Chapter Nine

Leo

I received Emma"s text and replied immediately, but now she wasn"t responding. My mind raced with worry. What could it mean? Something felt terribly wrong. I couldn"t just sit here and wait for a reply. I needed to see her, to make sure she was okay.

Jumping into the Escalade, I left my house and sped through the streets, the city lights blurring as my thoughts raced. Was there a chance for me and Emma after all? She needed me, and I wasn"t going to let her down. As I neared her apartment, an uneasy feeling settled in my gut. I parked haphazardly, not caring about the ticket I might get, and rushed up the stairs to her floor.

Reaching her door, I heard loud voices inside. My heart pounded in my chest. Something was definitely wrong. I tried the doorknob, and to my surprise, it was open. I pushed the door open slowly before stepping inside.

What I saw made my blood run cold. Coach Nottingham was holding a gun on Sawyer and Emma. Emma was crying, her petite body trembling. Sawyer looked defeated, his eyes full of regret and fear.

"Coach, what the hell is going on?" I demanded, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me.

Sawyer turned to me, his voice weak and filled with sorrow. "Leo, I"m so sorry for everything. I hope you can find a way to forgive me for my actions."

Coach Nottingham"s menacing voice cut through the air. "Close the door slowly, Leo, and put your hands where I can see them. Join the others on the couch so I can think about what to do with this happy little party we've got here."

I complied, closing the door and raising my hands, walking slowly towards the couch. My mind was in a frenzy as I tried to piece together the situation. It was Coach who had been behind everything, who put Sawyer up to sabotaging me. But why?

"Why, Coach?" I asked, confusion and anger running through my system like wildfire.

Coach Nottingham laughed maniacally. The cold glint in his eyes was pure evil."You and Sawyer, and the rest of the athletes, you"re all fools. Professional sports have nothing to do with fair play. It"s all about the show, the public reaction. There"s a lot of money involved, betting, and politics. You don"t know the half of it, and you never will."

He continued, his voice full of contempt. "Yes, I"m paid to coach the Warlords to win. But I"m being paid even more for them to lose. You"re the best player we have, Leo. A star in the making. But you"re a risk the people in charge don"t want to take. You"re too much of a wild card, too strong-willed to know what's good for you. They can"t be sure they can control you, so they need you out of the game."

Emma sobbed quietly, her fear palpable. I looked at Sawyer, and our eyes met. In that moment, we understood each other. We had to do something. Coach was waving the gun in the air. He was clearly distracted, flustered.

"Now, I have to figure out what to do," Coach mused. "Perhaps I"ll make it look like a murder-suicide between you and Sawyer, and Emma will get caught in the crossfire."

The plan clicked into place in my mind. I saw the opening, and so did Sawyer. With a nod, I leaped at Coach, tackling him to the ground. Sawyer jumped in, and the three of us struggled. Emma"s screams filled the room, adding to the chaos.

The gun went off with a deafening bang. I felt a cold dread wash over me as Sawyer slumped to the floor, blood staining his shirt.

Coach Nottingham scrambled to his feet and fled the apartment. I dropped to my knees beside Sawyer shouting, "Dial 911!"

Emma sprang into action, grabbing her phone from the island. I turned my attention back to Sawyer, my training kicking in. I knew CPR and started chest compressions, desperate to keep him alive.

"Stay with me, Sawyer," I muttered, my voice strained with effort and emotion. "You can"t die on me now."

Within moments, the sound of sirens filled the air. Next thing I knew, policemen burst into the apartment, followed by a team of paramedics who quickly took over for me with Sawyer.

"Got a beat!" An EMT yelled. The others began lifting him onto a stretcher and the EMT who had been at his side stood and clapped me on the back. "You saved his life, friend. He"s going to make it."

Relief washed over me as I stood there, watching them wheel Sawyer out. Emma flew into my arms, and I held her tightly, our bodies trembling with the adrenaline and fear of what had just happened.

"We"re okay," I whispered, my voice choked with emotion. "We"re safe now."

Emma clung to me, tears streaming down her face. "I love you, Leo. I thought I was going to lose you as well as my brother."

"I love you too, Emma," I replied, my own tears falling. "I will never let anything happen to you again."

We kissed, a desperate, passionate kiss filled with relief and love. We held onto each other, knowing that we had survived something terrible, but we were together. Nothing would ever tear us apart again.