Page 32 of This Is On You

“Come on then.”

We tell the rest of the gang where we’re going and pass Connor on our way out. “We’re going down, Tristan will be back up in a little while. They said they’d wait here for him, but I’m leaving with Mike from there, so can you meet us downstairs?”

“Sure, kid. No problem.”

A man is waiting leaning against the opposite wall of the hallway when we step out.

“What the fuck do you want, Fuckface?” The hardness and, well, hate in Theo’s voice startles me.

“You’ve let yourself go, Theodore,” the man says trailing his eyes in a seriously creepy way over Theo’s body. I’d say he’s a few years older than me.

“Ugh, fuck off.”

“Oh, baby that’s mean.” The creep level only increases by the way he leers.

“Yeah well, I can be meaner, what the hell do you want?”

“You’re more entitled now that you’re with that fatass, you really should watch the people you involve yourself with, you know,” he sneers. Damn, what the fuck is this dude’s problem? I take a step forward, standing next to Theo about to intervene before things escalate, but I can’t before Theo speaks up again.

“I learned that thanks to you, now go the fuck away before I make you.”

“Aww, little entitled Theo, I think you need a little pinch so you’ll shut up, don’t you?”

Theo’s face goes deadly white.

“No comeback for that, huh? Is mommy still pinching you to stop all your blabbering? Aw now, don’t cry.” He pouts at Theo, mocking him.

I fist my hand, about to take this fucker out when Connor comes out of the suite and bowls Fuckface right into the wall. That only seems to enrage him more.

“You’re such a pussy, always having someone else defending you.” He shakes off Connor and I can see the bodyguard let him but he remains standing close. “You haven’t gotten over it yet? Still cry because mommy didn’t love you?”

“Theo?”

Harry says from behind us, his face as white as his son’s was seconds ago, and after seeing it Theo turns, enraged. He lunges at the man and clocks him a good one, right on the nose. It’s a good punch, I tell myself I wish he hadn’t done it because…

“You’re gonna regret that, I’m gonna sue your ass for all you have!” Fuckface screams, with Connor having straightened him again after the punch and holding his arms behind his back. Not gonna let him go now, I’m guessing.

“All right,” I feel my work mode turn on for real then, “Connor, keep that piece of shit right there please.”

“With pleasure,” the huge bodyguard growls.

I take Theo’s arm and usher him and Harry back into the suite. I lead them to the couch and sit both men down. Harry looks catatonic and Theo like he’s about to hyperventilate. Iris sits next to Theo and grabs his cheeks. When she turns to me, questions in her eyes, I speak before she can voice them.

“No time. Iris, call Zeke and tell him to bring Mike up here. Paula, two things, first you gotta make sure, somehow, that no cameras are pointed at the suite anymore and that the cameras in the hallway somehow didn’t see what just happened. Also, I need you to take me to an office where I can print something, please.”

Both girls nod and follow my orders.

“Follow us, and bring the trash with you,” I tell Connor once Paula and I step out of the suite. Less than five minutes later, the four of us are in an empty office and I’m printing two copies of an NDA. I have one handy at all times, and I simply added a few quick things to this one.

“Sign here, please,” I tell Fuckface. Connor took his wallet so I could see his full name and address to add it to the NDA, but I won’t bother remembering this basic bitch.

“I’m not signing shit,” he seethes.

“Look, there’s no way you’re getting any footage of that hallway, and I know for a fact Theo could keep you in a legal battle for decades. You want to lose all your money in legal fees only to lose a court case eventually?” I speak casually on purpose. He looks even angrier, but then calms down and listens to what I’m saying.

“Fuck. You,” he spits.

“No thanks. I’ll pass. Now, sign here.” I hand him a pen and he signs both copies without reading them, which is exactly what I’d hoped for. I take one and leave the other one in front of him. “You can keep that one, and I suggest you start reading all the documents you sign since you just agreed to stay at least two miles away from any person of the Crawford family and to not step foot in a Crawford-owned property. The consequences for violating those clauses are… dire.” I love being so fucking dramatic, especially when I get to stick it to assholes like this one. “So I’d suggest you get the fuck out.” I lean in close to him. “Because last I checked, this stadium is owned by HarrisonCrawford. I’ll give you fifteen minutes.” I nod to Connor, and he releases the arm he was still clutching.

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