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Wepullintoourschool lot and Cassie kills the engine. Turning to me, she says, “You should have stayed home and rested. You were involved in a major car accident less than two days ago. I think the team will understand if you can’t be there today.” We've been having this argument all morning. But I have my own agenda here today, so she’s never going to win.
“You weren't so worried yesterday when you let me fuck you in your new studio.”
“That was different.” She smirks.
“It’s not just the team I’m worried about. You’re not spending an entire day at school without me.” She has to know I’m not letting her out of my sight after the weekend we've had. Not just because we still haven’t gotten any more leads as to who was in our house and took out Kobe's car, but because as much as she says she’s okay, I know she’s not. She’s barely holding it together, and if she falls apart, I need to be the one there for her. “I need to get back to my normal routine. I can’t just sit around feeling sorry for myself.”
“Hmm, okay, I get that. But will you promise me the moment you don’t feel well, you’ll let me take you home? So I can take care of you some more,” she says in a cheeky way, and I know what she’s implying.
“I promise.” I kiss her sweet lips, enjoying how much she cares about me.
We enter the staff room together, hands joined. Both Miles and Scarlet are already at their desks. Scarlet looks up from her computer and her face pales at the sight of me. “What the hell happened to you?”
“Car accident. It looks worse than it is.”
Cassie gives me a look for lying, but my work colleagues don’t need the details. I’m still alive, and that is all they need to know. She slips out of my grip and makes her way to her desk.
“Must have been a good one. That’s one hell of a bruise on your head,” Miles calls as I pass him on my way through to my office.
My head is starting to thump already, and I just want to close my eyes and block them all out. But I couldn’t let Cassie come to school today without me here to keep an eye on her. “Miles, you’re in charge of the team training session today. I’m going to stay in the office and work on some paperwork,” I call to him, knowing one of us should probably be down on the field with the boys before they start to get rowdy.
He appears in my doorway. “You should go home. I can handle all of this, Coach.”
I massage my temples, trying to rid my head of the intense pain that's kicking in. “I’ll stick around, but you need to get down there before they get bored.”
“You really don’t look so good.”
I glare at him. Does he think I don’t know I look like shit? I fucking feel like it too. “Come in and shut the goddamn door!” I rummage around in my desk drawer, looking for painkillers. I find a couple and throw them back.
"What the hell is going on?"
“It was a pretty nasty car accident, and I had to get a blood transfusion, but Cassie doesn’t know the full extent,” I admit. Miles might get distracted easily by a pretty face, but he’s on our payroll, so I know I can trust him with the details.
“The Rivera takeover? Word on the street is some of the other Acevedos aren’t all that happy about Leo being in charge.”
“It was never going to be straightforward taking over a gang that has always been in the Acevedo name, but Ace trusted Leo, so the rest will have to follow suit. I need you to keep an eye out for Cassie when I’m not around.”
“Do you think whoever it was will target her?”
“No, but who knows what to expect? It’s Leo’s orders after what happened to me and Kobe.”
He nods. “I’ll let you know if I hear anything going around about it.”
“The boys would appreciate it.” He knows what that means. We all do. You look after the boys when they need you and they will do the same for you. It’s simple, really.
A knock comes at the door, and Scarlet appears. “A fight has broken out on the back field. It’s the football boys.”
“I’m on it,” Miles tells us, striding from the room.
Scarlet lingers a little longer. "I really hope you’re okay," she says in her motherly tone with a sympathetic smile then turns and follows Miles.
I continue to massage my temples, willing the pain away so I can focus. That’s Leo's job, to work out who he can trust. I just front the money.
CASSANDRA
"MAN, I HOPE WE'RE prepared for this weekend’s cheer competition." I pin up the info sheet in the hallway notice board for the girls to look over before the weekend. Mr. Rodgers had given Scarlet and me a day away from classes to prepare, and she has been helping me get things sorted. With her by my side, it's like having your very own cheerleader just following you around, pepping you up. And it's just what I need today. A distraction and something positive to look forward to.
"It’s our first big competition, and I know you're stressed about it going well, but it's going to be perfect. The choreography is the best I have ever seen, and the girls have it practiced to perfection. You’ve put the time in, and it shows."
