Ballers 2: His Final Play

by Blue Saffire

  She has on way too much makeup and her dress is not my taste. I wouldn’t allow my woman out of the house in such nonsense. Then there is that cackle she calls a laugh. I have had enough of hearing it. I need this date to be over, but because she is a friend of a friend, I have been pushing through this.

  Until now. Whoever is at my door has just become my saving grace. I excuse myself without thought and pray that it is Michael or Annabella. They are the only two that respect my privacy enough to ring the bell first.

  I reach the door and open it, before I can register who is outside of my apartment, a small body flings at my chest. I know the instant I catch her and wrap my arms around her, it’s Reese. I know her scent. It is the same scent that has been driving me crazy for months.

  When I feel her shaking against me, I tighten my arms around her. I feel murderous, because I know this has something to do with that piece of shit husband of hers. She left our session early today when he called. She looked unhappy then, but I kept my opinions to myself.

  I close the door and walk her into the living area, still holding her tightly to my chest. This gives me time to calm my rage before I get to the bottom of what is going on. The force of my protectiveness almost blinds me to anything else.

  “Cara mia, what is it,” I whisper against the shell of her ear.

  When she responds, I can’t make a word of it out, between her sobs and her face being buried in my chest. I rub a hand up and down her back. We won’t be getting anywhere like this.

  “Shh, listen to me. I want you to go into my bedroom. Run a bath and take your time soaking in it. I am going to see my guest out and when you are done, you are going to tell me what is going on. Use anything of mine that you need,” I say as I lift her face to look in her tear filled eyes.

  She shakes her head at me. “I didn’t know you have company. I don’t even know how I got here,” she whimpers.

  “You are right where you belong. I told you, I will always be here when you need me,” I reassure her soothingly.

  “But I …” she starts and I cut her off.

  “Bath, soak, talk when you are ready,” I demand.

  Reese looks in the direction of my bedroom, then looks towards the stairs that lead to the guest rooms. I know what she is thinking. I cup her face, giving her a reassuring smile.

  “Cara mia, you will not be a married woman the first time I make you mine,” I promise. “I am giving you my bedroom. It has the better master suite. I will take the upstairs master for now. You are welcome to stay here as long as you like.”

  Reese nods her assent. I can see the questions still swimming in her head as she moves past me. Just as Reese looks like she is going to relax and follow my orders, my date steps into view with a frown on her overpainted face.

  I roll my eyes because I can see she is ready to start up some drama. Reese pauses, but her posture is off. Her shoulders are sagging and it looks like she is contemplating turning around to leave. There is no way I am letting that happen.

  “Listen, uh,” I snap my fingers to remember my date’s name. It is not coming to me right away.

  “Roxanna,” she says and presses her lips.

  “Right, Roxanna, listen, it was nice having dinner with you, but I think we can call it a night,” I say as I move towards her to usher her out of the door.

  “Oh Nico, I didn’t know you were on a date,” Reese says softly and turns for the door. “I can just go.”

  “Oh, no you don’t. You go and do what I told you. This date was over before you arrived, trust me,” I grumble.

  “Excuse me,” Roxanna spatters.

  “Sorry Sweetheart, but you and I aren’t going to work out. Thank you for dinner,” I say trying not to be too much of an asshole because of my teammate.

  “Really,” Roxanna huffs as I move her to the door. She tries to turn to glare at Reese, but I grab her purse, moving her along quickly. I get her into the foyer of the apartment and start to push her through the door.

  I reach for my phone from my pocket, sending a text to Tony. “A car will be downstairs for you to make sure you get home safely. Goodnight,” I say and close the door in her face.

  I turn and head back into the living room. I find Reese still standing in the same spot, as if she is still deciding on whether or not she is going to follow my orders. I lift a brow at her not saying a word. My heart breaks when she looks up at me with helpless eyes as if she isn’t sure what to do.

  I walk over and cup her face in my palm. “Bella, you are safe here. Go and take that bath. Nothing else matters to me right now but your safety and happiness. You can call for me when you are ready to talk,” I say gently.

  More tears start to swim in her eyes as she nods. Without a word she turns and walks in the direction of my bedroom. I watch as she looks around, unsure of where she is going, just knowing the direction to go in.

  “It is at the end of the hall, Cara,” I call after her.

  She looks back over her shoulder and gives me a small smile and nod, causing my chest to squeeze. It is then that I know without a doubt I have fallen for Reese and there is nothing I wouldn’t do for her. The look in her eyes alone has me twisted inside out. I vow that it shall be my life’s mission to make her happy again.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Let Me Fix It

  Reese

  I get lost in my head as I soak in the tub. Everything is so clear to me now. I can’t believe I was so stupid and blinded by love. I let Ty get away with so much. Things I would have told my friends to never do. Worst of all, my heart aches. I really did love my husband.

  I was getting fed up, but I wanted to work things out. I promised myself I wouldn’t be made the fool, but that is exactly what I am. I hope Ty’s guilt consumes him. I can now see it for what it has been. His behavior when he was home was out of guilt.

  Is it wrong that I am relieved that we never had children? I want to walk away from this marriage with no reminders of the fool I was. However, the thought of my husband already having the family I could never give him, has my heart breaking into a million little pieces.

  I don’t know how much time has passed when I finally pull my body from the tub. I feel drained and broken in a way that I can’t explain. Ty and I may have been having problems, but I never wanted to believe that our problems ran this deep.

  I wrap myself in a towel and enter Nico’s room. I look around at the masculine chamber. It screams Nico, where the rest of his home has a hint of a woman’s touch. There’s attention to details a man just wouldn’t care about. I have always wanted to ask him who decorated for him.

  I find myself engulfed in Nico’s scent that permeates the room. It is a comforting scent, much like the man himself has become to me. I look around and my eyes fall on his chest of drawers. I walk over to them and slide the first two open before I find his t-shirts. I slip a shirt over my head and over the towel I have on.

  “I was just coming to check on you. Have you eaten,” I startle as Nico’s voices meets my back.

  I turn to find him looking sexy as sin with the buttons of his dress shirt opened to the waist. His shirt is still tucked into his slacks, but his shoes are gone and so are his socks. It hits me as he leans against the door jamb that Nico really is an imposing sight.

  No longer needing the crutch or favoring his left side as much, Nico’s full height is something to behold. I have watched over the weeks as his confidence and swagger have slowly returned. It is no wonder he was on a date tonight.

  My cheeks burn with jealousy as I think of the blonde that left here earlier tonight. I can’t help wondering if she would be the one in his bedroom tonight, if I hadn’t shown up. I twist my fingers in the hem of his borrowed t-shirt that is so long on me it goes pass my knees.

  “I’m not hungry,” I murmur to the floor.

  “That’s not what I asked you, Bella. I asked if you have eaten,” Nico says gently, still holding his position in the doorway.

  I shake my hea
d, “No,” I murmur.

  “Make yourself comfortable in the bed,” he says, causing me to look up at him. He pulls his phone from his pocket and starts to text.

  I roll my eyes because I know he is bugging Tony for dinner. Nico looks up and lifts a questioning brow, since I haven’t taken a step to follow his order. He saunters over to me, making even his slight limp look sexy. Only this man.

  Nico cups my face in a way I am becoming familiar with tonight. “Trust me, Reese,” he then clasps my hand in his and leads me over to settle on the bed.

  Nico climbs in beside me, reaching for the remote and turns on the TV. He mindlessly flips through channels as I sit silently watching him. I take in his solid jawline and the light stub that is starting to grow in. His straight nose just adds to his strong, handsome features.

  “Are you ready to tell me what’s going on,” he says after a few minutes of silence.

  I take a deep, shuttering breath. I nod my head, but I still don’t begin to speak. I don’t know how to tell this man that I married a cheating liar that has a family on the side. Hell, right now, I am feeling like the side chick, wedding rings or not.

  Speaking of wedding rings, I look down at mine and twist them around my fingers, not ready to take them off and admit to my reality. As if leaving them on will make this all go away. Tears start to build up once again.

  “I guess some part of me always knew,” I say through trembling lips. “I just never thought Ty would do something like this to me. He was always the shyest boy in school. I mean for a jock; Ty was really shy.

  “I guess I was just so flattered when he started showing interest in me. He was three years older than I was, so when we started dating I thought I was so cool because my boyfriend was a college freshman. At first, my friends loved him. Ty was so sweet to everyone.

  “Then things changed somewhere along the line. My best friends hated him out of nowhere. Tam, she would argue me to death that he was no good for me and I could do better. I had no idea where this was all coming from.

  “And then Ty proposed. We were so young, but we were in love, or so I thought,” I pause in thought and snort. “I think I remember when things changed. Stacey, one of my other best friends, she went away to see her boyfriend who was in college with Ty.”

  I stop and get lost in thought as I take in the memory. It is so clear to me now. Stacey had been acting funny for a few weeks and then she, Alee, and Tam started in on me about Ty.

  I lift my fingers to my lips, hoping to hold back the sob. Nico wraps an arm around my shoulders and tucks me under his arm. I shake with tears, trying to pull myself together so I can continue.

  I heave a heavy sigh and push forward. “Things were great when we first got married, but after I lost our little boy, everything changed. At least, for me they did. I hadn’t thought anything of Ty not wanting me to follow him to Florida. It made sense at the time. I was so young and naïve.

  “When he stopped coming home regularly, I just shrugged it off as his career taking off. You know, team obligations and his endorsements. Honestly, I was so focused on my own career, I never really thought much about it. It has been lately, with me not getting pregnant and with Ty practically ignoring me that I have started to really question things.”

  I sniffle and breathe out a breath. “He promised to come home so we could talk. I didn’t think he meant it or that he meant today, on our wedding anniversary. I really thought he forgot all about it. That’s why I took off earlier when he called. We had so much we needed to sort out,” I snort. “I wanted to try counseling. I was getting so fed up. We were in the middle of arguing when the doorbell rang.”

  I hiccup and squeeze my eyes shut against the pain. “He has a family, Nico, two little boys. One that couldn’t be more than a few months younger than our son would have been. All this time, I have been thinking that he was grieving our son and he has had a son with another woman.

  “Can you believe that shit. I feel…I feel...I don’t know how I feel. I feel numb, I feel robbed, I feel used. I did nothing but love him,” I can no longer hold back the tears. The dam breaks and the tears come flooding my every sense.

  I did so much for Ty. In the beginning, I took care of everything, his schedule, the apartment, making sure everything was paid. I thought nothing of it when Ty hired someone to start doing all that stuff. Now I know why he did.

  “Shh, Bella. I told you, when you were ready, I would be here for you. I will make this better. I will make it all better,” Nico coos into my hair.

  “Promise,” I whisper through my sobs.

  “Promise,” Nico says against my temple.

  ~B~

  Nico

  “That is not true,” I throw my head back and laugh.

  “Yeah, it is,” Reese giggles. I love that sound. It took a few hours, but I have brought a smile to her face.

  I texted, Tony to get us some pasta from one of my favorite restaurants. Reese was hungrier than she thought. I knew she would be. We sat watching TV and eating while I coaxed a smile from her lips. It was all I could do to keep the rage, boiling in my blood at bay.

  What kind of idiot would risk losing the love of such a beautiful and amazing woman? I knew her husband was a selfish asshole, but this…this is enough to have me seeing red. Reese deserves so much better.

  “Do you really expect me to believe that you spent time riding horses as a little girl, but you can’t ride a bicycle,” I chuckle.

  Reese sighs and rolls her eyes. “I know, it’s crazy, but true,” she shrugs her shoulders.

  I scoop a spoonful of ice cream right from the container and hold it up to her lips. I watch her lips wrap around the spoon and it takes all that is in me not to groan. I don’t want to scare her off. Reese has become so relaxed as we sit together on my bed in my bedroom.

  Reese hums around a mouth full of ice cream before she snuggles back into my side. I take my own spoonful of ice cream into my mouth and get lost in thought. I intend to keep my promise. I will make this all better.

  Her husband made the mistake I have been waiting for. She’s mine now. I want to pound on my chest and roar at the thought. Instead, I think of all the ways I plan to erase her husband from her life.

  “Nico,” Reese whispers from my side on a yawn.

  “Yes,” I answer looking down to lock eyes with her.

  “Thank you,” she whispers as her heavy lids close.

  “You’re welcome,” I murmur as the TV becomes background noise to her tiny snores.

  I stay in bed holding her for a few hours before I slip from beneath her and pad out to the living room. Tony is sitting chuckling at the TV mounted over the fireplace in front of him. He turns to look at me, his face becoming somber. “Is she okay,” he nods his head towards the bedroom door.

  I think Reese has started to gain a soft spot in Tony’s heart as well. His brows draw in deeply, when I don’t respond right away. I need a moment to let everything she shared with me sink in, without going into a rage and running off to commit a murder.

  I would have no problem making Reese’s ex-husband disappear. My brother would be more than happy to help me dispose of his body, once I beat him to death. That is exactly why I am trying to calm my temper. I know what I need to do, but it has to happen the right way.

  “She’ll be fine. She is a strong woman,” I finally reply to Tony.

  Feeling that I have my temper under control, I dial the one person that will understand what this all means to me and what I need done. The phone rings three times before his voice comes through the phone in husky rasp. I smirk, knowing I just interrupted my brother and his wife.

  “You better have a problem,” Uri grunts into the phone.

  I snort and shake my head. “I do. I’m on my way. Finish up before I get there,” I say.

  “Done,” Uri grunts and hiss through his teeth. I roll my eyes. They couldn’t even stop for him to answer my call. I laugh to myself. When I claim Reese as mine, I don’t see us s
topping for anything or anyone either.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Destroy Him

  Nico

  “I want him ruined. He has been ruining her life since she has been married to him. I want him to suffer the same,” I growl as I pace the den in Uri’s home.

  “Is this really what you want,” Uri says and tilts his head at me. “You are my brother; I know you better than anyone. This is not for you. This request you are making will not sit well in your heart.”

  “I know what I am asking for Uri,” I growl.

  “No you don’t,” Michael speaks up from the corner of the room where he has been leaning against a bookshelf. He pushes off the shelf and moves closer to me. When he is and standing about a foot away from where I am pacing, he speaks. “I could help you ruin his life and Uri could Hush him,” Michael shrugs, “No problem, but every time you look into her hurt face or see her cry over her dead husband, it will eat at you not to know if she is crying because of the things he has done or because she is still in love with him.”

  Michael gives me a pointed look and I want to slap him, but I know he is right. I would constantly wonder if I did the right thing to truly make my Cara happy. I feel like a caged bull. I have to do something. I can’t just let this go unanswered.

  “It will not go unanswered,” Uri says reading my thoughts as only my brother can. “I will have Paige over at your apartment in the morning. Let Reese file for the divorce. We will give him one month to do this properly. In one month, if Reese is not divorced. Michael and I will step in. By then, you will know if this is just what Reese wants right now, or if she really wants a divorce and to move on.”

  “I have waited this long. You want me to wait another whole month,” I grunt.

  “Yes,” Michael and Uri reply in unison.

  “Merda,” I curse and run a hand down my face.

  Leaving Reese in my bed, in one of my t-shirts was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. I could have held her all night and just watched her sleep. I want to know that is my right. I want her husband gone, but they are right.