Chapter 1 #2
Dr. Smithson gave me an understanding look, then continued with his update.
“It’ll be a long road to recovery for Miles.
But for now, we’ve done what we can to get him out of immediate danger.
He’ll be kept in a medically induced coma until the swelling in his brain comes down, and then he’ll need to start an extensive rehabilitation.
Miss Fearly, your brother is lucky to be alive, but he may never walk again.
” Guilt flooded through me, but the doctor was still talking, and I knew I needed to concentrate.
Despite telling myself that, my eyes flickered down the corridor to where Jared was still on his call. He seemed tense and angry, his eyes on me while he spoke to the person on the other line. Whatever he was dealing with, it couldn’t be as bad as this.
When I refocused, the doctor was talking about future surgeries Miles was going to need.
He’d broken more bones than I could even name, and lots of them would need to be joined with steel pins.
My brother was in for a hard road ahead, that was for sure.
But then Dr. Smithson said something that made my blood run cold.
“What did you say?” I snapped, jerking my gaze back to the middle-aged doctor.
His brows raised slightly. “I asked, is it common for him to pull a stunt like that while under the influence of cocaine? I apologize for asking, but we ran a standard screening panel. We have to for treatment. He tested positive for cocaine and alcohol. Is he a habitual user? My niece is a fan of the ClikByter NoFear…” He trailed off, shaking his head.
“I’m sorry, that was inappropriate. Let’s focus on your brother. “
My hand snapped out, and I grabbed his sleeve before he could walk away. I shook my head in denial. “That can’t be right. Miles doesn’t do drugs. He would never do stunts under the influence of anything. We don’t need it. The adrenaline is better than any chemical on the market.”
The doctor shrugged. “Maybe for you it is, but there’s no mistaking cocaine for anything else. He was definitely under the influence at the time of the fall.” He left me then, and I needed to drop back into my chair to keep from face-planting on the floor.
Miles had been doing coke? Since when? Why? He wasn’t that stupid. Not when we were filming a stunt.
Then, the pieces clicked together in my brain.
The shady way Rich had taken off when the ambulances showed up.
His sketchy behavior and out-of-control temper.
The fight last night. Fuck. Fuck! Rich had left our argument and gone partying with my brother.
Then they’d both turned up to our stunt still under the influence.
Jesus Christ. I hadn’t almost killed my brother…Rich had.
My fingers curled into fists, and my blood boiled with anger. I’d fucking murder him. Rich was a dead man walking. He goddamn knew better.
“Noah,” Jared called out, striding back toward me. “We need to talk about Olympus.”
My brows furrowed in a scowl. “What? Now? No, sorry, Jared. No. This isn’t the time or the place. Miles was—”
“Yes, Noah,” he cut me off. “Now.” Jared was tense and anxious, his brow beading with perspiration.
I just shook my head. In order for Olympus to compete in the Clik Games, they needed eight members, but their little brotherhood of dude-bros was only five.
They needed three more to round out their team, and they weren’t willing to recruit just anyone.
They wanted the best—which they’d made crystal clear when they offered me one of those places.
A spot I’d already declined several times. It was also the cause of my argument with Rich.
“Jared, I told you: I’m not fucking interested.
All Olympus is good for is flexing for the camera and creating thirst traps.
I’m better than that, and I’m better than them.
” My tone was firm, my refusal loaded with disgust. Although each member of Team Olympus was uniquely talented in their own way, they’d opted to cash in on their sex appeal instead.
It wasn’t good enough to just film a BMX trick jump; they had to do it shirtless, with their rippling abs on display, and throw a flirty wink at the camera as they landed. Total sellouts.
Jared sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, well, that was before Miles fell off a construction site owned by Sonny Flickman. Now they have the names behind NoFear, and they’re threatening to come after you for the Snake Creek accident.”
My jaw fell open. Sonny Flickman was the owner of Team Olympus—told you they were all sellouts—but he also owned most of the locations we chose for our stunts. It was a quiet middle finger to the Olympus Group, and now it was coming back to bite us in the ass.
The incident in question was an innocent cliff dive from the rocks above Snake Creek, into the water below.
Miles, Rich, and I had done it for fun, not even as a planned stunt.
But a couple of weeks later, some kids tried to replicate it, and they died.
Their parents sued Olympus Group, because they owned the land and someone needed to be held accountable.
The fences around that area of Snake Creek had been damaged, and my video had pointed the kids right to the place they could get through.
In our defense, we had sent an email to Olympus Group prior to posting the video, explaining the fence damage and suggesting they get it fixed. Stupidly, we thought we’d done enough, but our email went unanswered, and concerns were apparently unactioned.
“They can’t do that,” I croaked. “We did nothing wrong. Those kids—”
“It doesn’t matter, Noah,” Jared snapped, exasperated. “They’re threatening to sue you and Miles for all the break-ins, all the trespassing, and for reckless endangerment over Snake Creek. Whether they win or lose, it won’t matter. You’ll both have your names dragged through the mud.”
I could hardly even believe what I was hearing. “Unless I join their fucking team.”
Jared nodded. He looked just as furious as I was. “Same offer as they put on the table yesterday,” he added quickly, “but with a new condition.”
I swallowed heavily. “Do I even want to know?”
He gave me a grim look. “If you break your contract and leave the team before or during the Clik Games, they’ll pursue their charges against both you and Miles.
What they aren’t saying directly but implying heavily is that it will also open you up to personal damage lawsuits.
They could bankrupt you, your brother, and your mother. They could go after every dime.”
Fuck me. I ran my fingers through my long, white-blond hair, trying to wrap my brain around everything that was happening. First Rich, then Miles, now…this.
“Clik Games run for six months,” I said quietly. “They want me to help them win, then I’m free to go? Just like that?”
Jared jerked a nod. “Six-ish, depending on challenge stages. I’ll ensure the contract is airtight. You compete with Olympus in the Clik Games, then you walk away with an eighth of the winnings, and all charges and liability will be forgotten. I’ll get a waiver from them.”
“The waiver clears Miles, and we get an NDA that they can’t out his identity?”
The last thing I wanted to do was think about all of this, but they weren’t leaving me much choice. I didn’t care about me so much, but Mom…and Miles…
I could do this for them. The opening ceremony for the Games was in five months.
Five months to do my research on all my potential competition and make my peace with working on a team of arrogant, narcissistic, egotistical man-whores.
Then another six months to win the Clik Games.
Based on what Dr. Smithson had said, Miles wouldn’t even be finished with his rehab by the time I was released from my Olympus contract.
“What if we don’t win?” I asked, picking at a loose thread on my hoodie. “Will I be screwed over by Sonny Dickman and his merry band of crooks?”
Jared sagged in relief. “I’ll insist on a contract clause to see that doesn’t happen. You’ll try your best to win, but that’s all they can ask.”
“Fine,” I muttered, feeling a pall settle over my soul, even though both Jared and I knew I’d never let Miles take the blame for my mistakes. “Make the deal. For Miles.”
Jared nodded, even though I could tell he wasn’t happy about the situation either. “There’s one other thing, Noah.”
I gave a bitter laugh, swiping at my still-damp cheeks. “Of course there is. Just spit it out. Today can’t get much worse.”
He gave me a grimace. “You have to move into the house and participate in their streaming channel content. It’s one of the contract points they absolutely wouldn’t budge on.”
“As who?” I stared at Jared. “Norah freaking Sparkles? That would cause absolute chaos in a team like that! Their fans are—”
“No,” my manager cut me off, shooting me a look of sympathy. “They want NoFear. Their team is all guys, and they want it to stay that way, in line with their brand. You have to be Noah.”
“I’m not following you, Jared. Spell it out like I’m an idiot.” Because right now I felt like one.
He gave a small grimace. “Noah…it’s an all-male team, and I get the impression that they incorrectly assumed you were male, thanks to your name. I’ve since cleared that fact up, but they’re insisting.”
I stared at him for a long pause, trying to make it make sense. “They…want me to pretend to be a dude? Am I understanding you correctly? And the team is all okay with this?”
Jared shook his head. “Not exactly. But Olympus management is, and they’re the ones holding all the cards right now. And you’re dead right that Olympus fans would riot if Norah Sparkle suddenly moved into the house.”
“For six months? Live as—” I wasn’t sure who was more insane, Team Olympus’s management for insisting, Jared for bringing it to me, or me for considering it. “So they reveal NoFear as Noah the dude…” Then what he’d just said clicked in my head. “Wait, what? Moving into the house?”
My manager winced and shrugged. “Sorry. It’s nonnegotiable.”
Oh, look at that. Just when I thought the day couldn’t possibly implode any more than it already had, Jared delivered the icing on a shit cake.
I was moving to Mount Olympus.