Wild Card: A College Sports Romance (Rake Forge University Series Book 1)
Page 23
She had received that card, but I thought that was by chance…then Decker had said he’d handpicked the girl he wanted back there, but did that mean she knew about all of it? Decker still hadn’t told me about their past and what had happened, so I had no idea what on earth had really gone down. Truthfully, I was just unsure of how I felt about the guy. He had always been nice to me, so what motivation did I have to be angry with him? In fact, I should have just invited him as my date so I wasn’t stuck with handsy Jeff.
Elias’s eyes found mine, and a seductive smile lit up his face as his gaze seemed to travel the length of me, staying especially focused on my chest. I snickered into my drink; he was being so obtuse, and he knew there was zero chance of anything happening between us.
I smiled back, playing along, and when he got close enough, because the champagne had started hitting, I threw myself at him, clinging to his neck as if we were long-lost lovers. I kept laughing even as his hands went to my hips, gripping me tightly. It was meant to be fun, a joke, but before I could pull away, his lips suddenly landed on mine.
That…I wasn’t expecting, but even as the temptation to mess with Decker sat on the fringe of my mind, I couldn’t do it. I wouldn’t kiss him just to hurt Decker. Instead, I pushed him away, dipping my head so no one would see the devastation I didn’t know how to hide. It was there in the middle of my father’s house that I realized with absolute certainty that I was in love with Decker James. He had lied to me, screwed me out of a story, and played me like a fucking fiddle, and yet…he still had my heart, and I had no idea how to get it back.
“What in the hell happened to your face?” I asked, jokingly running my thumb over the bridge of his nose.
“Just a rough day at practice.” He laughed it off, but I didn’t miss how his eyes flashed over my shoulder, where I knew Decker was standing. Something had happened between the two of them.
Elias brought his focus back to me. “Want to introduce me to your famous dad?”
My stomach churned as I considered the likelihood of him now playing me. He obviously already knew my dad, and who had invited him to this party in the first place? Setting the champagne on a traveling tray, I nodded and walked toward my father.
“Hey Dad, I want you to meet someone.” Right as we stopped next to him, a circle started to form. Some of Dad’s shareholders were there. Taylor came in next, and there on her arm was Decker. A few other friends and associates were there, listening and talking to each other, all vying for my dad’s attention.
Dad’s eyes narrowed as he watched Elias, which only confirmed that Elias was a big fat manipulator. Why would he want me to bring attention to him? Why pretend?
“Weren’t you and that Juan boy dating?” My dad’s left eyebrow shot up while his hard gaze landed on me. I nearly choked on my drink.
“Uh…no. Juan is my best friend, Dad.” My gaze briefly darted to the man I had been dating, hoping to see something register there, but he was stone cold. His jaw clenched tight, his arm wrapped around my stepsister’s waist. My fingers itched for more alcohol.
“Oh, well I just figured since he was always around.”
The circle watched us while my face burned.
“Hello, sir, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Elias Matthews.” He stuck his hand out, covering for me. My father slowly took it with a solid shake, but his eyebrows caved in like he wasn’t sure why he was shaking Elias’s hand. I didn’t know either. I hated politics and pretending. This was all ridiculous.
“You’re what to my daughter?” My father glared at Elias.
“Well…I’m not sure yet. We’re still discovering that for ourselves.” Elias looked over and smiled at me, and I nearly choked on my tongue. Why had he said that? Frozen, my heart thundered in my chest as I waited for Decker’s reaction. His mossy gaze caught mine like a jagged piece of glass. The hurt in them nearly robbed me of breath. The bruises on his face added such a brokenness that I wasn’t used to seeing. I wanted to reach for him, drag him away, and figure out what was happening there, but he’d hurt me. Lied to me. He’d promised me notes for a story he knew I wouldn’t be able to publish.
My dad’s jaw ticked, his eyes sweeping between Elias and Decker, and my gaze kept landing on the latter. My dad was like a detective, always knowing these little intricate things about me.
“Okay…well excuse us, we’re going to find—” I started.
“Well who do we have here?” Jackie came over, butting in and grabbing my dad’s arm.
Her eyes bounced from Elias to me, and the way they went wide and round, even her lips parted as she drank in the sight of my date. I mean, he was good-looking, but she looked as though she’d seen a ghost. I faltered for a second before making the introduction.
“Elias, this is my stepmom, Jackie. Jackie, this is Elias Matthews.”
Taylor’s eyes hardened on the way her mom was looking at Elias. There were some awkward vibes going on here, and I was starting to piece it all together. Jackie and Taylor were in on the arrangement and were shocked to see him here with me, the oldest daughter. What the fuck was Elias’s game plan here?
Taylor glared at me while her hand tightened on Decker’s arm. I had no idea why she was suddenly staring with such vehemence, but I was over this entire scene.
“Well, I’m going to give him a tour of the house. I’ll see all of you later.” I pulled at Elias’s arm, and we departed. I took my time, showing him the gardens and the kitchen, which wasn’t that amazing, especially because it was full of staff at the moment. Then we wandered to the garage.
“This is bigger than my entire house.” Elias laughed, running his hand over one of my father’s rare cars.
“We weren’t always rich…” I walked around the cars. There were at least twenty-five in this garage, and at least thirty more in the secondary garage. I didn’t have the heart to tell Elias this wasn’t the only garage.
I watched him move with a calculating gaze, unsure of how to broach the subject of my stepsister, or my father…or Decker. What in the hell was this guy’s endgame, and why was my family a part of it?
“So, are you going to try to move on anything with Taylor?” I asked, trying to see if I could get him talking. At the bar that one night, he’d mentioned having a crush on Taylor, which was obviously bullshit, but maybe I could get him to start moving us in the right direction so my questions wouldn’t seem so strange. We walked back toward the party, shoulder to shoulder.
“She came with someone else tonight, so maybe I should just let things be what they are.”
Not what I wanted to hear. This only made me think he had his sights now set on me instead of her. I would have preferred he take his creepy vibes away from my sister, but I didn’t want them set on me either.
He opened the back door for me; it was being guarded by one of my father’s security team.
“So, that’s it? You’re just giving up?”
He laughed, holding my elbow while we started upstairs.
“Come on, there’s no way you’d just give up your crush on her.” I jabbed him in the side.
“What about you?” He looked over at me as we passed my father’s study and wandered toward the library. “What would you do if I went to talk to her?”
I pushed through the large library door, feeling a familiar comfort in the finished wood. “This.” I turned in a circle with a smile plastered to my face.
He lightly laughed while watching me with an odd expression on his face. “How about this: I’m starving. Why don’t I go hunt down some food for us, and if I happen to see Taylor not talking to someone, I’ll talk to her. Then I’ll bring some food up.”
I slipped off my high heels, finally feeling able to relax. “That sounds amazing.”
“Okay, I’ll be back.” He hesitated for a second before walking out.
I needed something to read while I waited. I veered toward the back, where all the classics were hidden. I knew Ben-Hur was buried somewhere on the back wall. I did
n’t even know why I was in the mood for it, but it was one of my favorites.
“Where is it?” I mumbled to myself, trailing my fingers along leather spines. The low lights in the library created a dreamy vibe with all the dark leather and lush rugs on the wood floors. It was comfy and, on rainy days, my absolute favorite space.
I was thumbing through a rare edition of Pride and Prejudice when I heard the door open and shut…then the undeniable click of the older latch falling into place, locking us in.
I swallowed thickly, wiping my hands on my dress. I didn’t want to be alone with Elias, especially if he was aiming for some fucked-up marriage ticket. Carefully walking around the corner, still holding the book, I asked, “Did you strike out already? I hope you at least grabbed some of those stuffed mushrooms.”
I turned the corner, gripping the book tightly, only to find Decker standing there, hands shoved deep into his pockets and his head lowered.
It was unnerving not being able to see his expression. I could sense he was angry. Down in my bones, I knew he was vibrating with rage that I’d been with Elias all night, but he didn’t get to be angry anymore. I hadn’t even confronted him yet about losing my story.
“Decker.”
His head rose, those tired, mossy eyes getting their fill by searching me from head to toe. The bruises on his face still made my breath catch. I wanted to know what had happened.
“Why?” he asked, voice raspy, and the look of defeat on his face nearly broke me.
I stepped forward, wetting my lips. As much as I wanted to talk to him, I didn’t want to hear how much I’d hurt him by being around Elias. I knew it was a small betrayal, but…
“You ended this.” I pointed between us. “You lied to me…made a fool of me, offering me intimate details about the Devils knowing I wouldn’t be able to publish a single word.” The words poured out of me in an angry rush, full of venom and hurt.
“I ended nothing,” he snapped. His eyes blazed with such fury that it made me snap my mouth shut.
I opened and then closed my mouth, feeling like the smallest breeze might topple me.
“And your story?” he scoffed, running his hand over his jaw. His eyes were wild as he watched me. He took a few steps back until he was pacing the lavish three-hundred-year-old carpet at our feet. “He took that from you.”
I flinched. “What are you talking about?”
“Why do you think I look like this, Mallory?” He pointed at his face.
I rolled my eyes, linking my arms over my chest. “Don’t even try. The lawyers told me you knew the entire time whatever information you gave me wouldn’t be useful because I’d be barred from publishing a single word.”
“Why do you think I was in the city that one day you saw me? You assumed it was for that fucking marriage contract, but it was for you! I was there seeing what my options were because I had promised you the story,” he yelled, his hair slicing into his eyebrows. I just wanted to walk over and push it out of his eyes.
He was breathing hard as he stepped closer, crowding me. “Elias is the one who demanded you get called down and have the story taken away from you. He’s the one who fed them the intel that you were at the party and demanded you sign an NDA.”
“Then why are you so angry at me? Did you forget who you showed up with tonight? That door revolved real fast, didn’t it, Decker?” I hated that my mind had begun pairing him and Taylor together again, that he’d gone after his revenge. It was all just in my head, but why else was he here tonight with her?
“You’re so oblivious.” He shook his head, his dark green eyes burning as they narrowed on me.
I faltered back a step at his intensity, my bare feet brushing against some of the cold hardwood.
“I watched you all night. All. Fucking. Night. And guess what, Mallory…so did he.” He slowly continued toward me.
“What…” I swallowed the lump of confusion down and tried again. “What are you talking about?” Then it hit.
Of course.
I knew exactly why he was upset; how could I be so stupid?
“You’re just pissed because his focus isn’t on Taylor, aren’t you?” I gestured toward the door at his back, raising my voice in hopes that he’d stop paving a path across the floor with his angry strides.
“You think I fucking care about that?” he roared, and I knew if this had been his house, he would have thrown something. My father had gotten that look on his face only one time, after he learned my mother wouldn’t make it through her surgery.
When he realized he’d lost her forever.
“Decker—”
“No. You don’t get it.” He shook his head slowly, defeat hanging around him like a cloud.
“Explain it to me, then, because you’re right—I don’t understand. You came here with Taylor. You stood on the street just a few days ago admitting that the reason you didn’t tell me you knew about Elias and Taylor’s arrangement was because I was so desperate you assumed I wouldn’t care.”
“You fucking kissed him!” Decker roared.
“Why did you come with her?” I yelled back.
Even if I could have argued that I didn’t kiss Elias, he’d already made up his mind. He didn’t get to set the rules then wipe them clean as soon as he realized he didn’t like how others played by them.
I stepped forward, not waiting for his reply. “Why didn’t you tell me there was a chance I might not be able to publish my article, especially knowing how dire it was that I write it? How could you not tell me you knew Elias was making that deal with my stepsister?”
“Because I’m fucked up, Mallory, okay?” he yelled in response, getting even closer to me. I could smell his spicy cologne. “I went after the only shot at getting revenge on the guy who’d fucked me over. He was my best friend for half my life, yet when my dad passed, he couldn’t even be bothered to show up to his funeral. All he cared about was the team, and those fucking card games.”
His chest heaved like he wasn’t getting enough air. I found myself oddly trying to match its uneven rhythm.
“You wanted to know what happened between us—fuck it.” He tunneled a path through his hair, gripping the ends. “He fixed the hit. I don’t know how he did it…I threw slow and easy, but he hit it in a way that made it land in my solar plexus. Knocked the wind out of me, so bad I couldn’t breathe. In the commotion, when I was on the ground, he stuck his cleat through my pitching hand.”
His eyes were wild as he explained. Mine watered in response.
“I wanted to take from him what he took from me. Before the night we met, I learned that he was injured and wouldn’t last long after his first contract if he even landed that. My uncle found out and knew he’d be looking for a different payout. Elias somehow found this opportunity by marrying into the Shaw fortune. I just wanted to mess with it, maybe ruin it, but I’m not a saint. I didn’t have good intentions.” He brought his hand to his head and began rubbing the stress out of his temple.
I wanted to say something, but my mouth had gone dry. What did I say to that? I finally knew his story, and now I wanted to throw up.
He flicked his eyes to me, his anger simmering lower as he stepped closer to me. “But…then you came along, and from the first time I saw you, I knew you were meant for me. You were stuck on repeat in my head for days. That’s why I was so pissed when I saw you in that parking lot, because I assumed you were leaving your boyfriend’s house. I couldn’t stop, so I pushed harder for the Taylor thing, and there you were again, in my life, and I was already so taken with you, I just couldn’t keep doing what I was doing. But…if you’re with him, Mallory…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “I can’t fucking breathe at the thought of it. Hate me.” He slapped at his chest. “Hate me until the day you die if you want, but don’t be with him. I can’t see you with him.”
I felt his desperation, the heat in his words warming me, smothering me.
It was my turn to shake my head, but I felt tears begging to fa
ll free as well. I wanted to shout at him, scream at him so he understood, but I knew he wouldn’t. I understood that Decker needed revenge in the only way he knew how to get it, and that was through this fucked-up idea to sleep with Elias’s girl. I was just collateral damage…a hiccup in the process.
“Is this just about the guy you hate going after the girl you like? Because he’s just playing me, Decker. It’s not real.”
“Who the fuck said I like you? I believe the words I told you were that I was falling for you, which was a joke. I’m gone for you, Mallory—done for. There’s no one else for me. You can’t tell me you’re that desperate for attention.” He glared at me, his square jaw ticking.
“Are you fucking serious?!” I cried, ready to throw a book at his dumb, stupid face.
“Just…please.” He grabbed my wrist, roughly pressing our bodies together until his forehead kissed mine. His throat bobbed while tears clouded his eyes. “Not him, baby. He’s dangerous.”
I pushed back the emotions clogging my chest. I needed clarity. He’d confessed so much, but I couldn’t get past the idea that this was about Elias diverting his attention to Decker’s favorite toy, and I was just collateral damage in their fucked-up dynamic.
“Right now, so are you,” I whispered.
I was two seconds from crying. If I cried, I would sob and fucking sob. I wouldn’t be able to stop. He was dangerous for my heart; he’d won me, and now he kept tossing me back in the pile like he was willing to bet it again.