Page 77 of Playing Rucking Hard

WHY IS IT ALWAYS THE WOMAN WHO PAYS THE PRICE? MAVERICKS PROTECT STAR PLAYER, FIRES CHEERLEADER.DYLAN FLESKI CONTINUES HIS REPUTATION AS A FOOTBALL MALE-WHORE, CHEATING ON KYLEE KING, WHILE EMMA RUSSELL LOSES HER JOB.

His entire body vibrates with tension. “They’re making this about me.”

“They were always going to.” I exhale shakily, my voice barely a whisper. “And they were always going to fire me.”

Dylan grips the back of his neck, pacing again. “I’ll go to the club. I’ll make them reinstate you.”

I laugh, but it’s hollow. “You really think they’re going to listen? This isn’t about what’s fair. It’s about what’s easy.”

His hands fist at his sides. “This is bullshit.”

I don’t have the energy for tears. My termination payment will pay for a month’s rent and therapy sessions. Hopefully, I can get another job in Sydney without references. After watching her laugh and be happy last night, I’ll do anything to keep Sage inher school with her friends. “I don’t know what we expected. We were always going to get caught. They were always going to fire me.”

A heavy silence settles between us.

He kisses my knuckles, his grip tight like he’s afraid I’ll slip through his fingers. “I will fix this. I promise. You just have to trust me.”

I want to believe him. But right now, I don’t know how.

I feel like my parents trusted their youngest daughter to my care, and my selfish love for Dylan let them down.

Chapter 29

Burn The World Down Part 1

Dylan

Anger on the football field can be controlled. The risk of losing a game by giving away a stupid penalty or being sent off is enough to rein in frustration over an elbow to the face or knees hitting below the belt.

This?

What they’ve done to Emma before giving her—before giving us—a chance to defend our relationship? I am so fucking pissed off, I am ready to explode.

I don’t care what it takes. I don’t care who I have to burn down. I’m going to fix this—not just get her job back, but make it abundantly fucking clear that we are together. She is my woman—she is my heart—and anyone who attacks her,attacks me.

I will fight beside her. I will fight for her. “I’m going to fix this,” I promise to the air.

Fuck, fuck,fuck.

My fingers wrap tightly around my phone as I pace the length of the living room, deciding on a plan. Who to call and in what order. As fullback, I see the whole field. I sense the play before the players involved have a clue. But in a game, there are only points on the line. This is Emma.

My beautiful Emma sits curled up on the couch, her face pale and eyes wide. After we coaxed her out of bed, she’s hardly moved, trying to hold herself together. I love how Sage is nestled into her side, and Squid is sitting close, protective. They look like a family.My family.And they just had their world ripped apart because of me. I got selfish last night and danced with the woman I love.

No.Because of them … the Mavericks.

Emma lost her job because of me, because the Mavericks are so scared of the power imbalance when players hook up with cheerleaders, that they perpetuated the unfairness by firing her before talking to us. I can almost hear the Maverick lawyers jumping over the top of each other in their haste to protect the brand by sacrificing a cheerleader rather than dealing with the PR nightmare of punishing me.

Cowards. Hiding behind words. I bet not one of them will have the fucking balls to face me. And they picked the wrong fucking person to mess with. Secure in knowing Squid is safe with me,I can burn down the fucking team, the club, the whole rugby league industry if this bullshit isn’t sorted by tonight.

I grab my phone and start dialing. First call is to Hunt, my lawyer.

“Hunt, it’s Dylan.” My voice is sharp and breathing controlled. This is just another ball to catch with a herd of forwards wanting to trample me into the ground. Easy. “The woman I told you to protect—we were at a school dance last night. Her sister and my brother are friends. People took pictures of us when we were dancing, and Emma just got fired by email.”

Hunt exhales heavily. “Emma Russell. She contacted me a couple of days ago. I saw the headlines and am going through her contract as we speak.”

“I need options. She deserves a public apology, her job back, and whatever else you can think of. She is important to me.”

“Understood.”

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