Hard & Deep: A Football Romance

by Krista Lakes

  The question made her stop. Why did she care what happened to him? She had gotten everything she wanted out of him already. She had her bills paid, the apartment was in her name and completely paid for, the restaurant was days away from being transferred into her name, and she had enough extra funds to pay for everything she could possibly want. She didn't need him anymore.

  Tracy ran a handful of shampoo through her hair. She didn't need him anymore, but she didn't want to lose him. The idea that he could choose someone else over her suddenly made her grow cold. Their relationship had started out as a business transaction, but she was feeling an odd amount of tension over losing him if that was all it was. It wasn't just the idea of Jenna poisoning him, it was the fact that Jenna was stealing him away from her. She leaned back and rinsed the soap out of her hair, trying to process her emotions.

  Sudden understanding hit her hard and she nearly went to her knees. I think I love him, Tracy realized. She wiped the water out of her eyes. Maybe she did love him. Despite her best efforts to stay distant and aloof, she had finally fallen for him. The idea that he would chose Jenna over her cut deeper than she thought possible. He was supposed to trust her. He was supposed to want only her. Tracy had been taking his desire to please her for granted, and now that it was in danger of being taken away, she realized how much she needed him.

  "I have to do something," she whispered into the water. A need to do something, to save him suddenly filled her. She was not going to let a pampered little rich girl steal her man, and she definitely wasn't going to let her kill him. Jenna turned off the shower and grabbed her towel. She picked up her phone and dialed Mr. Hayes' secretary.

  "Hi, Ms. Wolf. What time is my dress fitting for the Ball?"

  Tracy opened her car door. The valet waited while she put her high heels on, managing to look disinterested at the beautiful cherry red sports car Mr. Hayes had given her. She buckled the last strap and tucked the pair of flats she'd worn for driving under the seat. No way she would have driven her car up these windy mountain roads in heels – she might never have made it. She stood up and smoothed her off-white satin gown, then handed the keys to the valet.

  She looked at the structure in front of her. At the top of a long and windy road, the mountain chalet was gorgeous. The view from the balcony would be spectacular, she knew. This far out of town, she might even be able to see stars tonight. It was the perfect fairy tale place to hold a ball.

  She walked up the gray stone stairs, feeling the wind whip her satin dress around her legs. The air was crisp and cool up here as she followed an important looking couple to the main door. There was a lot of security in here tonight. She hoped they would buy her story.

  The head of Mr. Hayes' regular security detail, Greg, was at the door. He smiled as he saw her. "Ms. Collins, a pleasure to see you!"

  Tracy spoke before he could ask any questions. "I'm Mr. Hayes' 'plus one'."

  Greg looked at his list and frowned. "Mr. Hayes has already arrived with Jenna Tice," he said.

  Tracy waved her hand dismissively. She wished she had a jacket as her bare arms were freezing in the mountain air, yet she kept a calm face. "That was for appearances. I'm his official date for tonight," she said, confidently.

  He looked over his list again, his brows tightening. For a moment, Tracy was sure he was going to tell her to leave. She swallowed the panic in the pit of her stomach. If she couldn't get in, then Mr. Hayes would drink the poison...

  "Well... Jenna is on the list anyway, so he's still got his 'plus one' available." He looked behind him, as if he were going to call for someone to check. Tracy started to sweat a little bit, thinking that her plan was about to come crashing down. However, Greg turned back to her with a smile, gesturing over his shoulder. "Go on ahead, Ms. Collins."

  Tracy smiled at him. She knew she liked him for a reason. A woman in uniform guided her toward a metal detector. With as many wealthy patrons and political entities supposed to be at this fund raiser, Tracy could easily see the need for all the security. Tracy began to reach down to unlatch her shoes, expecting it to be like the airport. A thought hit her: They would surely see the spring loaded shoe on the x-ray machine. Maybe they'd already caught Jenna. Hope bubbled in her stomach.

  “Miss, that's not necessary,” the security guard assured her, stopping her before she could remove anything. “This is just to make sure that no one is bringing in any weapons. The amount of metal in your shoes won't set it off. If it does, we can just use the wand. Your comfort and security are our top priorities.”

  So, not like the airport at all, Tracy thought as she smiled sheepishly. She straightened and walked through the metal archway. No alarm. If she was able to make it through, then Jenna with her shoes most certainly did as well. So much for that hope.

  Tracy gathered herself and stepped into the main ballroom. Not quite the hall of mirrors that it had been in Jenna's dream, but still a fancy-looking place. There were all sorts of important-looking people there, several of whom were members of the Board of Directors of Mr. Hayes' company. She was probably the only person here with a net worth of less than a million dollars.

  She began to scan the crowd for Mr. Hayes, and she didn't have to look long. He was waiting next to the the main stage, confident and handsome in a dark gray suit that flattered his broad shoulders and muscular build. A hush came over the gathered crowd as the emcee began to announce the charity's functions and how each donation went to help cancer patients worldwide. Then the man called Mr. Hayes up to give a speech.

  Tracy knew he had rehearsed this speech a thousand times, but she knew he would manage to deliver it as if it were off-the-cuff. That was his style.

  "You know me, and you know I don't like to talk for long, so I'll keep this brief.

  "My father died of cancer ten years ago. A self-made millionaire, he invested in my company early on, and I wouldn't be the man I am today if not for him. I owe it to his legacy to try and donate more and more of the fortune we accumulated together to try and beat his killer.

  "I owe even more of my success to our biggest investor, and he's here tonight. When my father died, he took over, becoming like a father to me. John Tice, where are you? Let's give him a round of applause!"

  He scanned the audience, looking for John Tice. His eyes briefly passed over Tracy, then snapped back to her. As he confirmed it was her, a brief scowl passed across his face, then a big smile. He thinks I'm here to apologize, she thought.

  His eyes moved on, and finally found John Tice. He was standing with his daughter, Jenna, and accepting his round of applause. When Tracy laid eyes on Jenna, she knew that her dream had been true. She was in the same dress as she had been in the dream. The dress, the hair, even the sparkle of jewelry was all exactly the way Tracy had seen it in the dream. There was no way she'd imagined it, not at this detail.

  Tracy couldn't see her shoes with all the people between them, but she didn't need to. While everyone was clapping and smiling, Jenna was staring up at Mr. Hayes, a cold determination in her eyes. It was the look of a woman about to commit murder.

  Mr. Hayes continued with his speech. "That's all I've got for you tonight, so give what you can, and drink enough to make my dad proud!" A cheer rose up from the crowd, and Mr. Hayes walked off the stage.

  Most people expected him to walk to John Tice, but instead, he made a beeline to Tracy. Just watching him stride toward her made her stomach tighten. She wasn't sure how he was going to respond to her being there.

  "Tracy. Since you're already in, I won't have security escort you out." It was a serious thing to say, but Mr. Hayes said it like it was a joke, so Tracy let it slide. "Truthfully, I'm glad to see you. I'm sorry we fought."

  It wasn't quite an apology, but it would do for now. "Thank you, Mr. Hayes."

  He moved his hands to her shoulders. "I know we were both hungover, and I understand your jealousy. I totally get it. But you're the only woman for me. You have nothing to worry about," he said, looking into
her eyes.

  Tracy melted at his words, his voice, his look. She didn't mean to, but it was exactly what she needed to hear. She hadn't realized just how heavy the weight of their fight had been on her until that moment.

  "Oh, Paul," she whispered, calling him by his first name for the very first time.

  He looked as if he might melt too. His smile softened into something far more romantic and kind, making Tracy forget for a moment everything that was going on. For a moment, with him looking at her like that, everything was how it should be.

  Tracy's mood, however, quickly hardened as she saw Jenna walking up with two wine glasses. The moment shattered.

  "Oh. Hi, Tracy!" Jenna said, as bubbly as she was the night before. "That dress looks great on you!"

  Tracy stared at the wine glasses, sure that the poison was lurking inside one of them. Jenna had no way of knowing that Tracy knew her plans as she handed Mr. Hayes a glass of champagne. Tracy didn't think, she just moved.

  "Don't drink that!" Tracy cried out, pushing the glass away from him before he could take it and nearly spilling it down Jenna's dress.

  Shock and disappointment filled Mr. Hayes' eyes. "I thought we were past this, Tracy."

  "What's the matter?" Jenna asked, confusion painting her pretty face. Tracy wanted to smack the look right off her.

  Mr. Hayes turned to Jenna. "Tracy thinks you're going to try to poison me tonight."

  A momentary flash of anger and then horror that Tracy knew and that she would suggest something that was going to ruin her plans. Jenna quickly recovered before anyone but Tracy could notice.

  "That's ridiculous! Here." Jenna took his glass of champagne and took a sip of it, then took a sip of her own champagne. She shrugged as nothing happened, looking rather pleased with herself.

  Mr. Hayes turned back to Tracy, his arms crossed. "Are you satisfied?"

  Tracy frowned at the glass and the smug look on Jenna's face. The poison wasn't in that glass. But, Jenna would be plying Mr. Hayes with drinks all night long. Thinking about it, It would be less suspicious if he didn't fall over dead right after his speech. But, falling over dead after drinking far too much... there would be no blame laid on anyone and it would simply be labeled a tragic death.

  Tracy couldn't watch Mr. Hayes' drinks all night long. All it would take was one moment, one turned head or a trip to the bathroom for Jenna to slip her poison into his drink. The dark gleam in Jenna's eyes told Tracy the dream was real. Tracy wasn't crazy. There was only one way for her to prove it, though.

  "Please, Mr. Hayes, just look in her shoe,” Tracy begged. “Check to see if there's anything in the compartment."

  The color drained from Jenna's face, but again she recovered quickly. "Look, Tracy, I'm sorry that you're jealous. I should have known that the other night was a mistake, but I can promise you that Paul's place is by your side. I'm not here to replace you."

  Mr. Hayes' jaw tightened. Jenna's words were exactly what Mr. Hayes needed to hear to turn against Tracy. "Tracy, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Jenna has done absolutely nothing wrong and your jealousy is out of control."

  Tracy felt sick to her stomach. She could feel him slipping away, as much from distrust as the threat of poison. "Mr. Hayes, please! If you check her shoes, I promise I'll leave and give you as much space as you need. I can go quietly or I can make a scene."

  She hated making the threat. She hated that it had come to this, but now that the words were spoken, she didn't really have a choice. Not if she wanted to save him.

  Mr. Hayes' eyes flashed with fury. If Tracy weren't so frightened for him, she would have been terrified of that look. "You know what? Fine. I'm sorry to do this Jenna, but please take off your shoes."

  Jenna turned completely pale. "N… no."

  Mr. Hayes chuckled and put his hand on her arm in a comforting motion. "It's fine, I'll return them immediately. I'll even buy you new ones if Tracy damaged them."

  Jenna looked towards the exit. She took a step backwards. "You can't see them."

  Mr. Hayes turned to face her completely. His hand dropped from her arm."What?"

  Jenna looked as if she had something else to say, then suddenly ran for the door, surprisingly fast for someone on high heels. Tracy knew there was no way for her to catch up, and Mr. Hayes was in shock. "Stop her!" Tracy cried out.

  There was too much security at the door for her to just run out. One of the security guards caught her before she could escape. Jenna cried out hysterically, obviously terrified. Tears streamed down her face as she struggled to get free. Tracy pitied her. She pitied the girl for what was going to come next. Paul Hayes was not one to take this kind of thing lightly.

  Chapter 15

  There were six people in the upstairs room of the mountain chalet while the rest of the party bustled along downstairs unknowing of the treachery above. John Tice sat in a chair in the corner, his head in his hands. Tracy and Mr. Hayes sat next to one another on a love seat with their hands held tightly together. Greg, the security chief, and James, Mr. Hayes' personal assistant, argued about what should be done, while Jenna sat with her hands zip-tied to a chair.

  The vial had been small, small enough to fit in Jenna's heel compartment. Greg's men had whisked it away to be analyzed, but Greg had smelled the hidden compartment it came from. "Smell the almond smell? Cyanide. You would have been dead before you hit the ground if you’d drank it."

  At first, John had fought the men to try to get his daughter released, but had relented when they said that they hadn’t called the cops yet. He was obviously a powerful man, but he knew when to quit. Something about him made Tracy uneasy, as if he could turn on them in a second, but Tracy assumed it was simply because his daughter had just tried to murder her boyfriend.

  As the men argued in front of Jenna, John turned to his daughter and asked, "You weren't going to kill Paul, were you?"

  "Yes, I was," she replied, matter-of-factly. Tracy's blood ran cold to hear her say it so calmly.

  John's face turned beet red. "I forbid you to say another word until our lawyer gets here," he commanded, and she obeyed. She always obeyed him.

  Eventually, James and Greg went to talk to John. They spoke in hushed tones, then the three men walked over to Mr. Hayes and Tracy. The two of them stood as the men approached.

  James started. "Mr. Hayes, I think you can agree with us that this is a delicate situation."

  Mr. Hayes nodded slowly.

  "Jenna won't tell us why she wanted you dead, or if anyone put her up to it. If she won't tell her father, she won't tell the police either," James continued.

  "Go on," Mr. Hayes said. His stance was easy and confident, but Tracy could see the tension growing in his jaw.

  James took a deep breath. "We all think it would be best if you let Jenna go with her father. He would ensure that she never steps foot in this city again, and that she would be accompanied by two men at all times."

  Mr. Hayes sneered. "The benefit of being rich, I suppose. I can trust you to place your own daughter under arrest, rather than leave her to the mercy of the justice system."

  John looked solemn as he held out his hands, palms up in a gesture of openness. "You can trust me. You always can."

  Tracy was incredulous. The woman had basically confessed to murder, yet they were talking about just letting go. "There's no way we can let her go. She…"

  Mr. Hayes cut her off and continued. "You've always been like a father to me, John. I owe you so much. I would like it if our relationship weren't impacted by this incident," he said. He paused, his eyes narrowing for a moment as a thought occurred to him. "I have a question, though. Did James suggest that I go to this ball with Jenna?"

  John nodded, his eyes wide. "How did you know?"

  "James told me that you insisted that she be my date tonight.” Something dangerous flashed in Mr. Hayes' eyes as he put the connection together. “James, I don't know if you're a part of this conspiracy or not, but I can't have you in my org
anization any more."

  James' eyes bugged out of his head. "Conspiracy? What!? But…"

  "But nothing. You've never wanted me to be with Tracy. It was you who let Jenna know that we were going to the salsa club, wasn't it?" Mr. Hayes took a step toward the man. He wasn't much taller than James, yet James shrank before him.

  James sputtered. "Yes, b-but I never meant for her to hurt you. Either of you! I knew that you wanted to be with her anyway! I was looking out for your best interests! Jenna was a better match!"

  Tracy felt sick to her stomach. She knew that James didn't like her and felt that she was beneath Mr. Hayes. She could forgive him for wanting someone more aristocratic for his employer. Except, the woman he selected turned out to be a murderess. If Tracy hadn't been here, Mr. Hayes would be dead and it would be because James handed him to his killer.

  Mr. Hayes turned to Greg. "This man is no longer a member of this organization. I'd like him escorted out immediately.”

  James sputtered, but Mr. Hayes held up a hand to silence him. It was obvious this decision was final. James crossed his arms, but kept his mouth shut. There was no convincing Mr. Hayes of anything else, especially right now. At least James was smart enough to realize that.

  “Send two of your men up to cut Jenna loose and escort her out as well," Mr. Hayes added. His eyes glazed past the young woman tied to a chair as if she no longer existed. As far as he was concerned, Jenna was dead to him.

  "Yes, sir," Greg replied smartly, taking James' arm in his hands to guide him away.

  Greg and James left, and Mr. Hayes turned back to John. The older man stared at his daughter as if he were trying to see something else.

  "I'll meet with you on Monday at one PM to discuss the terms of my not going to the police,” Mr. Hayes said softly. His voice was kind, but firm. “I'm going to insist that one of the men on Jenna's detail be on my payroll."