Page 11 of Blindside


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“Tonight was my last practice before we break for a few months,” Crue says. We didn’t make the playoffs but Corvin’s team did. I was gutted we didn’t make it but after learning this shit, I’m grateful to have a few months off so I can go and strangle the life out of that lying bitch and get my daughter back. “I’m on the next flight to you—”

“Nah, meet back at CHU,” I growl.

“Where the fuck was our daughter when she was at dinner? Better yet, who the fuck did she leave her with while we were fucking her at the club?” I shake my head, unable to answer. Something isn’t sitting right with me, our girl would be two months old now and there are no records for her at all, my eyes widen when it clicks in my mind.

“She wasn’t there.”

“I know that asshole, where was she?” he grits out.

“No, you dumbass. She wasn’t there because Katie doesn’t have her.” I stop sharing my screen and then bring up the video of him so he can see me. Crue’s face is a mask of confusion, clearly not grasping my meaning so I spell it out for him. “There are no medical reports, Katie didn’t have her at the restaurant or anywhere else because the baby isn’t in Katie’s care.” Crue’s brows draw in and his eyes burn with anger.

“She gave my fucking daughter away?” he roars. It grates on my nerves that he saysmy, she isn’t just his daughter, she’s just as much mine as she is his.

“I don’t fucking know, we need to dig into this shit more.”

“Saint, if she gave away our little girl…” He slams his eyes closed and takes a deep breath. I can see he is warring within himself trying to remain calm.

“Get your ass on a plane first thing tomorrow. I’ll meet you back at the house.”

“I’ll book a red eye for tonight and pick you up in the morning.” He sounds defeated and that shit fucks with me, I hate seeing Crue so upset.

“We’ll figure this out together.”

* * *

My fucking back is aching from sitting in that stupid seat for hours. I drag my case after me as I head toward the exit of the airport to meet Crue. It takes me all of two seconds to spot him. He leans against Beck’s Audi, with his arms crossed and aviator sunglasses shielding his blue eyes, his blonde hair blowing in the wind.

I frown to myself, was I just checking him out?

I shake that thought away when he spots me and smiles. “Took you long enough,” he calls out, smirking. I close the space between us and pull him into a hug. Is it crazy that being here with him, I feel like I can breathe easier?

Crue pulls back and grabs my case off me to put in the trunk as I slip into the passenger seat. He joins me a moment later and within seconds we’re driving away, leaving the airport in the rearview mirror. Fuck, it’s so good to be home. I didn’t realize how much I missed this place until now. All the familiar buildings and parks have me feeling nostalgic.

“I hired that PI guy Troy used.” I turn to look at Crue, slightly surprised he took the initiative to do that. Normally he waits for me to call the shots.

“Sweet.” Crue lifts his glasses and peers over at me for a second.

“What do you meansweet?”

Shrugging my shoulders, I say, “I don’t know, I guess I’m just shocked you did something without me.”

Crue snorts and shakes his head. “I stopped needing you to hold my dick a while ago, my man.” I force a laugh for his benefit but the truth is, I don’t like hearing that he doesn’t need me.

What the fuck is wrong with me? Why do I keep acting like a stage-five clinger where he is concerned?

We make small talk all the way back to town, I peer out my window as we pass by our old house and Beck’s, pulling into the driveway next door. “What the fuck are you doing?” I ask as I turn to stare at him. He wiggles his brows and smiles wide.

“Welcome home, baby!” he says as he climbs out of the car. Utterly stumped by his meaning, I follow after him and meet his gaze over the roof of the car, quirking a brow.

“The fuck do you mean? Home is next door, asshole.”

Crue rolls his eyes and heads toward the trunk to grab my case, then comes to me, grips my hand in his, and begins to skip toward the house, dragging me after him. “This is our new house.” I yank my hand free of his just before we reach the porch steps. Crue pauses at the top of the small steps and turns back to me. “Saint, don’t overthink this shit, okay? Beck needed a house so he bought one, Darius and Leah live in the old house and in case you didn’t know, Corvin bought that one!” He points at the house next to this one and my eyes widen, sure enough, Corvin and Alexa’s cars are parked in the driveway.

“So, everyone owns a house on this street but me?” I question as I turn back to him. Hurt flashes in his eyes before he quickly masks it. I mean, what does he expect? How were they able to just buy these houses side by side when they were owned and lived in by others for years? “How did you buy these and get the other owners to agree?”

“Technically, you own this with me, but whatever. We paid nearly triple what they were worth. How could they say no?” he says dejectedly as he spins around and heads inside. I take a moment to take in the house, still in shock. Stepping back I look up to see it’s a two-story home, gray and black with white shutters on the windows on the second story. There’s a loveseat on the porch and even some potted plants. I slowly make my way inside and freeze the moment I cross the threshold. The decor is all black and gray. Paintings adorn the walls, and pictures of us, the guys and the girls are strategically placed around the living area. This house has the same layout as our OG home.

Sure enough, the kitchen is just off the living area, with a pool in the backyard and a games room off the back of the kitchen. I head upstairs expecting the rooms to be in the same order as well, but I’m shocked the moment I hit the second-story landing.

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