Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 92167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
He spat on the ground and slugged Carlos, taking his fair share of pride when the man’s nose cracked under his fist. It didn’t stop the scrappy shortstop. A low rumble of his own and it was his turn to be lifted off his feet as they plowed into the ground. Rolling around on the parking lot of Cassidy’s, they yelled profanities and other things at each other. They didn’t stop until strong hands pried them apart.
Linc wiped the back of his hand across his mouth and spit out more blood. One eye was swelling shut and he had more aches and pains than he’d had after his workout. But the good thing was Carlos didn’t look like he fared any better.
He squinted into the light from the cops who’d split them up. Carl from the paper was present and beyond them, he saw Emma standing by his father—who had a disappointed scowl on his face. Very deliberately, his father put his arm around Emma and walked her away from the flashing cameras. He noticed it was Flora who climbed into Emma’s car and drove it from the hotel.
Linc didn’t fight them as they put him in the back of the car. He didn’t say a word until when he looked up from the holding cell he’d been put in, Tully and Mitchell were there.
For once, he wanted to stay behind bars, knowing what waited for him outside the cell was worse than anything that could happen inside.
His friends weren’t happy.
They went to Mitchell’s house and he stood on the man’s back patio, looking at the outdoor firepit with the large seating area. No flames flickered in the pit but he knew there were enough from his friends. Moving down the steps, he slumped against one of the cushions only to lurch forward and put his head in his hands.
“Start talking.” Mitchell’s tone was low and edged with danger.
Linc didn’t even look up. No reason to do that and see the disappointment in his friends’ expressions.
“Carlos is an ass.”
“This have to do with his speech after he got named captain?” Tully posed the question.
He couldn’t force words past his lips. Not even to ask how the fuck he knew about it.
“I’ll take your silence as a yes. Why the fuck didn’t you call us when you overheard that? Instead of turning to a goddamn bottle?”
Linc snapped to his feet and glared at them both. “I was weak, okay? I wasn’t fucking made of stone like the two of you.” He raked a hand through his hair, wincing at the tacky feel of blood.
Guess he did get lucky when he slammed me into the wall.
They both fucking growled at him. “Why are you mad at me? I’m the one who lost everything. Emma betrayed me. With him!”
Anger pumped through him. the thought of that man touching Emma or hugging Greer like he did. They were his women. His to love and protect. Not Carlos’s.
“We’re pissed because this is exactly what our friendship is for. Times like that—when you’re at the bottom and when you think there’s only one way to go.” Mitchell stepped closer, anger evident in every inch of his body. “That’s when you pick up the motherfucking phone and call one of us or both of us and we are there for you.” Another step. “What you don’t do is shut us out and turn to goddamn alcohol!”
Tully touched Mitchell’s arm and the ex-basketball player backed up two steps.
“Maybe,” Linc yelled right back, “I didn’t want you to know how far I’d fallen. How I’d fucked up my knee worse by pushing myself too hard and ignoring the pain. How my shoulder will never be good enough to play professionally again. Not that my knee is. Maybe I wanted to wallow in my fucking despair without you!”
Mitchell clenched his jaw. “You don’t deserve Emma or Greer in your life. And if you don’t want me in it, you know where the goddamn door is.” He turned his back on Linc, the first time the man had done so since they’d met. “Let it hit you on the way out.”
“Okay, enough!” Tully roared.
The ex-hockey player didn’t yell a lot. He didn’t have to, but damn it, he had some vocals when he did.
“Both of you, sit the fuck down.” Linc hesitated until Tully glared at him. “Now!”
“Jesus Christ.” Tully pointed his finger between the two of them. “This stops now. We are best friends. We never turn our back on each other and this shit stops now. We are mad because we love you, Linc. Losing you isn’t something we will ever be okay with. And we would have been there for you. It’s hard as hell for us to find out after the fact you were fighting the bottle and how bad your injuries were. Don’t be mad at Carlos. I went to Adam and found out.”