own skins.”

A surge of hope rises in my chest, but it's quickly tempered by worry. “Mom, this could destroy your campaign.”

She takes my hand. “I've spent my entire career fighting for justice, for what's right, but I've never had a more important cause than protecting my daughter.”

I squeeze her hand, overwhelmed. For years, I've felt as though I was fighting alone, even against my own family. Now, to have my mother not just on my side but leading the charge? It's almost too much to process.

As quickly as it appeared, her vulnerability is gone, replaced by steely determination. “We have work to do.”

MILES

“Anyone still have legs?”Rookie groans as we head out of practice and back to the locker room.

“Coach didn’t leave much of us to face Boston with,” Damon agrees.

Two hours of hard drills had us on the floor. Thing is, our season will come down to Boston in the playoff game. It’s our one chance at making it through.

We shower and change, the hot water making me feel slightly more human.

“I’m going crash hard,” Jay says. “It’s impossible to nap during the day because they’re working on the house. But at night, I’m out cold.”

Rookie looks and each of us. “You can’t go home yet.”

Jay finishes packing his bag and straightens. “Why not?”

“Movie night,” he declares.

Normally, I’d be down, but it feels like the wrong time.

“We can’t do a movie night. We have too much going on,” I say.

“That’s exactly why we should,” he insists. “We need to remember what’s at stake for us.”

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