Page 86 of Chips & Checks
“I mean it. If they won’t back you—if they make you feel unsafe for doing your job—then fuck ‘em. I’ll walk. We’ll walk.” He leans in. “We’ll figure something else out. I don’t care what it costs.”
A sob breaks free before I can stop it. I press my hands to my face, but he pulls them away.
“You were cornered.” His voice turns hoarse. “You were cornered, Vi. And I didn’t get there fast enough. I keep playing it back—what if I’d come out thirty seconds later? What if—”
“You did get there,” I croak. “You came for me.”
He presses his forehead to mine and breathes like he’s trying to hold himself together with air alone. “He had his hands on you,” Bowen whispers. “He talked to you like you were his. Like you were just a—fuck, I can’t even say it. And I know I shouldn’t have hit him. I know. But I saw red. I still do. If Camden and Vik hadn’t pulled me off—”
“You’re not the one who did something wrong.” I clutch the hoodie tighter, curling into it like armor. “I was here in an official capacity. He ambushed me while I was getting a goddamn snack.”
“Then let me be clear,” he says, voice low and full of steel. “If the team doesn’t do exactly what they should—if Chad stays, or if anyone tries to turn this on you—we walk. I’ll go to the media. I’ll torch the whole fucking organization. And we’ll find somewhere that deserves you.”
My chin trembles. I reach for him, and this time, I don’t flinch.
His arms come around me like a promise. Like a home.
And for the first time since the elevator, I feel something other than fear.
I feel safe.
Bowen cracks a small smile just as his phone begins to buzz with an incoming call. He checks the screen and winces. “God, it’s my dad already. I gotta take this.”
Stepping away, I nod. I want to give him some space, but thenmyphone starts ringing, andmydad’s caller ID pops up. I have a bad feeling about how many people have seen the video from earlier. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s more than one.
“Hello?” I hope I sound normal, but what does normal evenlooklike anymore?
Dad skips the small talk. “Why am I getting a call to find a replacement for a winger this late at night?”
In the background, I hear Mom say, “I found it. It’s on TikTok.”
“Your mother and TikTok. I swear.” There’s a slight pause. “What thefuck?”
“He was saving me. Chad was threatening me and sexually harassing me. He had me backed into a corner, and he was manhandling me again. He said things. Filthy things. You have to believe me, Dad.”
Dad doesn’t answer. I can hear something playing in the background. One of the worst moments of my life is racking up views on social media. I squeeze my eyes shut and burrow deeper into Bowen’s sweatshirt. His scent. For a moment, I pretend it’s my old dog, Cash Money, curled around me protectively. Cash Money never let anyone hurt me. He’d have bitten Chad in the ass. Then tried for his nut sack as the main course.
The thought makes me smile.
Dad clears his throat. “I believe you. The only thing that would make Bowen act like that is his need to protect you. I get it. And Chad… that behavior is fucking unacceptable.”
“Tell that to Sergio,” I say.
Dad grunts. “Sergio’s not the only problem. The fans are demanding Bowen’s head on a plate. Without knowing the context, I could see their point. You know how much the Giovanettis hate bad PR.”
“But Bowen isn’t the problem!” My eyes burn again. “I tried to tell someone. Renee said she would handle it, and—”
“Hey, Vi.” Dad’s voice softens. “It’s going to be okay. If they don’t handle it appropriately, we consider other, more serious options. I don’t care how long I’ve been with the team. No one treats my daughter like this and gets away with it.”
That’s what Bowen said, too. Both of them are ready to light matches and burn it all down for me. But I’ve been in this worldlong enough to know how it works. People care more about headlines than truth. About protecting the team, not the women who work behind the scenes.
I want to believe them. I want to.
But I’ve seen what happens when women speak up.
And I’m not sure I can survive being another one silenced by the machine.
Chapter Twenty-Two
