Page 80 of Checks & Bonds

"Mr. Mathers, you literally assaulted Dan with no cause?—"

"There was cause," Freya interjected, her voice strong and unwavering. Despite her petite frame, her eyes sparkled with defiance. "Your captain posted pictures online. Of me. Of us."

"Miss Reynolds," the coach said, trying to regain control of the situation.

"Intimate pictures," I pointed out.

"Without my consent," she added firmly.

The coach slowly turned to look at Dan, suspicion etching lines into his face. "Is this true?"

"Even so," the second coach said, turning to me with a stern expression. "You can't just?—"

"I can," I cut him off, my voice sharp. I turned to Freya. "Let's go."

She glared at Dan, but even I could see the pain in her eyes. It wasn’t just anger; it was something deeper, rawer.

I took her hand in mine, feeling the tremble in her grip. "You'll get what's coming to you," I said, my gaze never leaving Dan’s bruised face.

"Are you threatening me?" Dan asked as one of the coaches checked his face. "Did you hear him? He's threatening?—"

"It's a goddamn promise," I replied coldly.

I led Freya away from the chaos, each step feeling like a march away from a battlefield. The murmur of voices and shouts faded behind us as we made our way to my car.

"What about my car?" she asked, her voice tinged with lingering defiance.

"I'll have someone pick it up," I said, squeezing her hand gently. "Right now, we have to talk."

We reached my car, and I opened the door for her. She slid into the passenger seat, exhaustion touching her delicate features. I rounded the front of the car and got in beside her, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a knife.

As I started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot, neither of us spoke. The silence between us was heavy, filled with unspoken words and emotions that neither of us knew how to express.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I broke the silence. "Freya... about those pictures..."

She turned to look at me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I can't believe he did that," she whispered.

"I'm going to make sure he pays for it," I said firmly.

She shook her head slightly. "It's not just about making him pay, Henry. It's about... everything. All of this." She gestured vaguely, encompassing not just the immediate situation but everything that had led us here.

We drove on in silence after that, each lost in our own thoughts but united by a shared determination. The road stretched out before us, uncertain.

I was furious.

With the situation.

With Dan.

Even with her.

But she was mine to protect. And knowing my uncle was part of this?

That needed to be contended with.

25

Freya

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