Page 193 of Scrimmage

Jeremy smirks. “Of course. You’ll get it back. I’ll need Ashland’s, too. It wasn’t at the scene.”

I dig into my pockets and hand them both over. Doubt I’ll get them back.

“Koda.” Alexi chews on his lip.

“I’ll be fine. Seriously. I’ll have Penny call you or something.”

He nods unwillingly and some of Jeremy’s men escort him out of the front doors.

“Go ahead,” I huff.

“With what?”

“Ask me the personal questions.”

Jeremy sits back, pulling a notepad from his belt. I notice his badge says US Marshal. It’s not that I thought Penny was lying, but it’s all happening so fast.

“What are your habits, Koda?”

“I go to football practice, play in the games, go to the gym, and then anything Ashland does.” I sound just like a psycho who would kill his girlfriend after finding out she had someone else.

“Does Ashland go to the games?”

“No,” I snort. “She hates football.”

“Does that annoy you?”

“No. I honestly like it. It means I get a break from it.”

“I see. Aren’t you trying to go pro? They say you’re highly sought after.”

“I think I’ll probably go pro, yeah.”

This guy has already run background checks on us. I’m sure he knows everything there is to know, and it makes me uneasy. He wants to see if we’re lying.

“What does Ashland think about that?”

“I don’t know. We haven’t talked about it. We don’t talk about stuff like that. I’d be surprised if she could tell you I’m the quarterback.”

“What do you talk about then?”

I blow out air. “Stupid shit. Mostly her roasting me. The books she reads. The ancient civilization shit. Then stuff that she doesn’t like about the world.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Rich people ruining neighborhoods. Politicians and how they don’t do anything. Funding in schools.”

“But your father is a senator?”

“Read my Wikipedia page?” I ask. He doesn’t answer. “Yeah, he is. My adopted dad. I’ve never been involved in that part of his life. Not my thing. I focus on football. Always have.”

“Now, your birth father murdered your mother when you were eight, then committed suicide. Is that correct?”

I bristle. “I don’t want to talk about that.”

He gives me a smile telling me this is not optional. “But I do."

“Yeah. He did.”

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