40. JT

CHAPTER 40

JT

JT : You busy?

Maggie: A little… what’s up?

JT: My four o’clock is canceled, so I’ve got extra time. Thinking I’ll swing home and eat lunch with you.

Maggie : Seriously?

JT: Uh, yes…

Maggie: That’s perfect.

JT: Because you want me to make you a grilled cheese?

Maggie: No…well, yes. But also because I need your help with something.

JT: I swear to god, Maggie. If you are standing on a chair right now…

Maggie: I promise I’m not.

JT: Fine, but stay right where you are and don’t move. Be home in five.

I’m hauling ass across campus because I miss my girl, and also because I have a bad feeling she’s trying to hang the room darkening shades I picked up at the hardware store last week. I haven’t had time to put them up and with five weeks left to go, my girlfriend is in full nesting mode.

My hip’s still twinges a little since I overextended it in the game against Woodcock, but the brisk walk will do me good. I take the stairs two at a time and I’m opening our door before I even break a sweat.

I toss my bag by the door and head for the bedroom, hoping like hell she’s not wielding a drill.

She’s not.

She’s naked and spread out on our bed like a fucking gift.

“You need some help?” I ask, surprised my voice sounds relatively normal.

She nods her head. “I need to come, JT. I need you touch me. I?—”

That’s all the invitation I need to strip down and join her on the bed.

Thank god for canceled classes.

An hour later, Maggie’s sleeping soundly, and I’m wide awake. My stomach is growling so loudly, I’m afraid I’ll wake her.

I duck into the kitchen to make a sandwich. I’m chomping down when I check my phone and see three missed calls.

At first, I’m worried I missed a team meeting, but then I see the number on my screen.

It’s Curtis.

Dammit. I‘ve been dodging his calls and messages for weeks. He’s been asking to meet up and Griggs has been doing the same, but I’ve made it my personal mission to ignore them in the hope that they’ll go away.

Curtis : You ready to talk yet?

JT : Can’t. I’m at practice .

Curtis : Really? Because it looks to like you’re standing in your own goddamn kitchen eating a turkey sandwich.

Before I can stop myself, I glance at the window. My phone dings with an incoming text as a chill runs up my spine.

Curtis : I’ll be right up to chat. I’m guessing the missus is asleep, so we’ll have to be quiet.

JT : We don’t have to be anything. I have nothing to say to you.

Curtis : You think it’s your turn to fucking talk? Of course you do. The whole goddamn world revolves around Jax Norris, so why should this be any different?

My phone rings and I’m half tempted to toss it into the trash, but ignoring the problem hasn’t worked yet. I walk to the far edge of the apartment, right by the door, partially so I don’t wake Maggie, and partially so I can keep an eye on Curtis.

My cousin’s voice rings out over the line. “You and I have something to talk about, Jax. You know where The Fifth Wheel is? Meet me there in half an hour. It’ll be good for us to catch up.

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I release my breath. “I’m not fucking meeting you, Curtis. I?—

“Remember what Aunt Connie used to say to you when you were being a little bitch and wouldn’t get in the shower or eat your vegetables? ‘We can do this the easy way or the hard way.’ I always liked Aunt Connie.

I don’t bring up the fact that Aunt Connie is currently doing time in the same facility as my dad for identity theft. It’s no wonder Curtis admires her.

“We’re not gonna do this at all, Curt?—”

“The hard way, huh? Fine by me. I’ll be right there. Apartment 314 C, right? Open the door in two minutes so I don’t have to knock and wake up your girlfriend. Little Mama needs all the sleep she can get right now .

A chill runs down my spine at his words. He fucking knows where we live. Of course, he does.

“Stunned you stupid, did I? Never was that hard, but shit you made it easy. Tracking you was no problem. I’ve got fucking video of you and your girl coming and going, but the bun in the oven was news to me. Figured you were into fat chicks or something. Never realized exactly what those giant sweatshirts were concealing until you fucking announced it like a goddamn pussy after your win in Allentown. We were watching the game, you know how we’re all your biggest fans, of course. Deuce was about to switch the TV off when I saw you put your hand on her belly. Holy shit , I thought. My luck sure is changing. “

As my cousin rambles on, I clench and release my fists. I’m so goddamn stupid, prattling on to Maggie about being proud of my family. Some fucking boyfriend and father I am—I should have been protecting them and instead, I was feeding them to this goddamn asshole.

“The Fifth Wheel in twenty. I’ll be there.”

“Fucking right you will. And I know exactly what you’re thinking, Jax. Bring all the muscle you want, asshole. I’ll just add their names to the list.

I’m tempted to text the guys right now to ask for advice or maybe even backup. But my cousin plays dirty, and he’s had more than a year inside to think of a thousand ways to fuck with me. There’s no way I’m letting him fuck with my friends, or my family.

Grabbing my keys, I tap out a quick text to Maggie letting her know I’m getting some extra practice in before the tournament this weekend. I hit Send without looking because the lie makes me sick. I hate it, but it’s a necessary part of keeping my cousin the hell away from my girl and our baby.

The Fifth Wheel is a shithole, and this is coming from someone who lived in a place that actually crumbled to the ground.

The interior is dark and poorly lit, but that’s probably a good thing. I doubt I’d want to see this place with the lights on.

It takes me less than ten seconds to spot Curtis over by the pool tables. His hair is dark like mine, his eyes the same hazel. He’s stockier and more compact than I am, but that’s not the only difference. There’s a hardness to him, a mean streak that’s been sharpened in prison. His eyes cut through me like I’m just one more obstacle to take down.

I shake off the fear that’s been choking me since I took his call half an hour ago, and stride across the room with all the confidence I can manufacture.

“Look who it is,” he croons. “The golden boy of Grand Plains. The savior of the Norris family. The only one of us worth a good goddamn.”

“Cut the shit, Curt,” I say, leaning against an empty pool table. “I’m here, so start talking.”

“You’ve got a set of balls, I’ll give you that,” he laughs, shaking his head slightly before his voice turns cold. “You’re not calling the shots. You’re not in charge. We’re gonna talk and you’re gonna listen.”

That’s when I notice Griggs beside him. The guy’s so fucking creepy he blended in with the scenery.

They stand and walk past me, and I have no choice but to follow.

The interior of Griggs’s truck isn’t much better than The Fifth Wheel, but no one’s around to hear us, so I guess that’s one point in their favor.

“You’re a fucking rat,” Griggs sneers, but it’s not him or his playground-level insults I’m worried about.

Curt looks murderous as he glares at me. “There’s only one fucking reason I’m not doing twenty years in a federal fucking prison, asshole, and it’s not you. Griggs heard sirens and we managed to toss what we’d taken and get the hell out of there. They got me on intent only because my boy here was loyal. That’s more than I can say for my piece of shit cousin,” he spits the words in my face, but I feel no remorse. What? I’m supposed to be sorry I didn’t help these two commit a crime?

“You fucking owe me, you arrogant bastard. And it’s time to pay up.”

“I don’t owe you shit,” I volley back and the sting of Griggs’s fist glances off my cheek as I duck half a second too late.

“The fuck you don’t,” Curtis answers. “My dad took you in. I took you in. I gave you a place to stay when no one else would. I looked out for you and you betrayed me, you little shit. But you’re gonna make things right.”

Griggs’s is practically foaming at the mouth with excitement. Sick bastard.

“Oh, fuck. Griggs, did we forget to congratulate this ungrateful fuck on making it to the Frozen Four?”

I don’t know what Curtis is up to, but he’s trying to play with me like he’s the cat and I’m the mouse.

“Enjoy it, Jax. Enjoy every second of that tournament, because that’s how you’re going to settle the score between us. You’ll win against Brookhill and I’m betting you’ll face St. Sebastian in the final. You’ll take the L on that one.”

It takes a minute for his words to register. “You think we’re going to lose?”

“I don’t think it. I’m betting on it. The way I see it, you owe me for everything I’ve given you and for the time I was locked up. The easiest way to pay that back is to lose the game. That way, when I bet against you, I’ll make a shit ton of money.”

I shake my head, but my cousin’s next words stop me cold.

“Fuck this up for me and you’ll pay. You think you’re gonna run your mouth to the cops or your coach? Think again. I’ll have you jumped so fast you’ll never see it coming. It’ll be a real tragedy. Rising college star gets mugged outside his own apartment building. Your chances of going pro will be gone in a fucking instant, Jax. You think your buddy Van’s knee got messed up? You ain’t seen shit.”

I reach for the door handle, done with his bullshit.

“You just better hope your girlfriend isn’t around when shit goes down,” he says, his voice cold and low.

I will my body to stay calm because I’m about to break out into a cold sweat at the thought of any harm coming to Maggie or our baby.

Based on the look my cousin’s giving me right now, he can sense my fear, and he’s feeding off it.

Fuck.