Page 63 of A Game of Ruck
Because he knows.
He knows I’m not a kid anymore.
And I’m not afraid of him.
Not now.Not ever again.
Not when I’ve got something real to fight for.
Not when I’ve got Annabeth.
“Okay, enough of this.Arnold, escort Mr.Moretti and Mr.Galetti to the airport,” Annabeth’s father says to the big motherfucker standing behind him.
Bodyguard, I’m guessing.
“But Marco, I thought we had a deal?—”
“You thought wrong, Mr.Moretti.I merely wanted to flesh out this man my daughter got herself involved in.And I have done that.Enjoy your flight home.”
He turns away, motions for the bodyguard—Arnold—to escort my father and his lapdog out.
The slimeball Galetti takes an ice pack from the man and holds it to his jaw and my old man is looking at me like I just snatched a crown off his head.
They’re done.
And I should feel triumphant.Victorious.Instead, I just feel gutted.
Marco Martinez doesn’t blink as those assholes are escorted away.
He just studies me with those calculating eyes of his—eyes that remind me too damn much of Annabeth’s when she’s shielding herself from the world.
“I don’t care how much money you have, I am not walking away,” I tell him, jaw tight, throat raw from everything I’ve been holding back.
“I hear you,” he finally says.“And I know you don’t care about money.I was alerted when you demanded everything you and Annabeth spent this weekend be charged toyou, not to the room.”
I shrug.
“I have money.It means nothing to me.And Annabeth?She’s not a transaction.”
Marco exhales through his nose.
“So, you really care for her?”
I nod.
“Have you called her?Tried to find her?”
“Of course, I have.She’s not picking up,” I admit, glancing down at my phone.“I, um, hurt her.By accident.Because of him.”
“Your father, you mean?”
“Anthony Moretti was never a father.He was a tyrant.Mean, domineering, hateful to me and my mother.God, you have no idea how much I hate that man.”
“I have an idea.Now, tell me about this charity auction.”
“It was something the Rovers’ PR team came up with.Buy a date with a rugby player.Your daughter, she, uh, bought a date with me.”
“And she asked you to come to Mexico as your date?”
