End Game (Brooklyn Kings #2)

Chapter One

Brody

How it started…

The crowd was on its feet, their roars and cheers so loud, we couldn’t hear the play calls. Our quarterback, Devlin “Devil” Summers, had us hopped up in the huddle, yelling, hooting, and hollering about all the glory we’d get after we won the Orange Bowl.

“Let’s do this; let’s gooooooo,” he shouted, fist in the air. His helmet was on, so I couldn’t see his face, but I imagined those bright-green eyes snapping fire, that trademark wicked grin lifting his lips. Tats ran up and down his arms and, as I knew from years of seeing him naked in the shower, covered a good portion of his body as well.

His very ripped, muscled body.

Yeah. I looked. And wished I could touch.

I had a secret.

Me, Brody “Blink” Martin, fastest tight end the Blue Waves had ever seen, All-American, most receptions freshman year, and the NCAA’s holder of the record for most yards received three years in a row, liked guys.

At sixteen, I’d made the swim team as well as football. Maybe I’d chosen swimming because I liked to imagine what went on behind those bulges in my teammates’ Speedos.

I knew what happened in mine—the time Griffin Waters, superstar senior with a body like carved marble, had walked in on me in the shower when I was rubbing one out.

“You thinking of me, Blink?” His eyes were riveted on my engorged dick. “I saw you checking out my ass.”

Shit, fuck. Had I moaned his name out loud? I had been thinking of him. He played the leading man in every one of my dirty nighttime fantasies. I thought I was so damn discreet. Griffin was gorgeous—broad shoulders, a round, firm butt, and his junk, even soft, was huge. I could only imagine how it would feel stuffed up my ass. Or in my mouth.

I freaked and started babbling. “What? No, of course not. I-I—”

The words died on my lips as he shed his towel, pulled the curtain closed, and got on his knees to finish me off. Then, with water streaming down his face and lips still swollen from my cock, he got to his feet, took my hand, wrapped it around his huge shaft, and taught me how to jack him off. He came, splattering hot and heavy over my abs before it all washed away, his teeth scoring my shoulder as he bit me, and I never wanted to let him go.

After that, we’d met every weekend we could at his parents’ cabin by the lake, where he’d drive me wild with his tongue and all these toys he’d bring. Never his dick, though.

“Please, Griff. Do it. All of it. Everything. Wanna feel you in me.”

“Nuh-uh. I like to play with you and watch you fall apart.”

And no matter how hard I’d begged, he wouldn’t give me that ultimate pleasure. I guess that should’ve been a sign that something wasn’t right.

Still, I wasn’t able to stay away from him. It had been dangerous and exciting but ultimately sad, which I’d learned the hard way. He and his prom date, Ally Sue, had kissed and posed for pictures while, across the street from his house, I’d watched in the shadows. The next night we were together, and I’d asked him if they’d had sex.

“Yeah, but it didn’t mean anything. I had to show her that I was into her. It woulda looked suspicious otherwise.”

A month or so later, Griffin left for college. I’d known we were done. I saw him on social media, dating all these girls, and realized I’d been nothing but a dirty secret. After that, I lost my passion for swimming and concentrated solely on football.

At football camp, I couldn’t take my eyes off the thick thighs in skintight pants and went back to my shower-time rub-outs. My coaches told me I had a shot at a football scholarship if I kept up my stats and my grades, so I knew I had to put my sex drive aside and concentrate on the future. My dick could wait. I had plans, and nothing was gonna derail them.

I was gonna be a football star and take care of my momma.

Daddy died in a car crash when I was nine, and Momma remarried Theo McGrath some three years later. My momma had next to nothing—in his teens, Daddy had spent some time in prison for theft, bar fights, and breaking and entering. And despite trying to get his act together, it had been hard for him to get steady work. The only job he’d managed to keep was delivering food, and that was what killed him—one rainy night he took a curve too fast and went over the side and into the ravine. The car and him burned to a crisp.

Momma’d had her job working at Burger Benny’s, and for three years it had been her and me. Theo worked on a construction project next door to the burger joint, and they’d started dating. As a kid, I’d resented his attempts at trying to be nice to me and pushed him away, believing that to accept him would be disloyal to my daddy. Once I left for college I’d eased up, but I still never gave him the chance he wanted. It was a problem I needed to work on.

Every penny Momma received from Daddy’s insurance went toward my football camp. A full scholarship to college was a dream—one that I had the chance of making a reality. So that was what I focused on.

Now here I was, on the number-one ranked college football team in the country, on the verge of winning the game that would bring us the national championship and glory. NFL scouts were everywhere, and I’d signed with an agent who also represented Devlin and a number of other college players, along with NFL superstars and Hollywood movie stars.

Life was fucking good.

We took the line at 2nd and goal, and I hovered on my toes, electricity surging through every vein in my body. I was ready to put this baby in the W column. If we made this touchdown, we’d be champions. We knew it, and the stadium rocked and rolled on our fever.

“Blue 22, Blue 22, hut, hut,” Devil shouted, and we broke. I raced to the five-yard line, shadowed by a defensive end, but as far as I was concerned, I was alone on the field, aside from Devil. The ball sailed straight into my arms, that familiar acceleration pushed my feet into overdrive, and I smashed through the tackle’s hold and drove into the end zone.

“Yeah, yeah! Whoo-hoo!” My teammate Dante Williams grabbed me and we hugged; then the rest of the team mobbed me and lifted me up in the air.

“Way to go, Blink. We did it,” Devlin yelled and put his hands under me, raising me higher. Ten of my teammates were touching me, yet I could only feel Dev’s hands on me. He cupped my ass, and shocked, I gazed into his laughing face and sparkling eyes. I slid down, and he engulfed me in a hug.

“We did it,” I mumbled into his shoulder.

“Yeah, we sure as hell did.” A teasing grin split his face. “Catch ya later, Blink.”

Our national championship assured, the press surrounded us, and Dev and I did interviews together and separately. Spotting Momma in the stands, I ran to her. “Momma, I can’t believe it!”

She leaned over and hugged me. “Baby, I always knew you could. Your daddy would be so proud.” Those last words were spoken in a whisper. As always, I teared up at any mention of my daddy.

Theo grabbed and hugged me. “Good for you. They robbed you of the Heisman. Now go sign them endorsement deals and make a ton of money.”

My smile was thin. “I’m always gonna do right by my momma.”

Theo frowned. “’Course you are. I know I ain’t your daddy, but I can still be damn proud of you. And I am. Always have been.”

My insides got all twisted up because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t let Daddy’s memory go. But I held out a hand to Theo, and we hugged again. Theo had been there for all the milestones in my life, never wavering in his support.

Sensing the tension, Momma squeezed my hand. “Brody’s gonna go celebrate with his friends. We’ll see him later. And he’s got that fancy New York agent now, like all those famous people. He’s smart, and he knows what to do.” She gave me another hug. “We’ll talk later. You go do what you gotta do and have the best night.”

“I will, Momma. Love you.”

The following hours were a whirlwind of more interviews and calls with Ezra Green, my agent.

“I’ll tell you exactly what I said to Devlin. Never accept the first good deal that comes your way. You came in third for the Heisman. You and Devlin are top picks—first round in the draft for sure. You’re gonna have plenty of choices, and I want to make sure you’re taken care of. At the moment, the last three teams to win division titles and the Super Bowl are waiting for my callbacks on their offers, plus some teams in their rebuilding phase that are willing to spend the big bucks.”

“Thanks, Ezra. I know my major is business, but I’m still confused reading through all of it.”

Laughter filled my ears. “That’s why you have me. My advice right now? Go out and celebrate with your team. I’m sure you’re gonna have a night you’ll never forget. There’s plenty of time to make the right decision.”

I took a shower and lay on the bed in my hotel room, reveling in the silence after all the hours of noise assaulting me from every direction. We’d been told by our coaches that if we won the championship, our lives would change in an instant, and I had a feeling we’d only seen the beginning. My phone was blowing up with texts from influencers, high school kids I hadn’t spoken to in years, companies offering endorsements, and tons of sexy DMs from half-naked girls. I checked the group chat with my friends on the team, and read that they’d started to gather at the hotel bar.

Lord, I was primed and ready to let loose for the night. Dressed in jeans and an Orange Bowl championship T-shirt, I took the elevator down to the lobby, where after signing autographs and taking pictures, I finally found my teammates. Dante stood up and pumped his fist, then megaphoned his hands.

“Blink. Sit that butt right here and have a drink.”

I squeezed in between Everett Hayes and Lovell Barton, two of the biggest and best tackles in college football. Both were also definitely on their way to the NFL in the first or second round. We bumped fists.

“Bro, you were the man . That catch was like threading the needle. How high did you jump? Damn.” Lovell—whose nickname was Lover because dude had a way with the ladies—lifted his beer. “Here’s to the draft.”

Everett—nicknamed Corvette or Vette for his speed—handed me a beer, and I took a long, sweet drink and licked my lips. “Damn, that was good.”

“Have another, choirboy.”

I peered over my shoulder and met Dev’s dancing green eyes. “Very funny. Aren’t you tired of teasin’ me?”

“Why, when it’s so much fun?”

I rolled my eyes and finished my beer.

Ever since Dev found out I went to church services the morning of every game, he’d teased me about it, but I didn’t care. I needed a bit of quiet time to get my head together before the ruckus began.

“Lemme in.” Dev edged his bulk between Lover and me.

“Dude, get your own seat,” Lover sputtered.

Dev put his lips to Lover’s ear and whispered something, and a wide grin broke across Lover’s face. “Really? Well, if that’s the case.” He rose and flipped his braids, then rubbed his hands together. “I’ll be seein’ you, jokers.” With a swagger, he walked away, straight to a beautiful woman sitting on a stool, her long legs crossed. He leaned against the bar and ordered a bottle of champagne. They toasted, and I shook my head.

“Leave it to Lover-boy.”

Dev sipped his beer and shifted closer. The hairs on my arms rose at his breath on my cheek. “What about you? You must have them lining up.” His lips moved closer. “Or are you too good a boy?”

I stared straight ahead, hoping to God Dev didn’t feel the shivers running through me. I was grateful I was sitting so no one could see the boner in my pants. “I do okay. Not like you, though.”

Devil Summers didn’t get his nickname only for giving hell to his opponents on the field. He was a ladies’ man who went through cheerleaders and beauty queens like grains of sand slipping through his fingers. I’d never seen him with the same girl twice on campus. And yeah, I looked.

That was why his attention earlier confused the hell out of me. Did he know I’d been crushing on him for the four years we’d played together? I thought I’d been discreet, but it was hard to keep my eyes from straying to that perfect body adorned with all those delicious tattoos. He was so fucking hot, and I would willingly set myself on fire for him.

“Well, stick by me, and I’ll give you some pointers.”

We spent the next two hours eating wings and drinking beer, which I wisely interspersed with water. Dev had left our table to make his rounds, and from the corner of my eye I saw him tucked into a booth, nuzzling a blond in a tight Blue Waves tank top and tiny Daisy Dukes. Fascinated, I had the vantage point to watch his hand cup her butt and knead it while she wiggled on his lap and kissed his neck. Blazing green eyes met mine, and he winked at me before teasing those long fingers up and down her thigh.

“Jesus.” I sucked in a breath but couldn’t stop staring. I don’t know what shocked me more—the fact that I was watching Devil fondle some girl, or that he never took his eyes off me. My heart pounded, and sweat broke out all over my body.

Finally, he bent to whisper in her ear, and she nodded with excitement and took out her phone. She took a slew of selfies, kissing his cheek and clinging to his neck. Several minutes of the photo fest went on, and then he gave her a slight push off his lap. Giggling, she ran off to her friends. Dev reached for his phone, and I tore my gaze away and gulped the rest of my water. God help me, all I could imagine was Devil’s big hands on me.

What the hell was going on? Dev was my teammate. And straight. We were friendly but not close friends, and we’d played together for four years. I’d never gotten a vibe from him.

“You okay?” Vette nudged my shoulder. “You’re all red.”

“Yeah. Just drinkin’ too fast, is all.”

Devil stood in the center of the room. About twenty of us from the team remained. “I’ve got reservations at the Hawk. My treat to the team. Move it or lose it.”

The Hawk was a unique restaurant for sure. An elegant steak house in the front with a decadent dance club in the back, it was set on expansive grounds, boasting firepits and several outdoor hot tubs. Guests could stay overnight in luxury cabins.

Vette whistled. “Damn. Guess it pays to have rich parents. The Hawk is the place down here.”

Dev frowned. “This is from me. It has nothing to do with them.” Without another word, he stormed off.

In our years playing together, Dev had rarely mentioned his parents. All we knew about the esteemed professors Summers was that they both taught at Ivy League universities—his father in Connecticut, his mother in New York City. Leonard Summers was a quantum physics professor, and Sandra Roan-Summers taught Medieval History and Classical Literature. Devil never let on if there was any family strife, but their absence from every single game for all four years—even this championship one in our senior year—spoke volumes. Despite his family issues, Dev kept a positive attitude. He wasn’t a bragger about his family’s money or how much he’d made from endorsements, but tonight it seemed he was willing to show it in a big way.

We all piled into the Sprinter vans waiting outside and took off down the highway. We finished off multiple champagne bottles, and by the time we arrived, all of us were a bit toasted. Dev waited for us outside and threw an arm around my shoulders as we were ushered to a private room with two long tables.

“Blink next to me ’cause he and I scored that winning touchdown. He’s my man tonight. Lover, you and Vette over there, and Dante, Trevor, and Purdy sit here.” Everyone took their seats while I processed Dev’s words that I was his man tonight.

If only.

Shit . How the hell was I supposed to sit for a whole meal with his thick, hairy thigh pressed to mine? Somehow, I managed to consume enough steak and potatoes to soak up all the alcohol, so by the time we moved to the club, I was steady on my feet.

“Let’s hit the club,” Dev yelled. “Anyone wants back to the hotel, the Sprinters are waiting. I’ve rented out cabins for those who wanna stay. Just ask Justine, the hostess.”

At least fifteen of us stayed.

The music was banging, and we took to the dance floor. I found myself a tall beauty whose dark skin glistened in the strobe lights. I ground into her, and she leaned in to kiss me. Her lips were soft and sweet, but they did nothing for me. My teammates catcalled us and clapped, but the more I tried, the less I was into it. All of a sudden, Dev joined us and pressed up against her while laying his hands on my hips. Again, those glittering eyes latched on to mine and voilà. My dick sprang to life.

“ Mmm , baby,” my dance partner purred. “That feels good. I wouldn’t mind taking both of you home.” She wiggled her ass into me while kissing Dev.

“Nah, baby. I don’t share,” Dev said. “I’m gonna get a drink.” With one searching gaze aimed at me, he walked away, and my desire vanished.

I gave my partner an apologetic smile. “I’m gonna take a break. It’s been a day.”

Disappointment marred her pretty eyes. “Okay. Find me later. I’ll be waiting.” A long red nail trailed under my chin, and she disappeared.

I felt bad but knew I’d be avoiding her the rest of the night. Bottle of beer in hand, I watched as one by one, my teammates hooked up or left, and then I wandered outside to sit by one of the firepits. Staring into the flames, I wondered if I’d ever be able to be myself. The loneliness was so damn crushing, and I wished I had someone to share the thrill of this win with.

Night rolled in, and the sky darkened from lavender to midnight blue. A thousand stars sprinkled above me, and in the forest behind us, an owl hooted. Footsteps sounded, and I looked up. Dev stood in front of me.

“Mind if I join you?”