Before I’m even able to process that text, the waiting room doors slide open, and the quiet stillness that Chloe and I have been sitting in for the last two hours disappears. Coach Maxwell has just walked in, followed by what looks like the entire football team. Cooper, Bash, and Murphy immediately surround the two of us, making it impossible for me to see who else is in the waiting room. A million questions fly our way, but we have no answers. Coach walks over, asking if we’ve heard anything, then goes to the desk to get us information.
I feel like I am going to be sick.
I cannot be around my brother right now.
I cannot handle this text right now.
Does the text mean it’s Darby who has the pictures? Did he hurt Brady because I didn’t answer him earlier today?
“Can you guys excuse me for a minute?”
As I walk away, I hear Chloe telling Cooper to back off and give me a little space. Walking out the same doors everyone else just entered through, I navigate around to the side of the building.
Sliding my ass down the wall, I rest my head on my knees and have the freak out that has been coming since I got the first text today. My hysteria has taken over, and I don’t hear the footsteps approaching until a body is squatting down in front of me.
“Nat.” Cooper reaches out gently and touches my shoulder until I look up at him. He scooches over and sits down next to me, pulling me to him. “He’s going to be okay. This happens. He probably has a concussion. It’s not his first and probably won’t be his last.”
Lifting my head, I see Murphy and Bash have joined us too. Oh, God.
“Cooper.” I take a deep breath. “I don’t think what happened was an accident.”
Much to my surprise, he doesn’t look shocked.
Bash clears his throat. “I saw it happen from the sidelines, Nat. I think you’re right.”
“Guys, there is so much more going on here than Brady getting sacked. I swear Darby did this. He did it on purpose. I watched him. I watched it happen.”
Cooper tightens his hold on me. “We’ve already told Coach what Bash saw. Nat, I’m so sorry, but we had to tell him what happened this summer, too. Darby has been gunning for us, and we needed to give him the full picture.”
“Cooper.” I can’t stop the sobbing that happens now. “It’s worse than that.”
“What do you mean?”
Looking around at the guys, I make the gut wrenching decision to tell them everything. “I got a text before the game today. You guys were already in the locker room with your phones off. It was a threat, and there were pictures attached of Brady and me… naked. They were from a few weeks ago at his house. Someone must have been watching us, and they took pictures.”
Cooper stands up and starts to walk away. Then turns around and roars, “What the fuck, Natalie? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Murphy steps in front of him, blocking his path, as I scream back, “Because it happened today! Right before the game. What was I supposed to do? Walk into the locker room and announce it to the team?”
Coop pushes Murphy away and lowers his voice. “I’m sorry. What happened next?”
Standing up, I pull the phone out of my pocket and open the text. I read it to them.
“I’m gonna kill him.”
Cooper starts to storm off, but Murphy grabs him as Bash comes over to me and pulls me into his side. One step above a whisper, Bash makes his offer. “How do you want to handle this, Natalie? I can call my dad for help.”
Cooper marches back over. “No. Sorry man, but no. Natalie, you didn’t want to call Dad this summer when shit went down, and I went along with it, but you have to call him now.” He grabs my hands and bends slightly, so he’s at my eye level. “Let Dad handle this. He has fixers on his payroll who can squash this mother fucker like the bug he is. Bash, man, I love you, but I don’t want to owe your dad anything.”
Coop wipes the tears from my cheeks and pulls out his phone. “I’m calling Dad.”
I rip it out of his hands and scream, “Cooper Sinclair, you do not get to make this decision for me!”
“What do you want to do then, Nat? Make a deal with the devil to handle this? Ask Bash. Ask him what his dad will do to this guy when he finds him. Better yet, ask him what you’ll owe his dad if he takes care of this for you.”
Coop steps closer to me. Rage filling his eyes. He looks from me to Bash. Then yells, “ASK HIM!”
I put Coop’s phone in my pocket, then storm off. I need to get as far away from him as I can. I feel like I can’t breathe right now, and Coop bulldozing me into what he thinks is right is not helping.
I walk back into the hospital waiting room and am momentarily shocked by what I see. We’ve taken over the space. There are football players scattered throughout the room, everyone sitting stoically waiting for word on their captain. Tommy is laying down with his head in Annabelle’s lap. Chloe is walking toward me, with her phone up to her ear. She mouths to me that it’s her mom on the phone, and I take what feels like the first deep breath I’ve taken in hours.
Coach Maxwell is leaning against the wall. His arms crossed over his chest. He’s surveying the room as I walk over to him. “Coach, have they said anything yet?”
“They sure did, young lady. Brady has a concussion like we expected. They are thinking a few cracked ribs, but that hasn’t been confirmed yet. He woke up for a few minutes, but once the pain killers kicked in, he passed back out.”
Tears fill my eyes. “I missed him waking up?”
Coach awkwardly places his arm around my shoulder. “We aren’t allowed to see him yet, Natalie. You didn’t miss anything. He’s going to be fine.”
I wipe my face with the back of my hand and step back. “Thanks, Coach.”
As I turn around, I see my brother and the guys walking back in, so I turn down the hall instead of sitting in the chairs. I wonder for a few minutes until I find an empty chapel. Slipping inside the doors, I take a seat in the back corner and pull out Cooper’s phone. I flip it over in my hand a few times as I mentally replay my conversation with my brother.
I know he’s right. I can’t handle this on my own. I have to call my dad. But did he have to scream at me? I didn’t do anything wrong, but he made me feel like this was my fault.
And what was that stuff about Bash’s dad? I’ve heard the gossip around school. I know Bash has issues with his family. But I thought that was just gossip.
A deal with the devil?
“Nattie.”
I jump out of my skin. “Holy shit, Bash. I didn’t hear you come in. You scared me.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. Coop’s looking for you.”
“Yea, well, Coop needs to chill the fuck out and not make things worse.”
“He’s trying to protect you, Nat, and he’s not wrong.”
Turning to look at Bash, I wonder how he does it. How is he this kind, smart man if he was raised in a family of criminals?
“I know he’s right. I just needed to get away from him for a few minutes. He can be a bit much when he goes into over-protection mode.”
“We all think of you and Chloe as our little sisters. Of course we want to protect you. It’s what big brothers do. My big brother still thinks he needs to protect me.” Bash’s hand grabs mine. “Coop’s right this time though. You’ve got to call your dad.”
“I know.” I hear a noise beyond the doors and turn to look. I don’t see anyone, but I know they’re there. “Are Coop and Murphy in the hall?”
Bash nods his head.
“Alright.” I take a deep breath, then stand. “I guess I need to call my Dad.”
45
Natalie
Walking out into the hall, I hand my brother his phone. “I don’t want to do this in here. Let’s go back outside. I really do not need the entire football team as an audience.”
I feel the three guys presence behind me as I slip out the side door next to the chapel. I see Cooper’s Jeep in the parking
lot and don’t stop walking until I’m standing in front of the curb next to it. I hear the guys talking, but the world feels like it is starting to spin, so I sit on the curb
in the dirty parking lot, taking in where we are for the first time. The sun is setting in the orange, fall sky. I see two paramedics wheeling someone in through the double doors on the other end of the parking lot and a mother carrying a crying toddler on her hip behind them, the noise from the waiting room breaking through the silence as they enter. The smells of oil and exhaust fumes invade my nose.
Then I hear my brother. “She’s right here.” He hands me the phone. “Dad needs to talk to you.”
I grab Cooper’s hand with my free hand as I hold the phone up to my ear. “Daddy?” The sobs start immediately. “I’m so sorry, Daddy.”
I fill my father in on everything that happened, horrified that I have to tell him any of this, but Coop’s right. My dad can get this handled, and I can’t.
Once I’ve gotten it all out, I wait for my father to holler, or utter a curse. For him to lecture me about safety and responsibility, but it never comes. When he finally speaks, his voice is calm and even. His only worry is for me. “Natalie. I need you to take a deep breath for me. Breathe, Honey. I’ve got this. We can take care of this. I have an entire staff that does nothing but fix issues for my players. I just never thought I’d have to use them for my family. I need you to listen to me. I want you to let Cooper take you home. I want you to lock the door and not let anyone in or answer your phone unless it’s me. I need to get my guy on the phone to get this handled, so I have to hang up with you now, but I will call you back.”
“I love you Dad, but I’m not leaving the hospital until Brady is awake.”
My father’s worried tone changes. “Put your brother on the phone.”
I hand the phone to Cooper, who looks confused. Looking around, I realize for the first time that Murphy and Bash are with us, but they’ve backed away. It’s enough to give us privacy, but still close enough to be here if we need them. I’m pulled back to my brother’s conversation when he puts the phone on speaker.
My father’s voice crackles over the line. “Am I on speaker?”
Coop answers him. “Yeah, Dad. You’re on speaker. Nat’s next to me.”
“Natalie Grace, if you insist on staying at that hospital, your brother is to never leave your side. If either of you sees this kid, you walk away. You do not, under any circumstances, engage him in any conversation.
“Cooper. Do not leave your sister’s side. Understand me, son? I do not want either of you alone for even a minute. If you take this on, Cooper, it’s your future on the line. Let me handle this. I am going to own this little son of a bitch when this is done. I have to go now and talk to the fixer. Do not talk about this to anyone. Understand me?”
I nod, and Coop answers, “We understand you, Dad.”
“Get back inside now and see how Brady is doing. Keep your phones on you, and I will call back when I know something. I love you.” The phone goes dead, and I raise my eyes to Coop, shaking my head.
“He’s got fixers?”
Cooper pulls me into his chest. “Dad will fix it.”
I jump when I hear footsteps pounding against the pavement, and spin around. Chloe is running over. “He’s awake. He’s totally out of it, but he’s asking for you.”
46
Brady
As I start to wake up, I notice a few things. My head feels like it’s been hit by a sledgehammer. Every noise inside my room is making it worse. What the fuck is that beeping? My arm is asleep, but Nattie’s hair is tickling my face.
This doesn’t feel like my mattress, and it fucking hurts to breathe.
Slowly forcing my eyes open, it takes a minute for everything to come into focus. The room is dark, except for the lights of the machines I appear to be hooked up to. I think I am in the hospital, and vaguely remember talking to a doctor earlier today. I try to turn my head, but the motion makes my stomach flip.
Groaning, I try to take stock of the room without moving my head, but I’m having difficulty getting everything into focus. There is movement in the corner chair by the door. I think it may be a person. Attempting to sit up, I see the blob from the corner of the room stand up and come toward me.
“Brady, man, don’t move too fast. You’ve got a concussion and two cracked ribs.”
“Cooper?” My voice comes out scratchy and cracked but not as quiet as I’d hoped.
Nat shoots up to a sitting position.
Moving herself so that she’s barely touching me, she whispers, “Brady, you’re awake.”
I look from Nattie to Coop. “Guys, how long have I been here? Did we win?”
Cooper leans on the foot of the bed. “We won, man. It’s about midnight right now.”
Nat fusses with my blanket. “I did tell you all of that earlier, but your memory is still foggy. The doctor said it might be like that for a day or two.”
She reaches for something on my bedside table. It’s Tommy’s stuffed dinosaur. “Tommy left this for you. He said it helps him sleep.”
“Annabelle and Tommy left around dinner time. The nurses wouldn’t let all of us stay, so I begged Chloe to let me stay. She went home with Bash and Murphy a few hours ago. She wasn’t thrilled, but when I told her it would be easier for me to sleep in bed with you than her, she agreed.”
I look over at Cooper. “How’d you pull the lucky card to get to stick around, man?”
Nat tenses up again and looks to Cooper, eyes filled with worry. There is a long pause, and no one is speaking.
“Does somebody want to fill me in on what’s going on? I feel like you two are having a conversation without any words. Is this a twin thing? Was I out for days or something? What aren’t you guys telling me?”
Nattie grabs my hand. “Brady, why don’t we just leave it until tomorrow when you’re feeling better?”
Now I’m concerned. “Natalie, you need to tell me what’s going on.”
Coop moves next to Nat. “Listen, man, nothing is going on now. Shit’s been handled, but your hit today wasn’t an accident. Darby didn’t block for you. He stepped out of the way.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
“I wish I were, brother.” He looks at his sister. “You want to tell him the rest?”
I feel Natalie get off of the bed.
“Nattie, what’s going on?”
“I got a text before the game. I wasn’t sure it was Darby texting me. It was bad, and I figured it had to be either him or Aria.” She won’t meet my eyes. Keeps fiddling with the blanket, plucking at it.
“They were working together,” Coop said.
Nat sits down in the reclining chair next to the bed and pulls her knees up. “That’s what I figured. Is it over?” She’s asking Cooper this, not me.
“It is. Dad texted me an hour ago.”
“Guys, my brain already feels like fucking Swiss cheese. I’m going to need you to slow down and quietly tell me what the fuck you’re talking about? Why did your dad text? What does he have to do with this?”
A look passes between Natalie and Cooper before Coop walks over and squeezes Nat’s shoulder.
She nods.
Coop gives me the look he saves for really bad news. “Nat got a text right before the game. It was a threat, and there were pictures attached. Pictures of you two in your back yard. Graphic pics, man. Then you were hit at the game, and the unknown texter messaged again when she got to the hospital.”
I look over to my girl, and tears are cascading down her face, but I don’t get to say anything before Cooper continues.
“By then, Bash had already told us he suspected Darby had let you get hit on purpose, and we had already talked to Coach Maxwell. When Nat filled in the rest of the details, we called our dad. He got the team’s fixers and his lawyers on it. An emergency gag order has already been signed, and an arrest warrant was issued for Darby and he’s already been picked up.
/> “Dad’s game tomorrow is at one. He said he’d hop a flight home after and come right to your parent’s house to go over everything with them.” Coop looks over at Nat. “He told me to let you sleep and to tell you to call him in the morning.”
Trying to take it all in, I’m sitting here stunned. “Holy shit. I don’t know what to say. Nattie, come here, baby.” She moves over to me and sits back down on the hospital bed. “I am so sorry that you had to deal with this alone. I am so sorry that I wasn’t there to help you. I can’t fucking believe that piece of shit.”
Nat curls up next to me and puts her head on my shoulder.
“Listen, I’m going home. They’ve got Darby in custody; you guys are safe. Chloe texted that your parents should be home tomorrow afternoon. They had trouble getting a flight out.”
“Coop, man. I owe you.”
Coop walks over to the door before turning back to us. “We’ll talk about it later, once you’re out of here. The hot little nurse said they should be releasing you later this morning. Try to get some sleep. I’ll check on you in a few hours.” He shoves his hands in his jean pockets then looks at Natalie. “You did the right thing, Nat.”
Wiping away her tears with the back of her hand, Nat forces a smile, “I love you, Coop. Thank you for everything tonight.”
“We’re family. Family fights for each other. Call me if you need me.” Coop quietly shuts the door behind him as I lie there, replaying everything he just said.
47
Brady
Natalie promised me that she would answer any questions I had later, after getting out of the hospital. She’s curled up against me, sleeping now, but I haven’t been able to close my eyes since I first found Cooper in the room. I’m not sure whose bat shit crazy life I’ve been living lately, but it certainly doesn’t feel like my own.
All In (The Kings of Kroydon Hills Book 1) Page 22