Page 89 of Trapped and Tackled

I let out a nervous exhale.

On a logical level, I know my entire career is in a precarious position. There’s video footage of me choking Craig and threatening his life. There is an entire room of witnesses to craft their own versions of what happened.

My career and everything I worked for, hustled toward, is on the line.

And the only person I care about is Leni.

“Is she okay?” I ask.

At my question, Coach sighs heavily. His shoulders slump and his head drops. The weight of the world has rested on his shoulders for so long and now, he’s buckling beneath it.

“You knew?” he tosses back.

About Craig. He must mean about Craig.

But I’m not blowing up Leni’s spot or sharing anything that she hasn’t told her parents. I won’t do that to her.

“How is she?” I ask again.

Coach’s head snaps up, his eyes flashing. He doesn’t like me asking questions, but I don’t care. I’m too twisted up over Leni and her safety to give a shit about anything else, even Coach Strauss’s opinion of me.

“She told us the truth,” Coach says, wrapping a hand around one of the bars.

I breathe out. Thank God. “And Craig?”

“I took care of him.” There’s a sharpness to Coach’s tone and I narrow my eyes, trying to understand why he seems angry with me.

But then, I get it. I’m the guy his daughter came to instead of him.

And he’s a dad, worried out of his mind, and not fully ready to step aside and cede a position he’s carried for so long to another guy in Leni’s life.

“Good,” I say, and I mean it. I’ll protect Leni with everything I have but at the end of the day, I want her safe. It doesn’t matter to me who makes it happen as long as it’s done.

“She told you first.” Coach sounds accusatory.

“She didn’t want to disappoint you.”

“Fuck.” He shakes his head. “Fuck, Miller. I should’ve known.”

“Yeah,” I agree. “But she was dealing with a lot…and to be fair, Coach, I guessed at it.”

“Guessed?” Surprise flickers in his eyes.

“That night at the lake house, the shit that went down with Toby, I saw Leni’s reaction. And it reminded me of my mom.” I shrug, hating that I was right about it. “There were other things too but don’t beat yourself up over it. Sometimes, it takes an outside perspective, some distance, to see things for what they are. You two are close, you always were.”

Coach’s jaw clenches, anger, hurt, and relief all warring for position in his expression. “Thank you, Talon. For being there for her.”

“I’ll always step up for her. I’m not going anywhere, Coach. I know you never wanted Leni with a football player, and trust me, I know there are better men for her than me. But I love her. She’s it for me. And if you need to take your anger out on me for the rest of the season to prove some point, or put me in the place you want me, go ahead. I’m not walking away from her. Not for fucking anything, not even for you. Not even for football.”

Coach stares at me hard. Seconds pass and I hold his gaze, neither of us blinking. Then, he nods. “You’ll be out within the hour.”

“Coach?”

He sighs, looking tired. “The Attorney General is a huge Coyotes fan. I made a few calls, and you’ll get slapped with some community service.”

Holy shit. I hang my head as waves of relief, of gratitude, roll through me. “Thank you, Coach.” I meet his eyes. “Fuck. Thank you.”

He nods once.

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