27. Sam
27
SAM
Sam
T he door slams behind me as I lock Kim in her room. My chest heaves, and I can feel my pulse throbbing in my temples. What the fuck just happened? I came to share good news, and she hits me with this bullshit?
"You want to leave?" I growl, heading for my room. My fists clench and unclench at my sides. "After everything I've done for you?"
I slam the door behind me. With the anger pulsing through me, maybe I should have headed down to the gym instead — though if I spend any more time down there I might as well not ever leave.
The rage inside me builds, a volcano ready to erupt. How dare she? After everything I've done for her, everything I've given her, she wants to leave?
"Fuck!" I roar, grabbing the nearest object – a crystal decanter – and hurling it against the wall. It shatters spectacularly, shards of glass and droplets of amber liquid exploding outward.
The door flies open, and Kelsey rushes in, her eyes wide. "Mr. Warwick! Are you alright?"
I whirl on her, my chest heaving. "Does it look like I'm alright?"
Kelsey's gaze darts to the broken glass, then back to me. "What happened?"
"Kim," I spit out the name like it's poison. "She wants to leave."
Kelsey's brow furrows. "Leave? But... why? She has everything here."
"That's what I'd like to fucking know," I growl, resuming my pacing. "She was finally settling in, finally accepting her place here. She was happy, dammit!"
"She should be," Kelsey nods, her voice soft. "I mean, I'm happy here. And you take great care of her."
Her words only fuel my anger. I slam my fist against the wall, relishing the sharp pain that shoots through my knuckles. "Exactly! What more could she want? I've given her the world on a silver fucking platter!"
I think back to the last few days, how Kim had finally started to relax around me. The way she'd curl into me at night, the soft sighs she'd make when I touched her. The way that she lit up and begged me to claim her, use her, make her mine.
It was all falling into place, everything I'd dreamed of since I first laid eyes on her.
"What the fuck happened?" I mutter, more to myself than Kelsey.
"Maybe she's just confused," Kelsey offers. "This is all so new to her."
I shake my head, my jaw clenching. "No. She's not leaving. I won't let her."
"Of course not, Mr. Warwick," Kelsey agrees quickly.
I turn to face Kelsey, my eyes narrowing. "Make sure all the exits are secured. Change the codes if you have to. She's not going anywhere."
Kelsey nods, already backing towards the door. "I'll take care of it right away."
I stare at the mess of broken glass on the floor. It reminds me of how I feel inside – shattered, jagged, dangerous. But I'll be damned if I let Kim slip through my fingers. She's mine, and she always will be.
Before she leaves, Kelsey clears her throat, and I glare at her. "Your phone, Mr. Warwick. It's been ringing, and I know that with everything out… Well, sir, I just wanted to let you know."
She lays it on the dresser next to her, and I realize I must have left it in the gym. Then she turns and darts off. Kelsey is great at doing what I say, but she also knows when not to push me. It's one of the reasons I don't mind letting her stay here.
I stalk towards the phone, my jaw clenched so tight I can hear my teeth grinding. Xavier's name flashes on the screen, and I snatch it up, hitting redial.
"About fucking time," I growl as soon as he picks up.
"Sam, I've got news," Xavier's voice crackles through the speaker. "You're not gonna like it."
I bark out a harsh laugh. "When do I ever like anything someone has to tell me? Spit it out."
"It's Matthew Harley," Xavier says, and I feel my blood start to boil. "He's been running a steroid and drug ring for years. All signs point to him being the one who's been tampering with everything."
"That fucking piece of shit," I snarl, my free hand curling into a fist. "I knew there was something off about him. Should've trusted my gut and dealt with him sooner."
"Yeah, well, hindsight's 20/20," Xavier replies. "What matters now is what we do with this information."
I pace the room, my mind racing. "Send me everything you've got. Every last fucking detail, you hear me?"
"Already on it," Xavier says. "But Sam, be careful. This guy's been building connections since he was transferred."
"I don't give a shit if he's got the Pope on speed dial," I snap. "He's fucked with the wrong person."
"Just... don't do anything stupid, alright?" Xavier's voice is gruff and I hear typing in the background. "Play it smart."
I laugh, but there's no humor in it. "Oh, I'll play it smart alright. Smart enough to make sure that bastard never sees the light of day again."
"Sam-"
I cut him off. "Just send me the files, Xavier. I'll handle the rest."
I end the call. My mind is reeling with the implications of what Xavier's told me. Matthew Harley, that smug little shit, has been playing us all for fools. And now, he's about to learn what happens when you cross Sam Warwick.
A plan starts to form in my mind. I'll need to move carefully, but decisively. Then, my phone dings. First things first, though - I need to see those files.
I start digging through the files as they hit my inbox, each document more damning than the last. My fingers fly over the keyboard, uploading everything to a secure server. Matthew Harley's dirty laundry is about to be aired for the whole world to see.
"Kelsey!" I bark, not bothering to look up from my screen.
She materializes in the doorway. "Yes, Mr. Warwick?"
"Get me Coach and Joe on a conference call. Now."
"Right away, sir."
As Kelsey scurries off, I hit 'send' on the email I've hastily thrown together. The truth about Matthew Harley is about to spread across the internet like wildfire.
My phone buzzes. It's Barrett.
"Sam, what the hell is going on?" His gruff voice crackles through the speaker.
"Check your email, Coach. You too, Joe. I'm about to blow this whole thing wide open."
I hear the rapid-fire clicking of keys, then a sharp intake of breath from Joe. "Holy shit, Sam. Is this for real?"
"As real as it gets, boys. Harley's been running a steroid ring right under your noses."
"But how did you-" Coach starts.
I cut him off. "Doesn't matter how. What matters is that it's out there now. The whole world knows what that piece of shit's been up to."
"Sam," Joe says, his voice low and serious. "This is big. Like, career-ending big."
"Yeah, for Harley," I snarl. "He tried to frame me, ruin my reputation. Now he's gonna learn what happens when you fuck with Sam Warwick."
There's a moment of stunned silence on the line.
"Look," I continue, my voice hard as steel. "I've sent everything to the league office and several press sites as well. Harley's going down, and he's going down hard."
"Jesus, Sam," Coach mutters. "You don't do anything by halves, do you?"
I let out a harsh laugh. "You know me, Coach. Go big or go home."
"What do you want us to do?" Joe asks.
"Nothing. Just sit back and watch the fireworks. I've got this handled."
I end the call, a grim smile playing on my lips. Harley thought he could take me down? He's about to learn just how wrong he was.
I'm still basking in the satisfaction of exposing Matthew's dirty laundry when Kelsey bursts back into the room, her face pale and eyes wide with panic.
"Mr. Warwick," she gasps, her voice trembling. "It's Kim. She's... she's gone."
The words hit me like a bucket of ice water. "What do you mean, gone?" I growl, my hands clenching into fists.
Kelsey takes a step back, her eyes darting nervously around the room. "I went to check on her for dinner, but her room was empty. I've looked everywhere, sir. She's nowhere in the house."
"That's impossible," I snarl, pushing past her and striding down the hallway. "I locked her in myself."
I reach Kim's room in seconds, throwing the door open with enough force to make it bounce off the wall. The room is exactly as I left it, except for one glaring detail – no Kim.
"Fuck!" I roar, slamming my fist against the doorframe. The pain barely registers through the red haze of fury clouding my vision.
I whirl on Kelsey, who's hovering nervously behind me. "How the hell did she get out? I told you to secure all the exits!"
"I did, Mr. Warwick," Kelsey stammers. "I changed all the codes just like you said. I don't understand how-"
"Well, clearly you missed something," I snap, cutting her off. "Check the security footage. Now!"
As Kelsey scurries off, I survey the room, looking for any clue as to how Kim might have escaped. I'll figure it out and when I do, I will get my little dancer back. She's not going anywhere.