Page 174 of Forever Relentless

“I’d get your friend to check again.”

“Briar Sterling is twenty-four years old. Marketing major, mediocre at best. Hasn’t had a stable job since she left college. Originally from Chattanooga. And you know who else is from there? Her brother.”

“Siblings tend to be from the same place.”

He didn’t smile this time. “So, in my department, I have my QB talking to the dean through his daughter. I have my wide receiver talking to a reckless reporter, and I have my linebacker talking to a girl who’s here on a fake ID, and who lied about who she is with false documents.” He tapped his chin. “Tell me, Matthews. Which string do I pull for you to start talking to me?”

“Fuck you.”

He grinned. “She’ll be charged with fraud. She’ll probably get arrested. She’ll be fired, of course. For screwing you and lying. And her brother, he’s not so stable. He’ll probably do something really stupid, that’s just how he is—”

“What do you want?” I asked him. My hands were numb, I’d been clenching them so hard. “Please make it quick. If I have to listen to one more word of this diatribe, I’m going to punch you.”

“Who’s the social media poster?”

“Me.”

He gave me a flat look.

“It’s me.” I didn’t flinch. “I’m not as dumb as I look.”

He scoffed but said nothing further about my social media skills.

“You knew who she was?”

“Not at first.” I gave him nothing else.

“What are you going to do to fix my problems?”

I swallowed hard. “I’ll stop the posts.”

He nodded. “Good, good. And?”

“That’s all I have.”

“Hmm. So you’re back to insulting me.”

“I—”

“I want the posts gone. I want her gone. And I want you to never say one word to your teammates about what I know and don’t know.”

“I can’t do that.” I saw his look. “I’ll tell you why,” I carried on as if he’d interrupted. “Dante, actually, won’t be an issue. He’s pissed that his Draft value will suffer if there’s a scandal.” His eyebrows rose. “Slater, he’s got a girl. He’s never really been in a relationship, and I don’t think this will last. Trust me, he’s already looking.” He looked delighted at that tidbit. I’d said it to give Sutherland something believable, something that cost him less than what he was protecting. I’d deal with the fact that I’d just lied about my friend later. I’d have to. I glanced at the picture on his desk. “She wants justice for her brother.”

“Justice?” Coach Sutherland looked insulted. “Mason was in a car crash. He broke his leg, his playing career was over.”

“He was falsely accused of what happened to Tiffany Preacher.”

He watched me closely. “Ah, that old chestnut.”

“I think the fact that a girl killed herself because of what happened to her here, in this building, is more than a chestnut?”

He blew out a breath. “Nothing happened to her. Nothing.” His stare didn’t waver. “I run my ship the way I like it. I don’t like people who spy on me. But I have my own spies. I like insurance.” He tapped his desk where the photo of me was. “I don’t let or allow shit to happen in my building without knowing about it. I sure as fuck don’t let girls get attacked in here.”

What? I watched him; he looked furious that I thought I would.

Sutherland leaned forward. “I have two daughters, did you know that?”

The room was spinning. I expected him to deny it; I never expected him to be furious at the accusation. “I don’t think I do.”