Page 97 of Forever Relentless

“What?” I reached out and touched her arm, rubbing it gently. “That’s horrible.”

“I know.” She took a step back, breaking contact, hastily wiping her eyes. “He said those two knew more than they should, and they weren’t being careful. He told me that I need to be careful and stay away from them.”

I frowned. “But we have been.” I shook my head. “He was the asshole who put you on the QB in the first place!”

“Yeah, but not because of why we’re here. I think he wanted his golden boy far from the PT Doug to ensure he was properly treated. I don’t think he ever thought we’d be in the same conversation as we are now.”

“You told him they knew we knew they knew!” I was incredulous.

Diana gave me another flat stare. “No. I’m not stupid, but neither is he!”

I paced. It was time. I’d been still for too long. “So he suspects they’ve told you. And he knows Tiff was your family.” I felt like shit for asking. “Does he know about me?”

She shook her head. “No. I’ve kept our friendship quiet. Even when TJ and I are together, I keep the phone locked.”

“Your relationship sounds healthy.”

“Shut up, Briar.”

I didn’t say anything else. She’d heard my thoughts on her hooking up with one of the coaches before. TJ Hembry hadn’t been on the staff when Mason was there, but that didn’t absolve him of any crimes in my opinion. He was there now; he couldn’t possibly be blind to it all, and he stayed.

I didn’t give a damn if he was looking to leave. He’d been there for over three years. No way he wasn’t part of the rot.

“That’s all he said?” I asked her. “That you were disposable?”

She nodded. “But it was the way he said it. It was more than just about this job, it was . . . it felt like he meant it.”

“I think we all got that when he was interviewing out of state, Di.” Her look was so wounded, I felt like shit. “Sorry. I don’t always think things through before I speak,” I muttered.

“I have to get back,” she said, looking at her watch. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Dump him.”

Again with the look.

“For fuck’s sake, Diana. He’s going anyway. I don’t think you were ever going to be asked to go with him, and to say you’re disposable just underlines that in bold. He’s a shady shit. He’s been a shady shit from the beginning.”

“You’re letting your anger cloud your judgment.”

“Damn right I am! More importantly, why aren’t you? She was your cousin!”

Diana took another step back. “I knew this was a bad idea.”

I gaped at her. “What the fuck does that mean?”

She gave me a very Diana look — slightly patronizing and wholly superior. “I got this job on my own merit,” she reminded me. “I actually wanted to work here.”

“Because you’re crazy.”

“Because I want to make sure what happened to Tiff doesn’t happen to anyone else.”

“What happened to Tiff? Not what happened to Mason?”

She let out a loud sigh. “They’re the same thing.”

“They’re really not.”

She rubbed her forehead. “Look, let’s just . . .” She looked away again. “I think we’ve been a bit reckless in telling them what we know. Those guys are young, they’re uncontrolled, they’re not careful like we are.”