Chapter 40 #2
Eva cuts off my thoughts again. “Your reporter started sniffing too close. I knew I could get to her, maybe scare her, maybe make her disappear.” She shrugs like it’s no big deal.
“I figured she’d be afraid, she’d back off you and leave ghosts where they belong.
” She smirks. “But I should’ve known better.
She fell for you, and Saint Nik came charging in to save the day. Always the golden boy.”
I stare her down, hands fisted. I won’t give her the satisfaction of being worried.
“Dad thought if you found out what he and I did, you’d never forgive him.”
I erupt. “But you did it! You made him think he was in deep when it was just you using him to benefit yourself!” I take a deep breath. “I would have given you money. I would have helped you both start whatever you wanted.”
“I didn’t want it from you!” she explodes, losing her cool but immediately tucking it away, gaining her composure, like always. “Dad didn’t want to be cut out. I assured him he’d always have a place with me, but that wasn’t enough. He wanted to be with you. On the field with you.”
“What did you do?” I ask dangerously low, thoughts beginning to swarm my mind about where Dad is now.
“I gave him an incentive to take a trip.” She sneers.
“Did you hurt him?”
She waves her hand. “Oh, come on now, I’d never hurt a fly, Nik.” Her eyes flash. “A snitch, maybe, but not a fly.”
I shake my head, tears sting my eyes as I look between her and Noelle. I have no idea how to end this without anyone getting hurt.
Her heels tip tap on the floor as she walks toward me. “We did well, building your brand on being perfect.” She grins. “But eventually, perfection snaps. So, how much is it worth to you to keep this perfect little life of yours?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You’re on the road to the Super Bowl, Nik.
Imagine those headlines. Your little girlfriend could write them for you.
” She slashes her hand through the air. “Star Rookie almost gets a ring. Star Rookie chokes just like in college. Can’t you already see it?
Then, next season, you get a do-over. Rewrite that narrative, Nik. Become the star, save your team.”
I stutter. “You’re insane. You want me to throw a professional game now?”
She shrugs nonchalantly. “I mean, you’re a rookie. It’s expected that you’ll get nervous and drop passes. I’ve seen it before.” She gives me a smug grin, and it makes my blood boil.
Noelle makes another sound behind the gag, desperate, and the sight of her struggling in that chair rips the hesitation from me. Eva’s still gloating as she watches me watch Noelle.
She’s my sister. Part of me wants to shake her until she remembers who we used to be.
Summers spent at the pool, fall Sundays spent at the field, lazy Saturdays watching cartoons, even though she was too old for the crap I used to watch.
She still sat with me, the ten years between us not meaning a damn thing. We were just sister and brother.
Another part wants to agree to anything she says before she hurts anyone else. She’s wrapped up in something she can’t get out of. Money has made her into someone I no longer recognize.
Dad’s face flashes in my mind—his pride, his guilt—and my heart breaks in my chest, not knowing how anything played out. Noelle’s muffled cry cuts through it, sharper than anything. She’s the one who matters right now, saving her matters.
“So, what’s it going to be, brother? Ready to make a deal?”
“Let Noelle go. She’s got nothing to do with this; she hasn’t written the article. She served your purpose of getting me here; now let her go.”
Eva laughs. “Oh, Nik, always saving someone else. But who’s saving you?”
I stand frozen, unsure of which way to move, uncertain of which answer to give.
“Eva!” Rhett barks out. “Company!”
There’s commotion behind me, and I look, seeing Dante walk in with two of his other security guards from the club.
Eva begins to laugh. “Can’t ever travel alone, can you?
” But when I see a fourth man enter and walk around the three of them, my blood runs cold.
I almost can’t believe my eyes as they track the man who has been only a memory to me for the last three years.
“Dad?”
I hear Eva gasp, but she doesn’t say anything. And I’m too busy to care as I watch my dad, the man who disappeared on us, the man I thought failed our family, failed me, walk to the middle of the room and stand between my sister and me.
He looks so much older, even though it’s only been three years. His hair is grey, and there are wrinkles around his eyes. He looks tired and defeated.
“Yia sou, gie mou.” Hi, son. It’s something I never thought I’d hear again. His voice gives me the chills. I can’t take my eyes off of him, afraid that if I do, he’ll disappear again.
“I-wha-what are you doing here?” I stutter, not able to piece anything together.
“What the fuck is this, Eva?” Rhett angrily throws his hands toward my dad and around the room. “I didn’t sign up for this. You wanted me to bring her here. I didn’t know it was going to be a fucking family reunion.” He points at her. “I’m out. I don’t want anything to d–”
My sister reacts so fast that no one sees it coming.
In two steps, she pulls something from behind her back and hits Rhett in the face with it.
Blood shoots from his mouth, and he immediately falls to the ground, cradling his face.
Noelle screeches as he knocks her chair over, and she hits the ground hard.
In a second, Eva has turned, pointing the gun she just hit Rhett with and aiming at us. Behind me, I hear the unmistakable sound of a series of sharp clacks that signal Dante and his guards are armed and ready.
“You don’t want to do that, sweetheart.” My dad's undeniable voice is calm and collected as he speaks to my sister. “No one’s getting hurt today.”
“Why are you here?” Eva lashes out.
“Because it’s time I stop running.”
My sister sneers and walks closer. “You’re playing a dangerous game here, old man.”
Dad watches her every move, but begins to speak.
“I never stopped following you two since the day you forced me to leave. I knew I had to go; I had to follow your orders in order to protect you both. But I waited and watched for every press release that came out. I knew when you went to a certain restaurant, and I wished I could be there eating with you. I saw you both together on Draft Night. Your mother looked so proud, and I wanted nothing more than to be standing there beside her.”
He steps closer to Noelle as she lies still on the floor, eyes wide.
He’s the only one in the room who moves.
“But I had to wait for the right time. I had to figure out how things would play out. I couldn't just show up after the newspapers had made me a deadbeat dad. I couldn’t show up after disappearing after that sophomore game, once you made the draft. I’d look like I was after money, and you wouldn't have believed otherwise.
“I admit I made a ton of mistakes. So many mistakes while you were growing up.” He turns to my sister. “And what's worse is that I know my actions are what brought all of this on. My need for money drove a need in you that became bitter and controlling."
“You don’t know what I need. You never did, you were always so focused on him!” She stands taller. “So I made my own way.”
“I know you did. And you’re amazing at it, but there’s no room for this.”
They hold each other's stares for a moment before Dad walks over to Noelle. She’s pushed herself away from the chair, but her hands are still bound.
He slowly helps her into a sitting position.
He turns his back on Eva, and I’m ready to attack if she even blinks.
Rhett slides back, watching all of us. As Dad helps Noelle stand, he says, “It wasn’t Noelle getting close to uncovering anything.
Sure, she found some articles and filed some information requests, but things were getting back to you, Eva, because I did it.
I had to use this opportunity to try to get through to Nik.
” He looks to me now, slowly undoing the gag on Noelle.
It falls away and the sight of dried blood and a fat lip makes me want to blow this entire room up.
My fists clench and my body shakes, but Dad just stands besideNoelle and faces Eva once more.
“I wanted Nik to know what happened, and I wanted you scared about it. I knew you’d go to the end of the world to cover it, I just never thought you were capable of this.
Though, after how you chased me away, I guess I could see it. ”
Eva looks stunned, but then she slips back into professional mode.
“I’ll spin this little return. I’ll make everything stick: the thrown game, the money, the bets.
Then I’ll say you were after it all, that you and Nik had a plan to overthrow my career and take everything from me.
” She laughs and shakes her head. “No one will believe you. I'll show the tape, Nik. You’ve seen it; you know I’ve got it. ”
Dante steps up. “You’re not threatening anyone.” He nods his head toward Stone. “We’ve got it all on tape, every last one of your confessions. And don’t think for a second we won’t blow it all up.”
“You won't do that to Nik. He’ll be ousted from the league,” Eva spits.
“Stop recording.” Dante barks the order, and we all watch as Stone taps a barely there wire leading to an earpiece.
Dante begins to speak in a cool, yet powerful tone.
Every word hits like a punch, driving home the fact he’s in control here, not her.
“Nik Papas doesn’t exist at night, Eva. You should have known that.
There’s one thing you taught your brother: to always be a step ahead.
And once he started doubting you, I knew I had to take that step for him.
” Dante walks toward her, still with the gun raised.
“See, the Nik I know wouldn't ever turn on his sister; he’d never use you like you used him. The Nik I know lives with guilt for what he’s done, and I know if he could take it back, he would.
The Nik I know had to adapt; he had to live the life you forced him into.
“You threatened your dad, said the crew would come for him, kill him. He had no idea you were that crew with empty threats. You were playing kingpin, but I’m the real deal. And I made the calls to find out what really happened.
“Your dad’s right. No one gets hurt tonight.
That’s not my way of doing business. So you have two choices.
You walk from here, and you continue with your lifestyle and your job.
You have a lucrative empire. You give me every piece of evidence you have, and you never speak of or threaten your family again.
Or, you disappear. Just like you made your dad do, only I’ll be the one who chooses where you go. ”