Chapter 10 #2
“That kid was a year weaker than you are right now. He’d suffered some shit, yeah—a lot of shit, actually. But he had no idea what he was about to face and how much his life was going to be tipped upside down.”
“Drew, I—”
Drew’s hands gripped Tate’s arms tighter, his knees bending until they were both eye to eye.
“That kid had the courage of ten thousand Jacob Hoves. That kid had brass balls to waltz into the lions’ den and try to steal from them, so don’t tell me you can’t go out there, play your heart out, and steal your future from anyone else’s hands.
Don’t you stand here and stutter in front of me and tell me or Ayda that you can’t handle this motherfucking weasel who’s trying to rattle both your cages.
” He paused, keeping his eyes on Tate as he mumbled at me, “Sorry, Ayda.”
I smiled, not acknowledging his apology for swearing, or interrupting his talk with Tate.
“I will have your back. Ayda will have your back. Every single man out there in that Hut will have your back. You know why?”
Tate cleared his throat and shuffled from one foot to the other before he clenched his jaw and shook his head once, raising his chin.
“Because you are a Hound now. You may not have the patch on your chest, but you’re a part of this family.
This family rides and dies as one, and we stick together like glue.
If Jacob gives you shit out on the field, you suck it up, or you choose to handle it.
That’s up to you. I ain’t here to tell you to be a good boy.
Lord knows I can’t preach to anyone. But if you have a shitty day out there in Babylon, when you come home, we’ll be here waiting to make it better.
The world ain’t easy, Tate. You’re gonna get a million Jacobs try to piss you the fuck off in life, especially if you do get the patch on your chest one day.
I can’t think of a better person for you to handle than that fucking runt. ”
“He’s right, Tate. The only damage Jacob can do is what you allow him to. None of us are going to sit back and let him run you down and bench you. You’re the best player on a small Texas team. You think anyone in this town will let him get away with that? He pushes you, you push back.”
“I know I have some power here. I also know all y’all will have my back, but there’s only so much we can do until I get suspended for disrespect. Jacob used to be someone on this team.”
“Believe me, he could never have kept up with you, even when he was your age,” I said, pushing up onto my tiptoes to ruffle his hair.
“Play your best and play your hardest. He comes down hard on you for no reason and we’ll get that shit sorted out.
He’s not going to get in the way of your scholarships. I won’t let him.”
Tate looked between Drew and I before nodding, one of his hands rising to squeeze the back of his neck. Even Libby looked relieved when he blew all the air from his lungs and squared his shoulders.
“Hound for life,” he mumbled quietly, his big body swaying as Drew slapped his arm and released him.
I hoped to hell that we could keep our word on this.
Tate had worked so hard on the field—on and off-season—to keep himself as fit and ready as he could.
Even some of the Hounds had taken to working out with him most days, running a couple of miles in the mornings.
Since the season had ended, some of them rode to the stadium in the evenings to play with him.
Everyone seemed to understand just how much it meant to me—and Tate—to see him follow this dream through before he followed the dream of becoming a Hound.
Taking a deep breath, I nodded and smiled at him before I turned my attention back to Drew.
He pushed both hands into his jeans’ pockets, giving me that almost smile he was famous for—the one that said so many things to me without saying a word at all. I could tell even he was kinda proud of the way we’d both handled the situation with Tate.
“Hound for life,” Drew repeated quietly, nodding Tate’s way even though his eyes were on me.
“For life,” I mouthed at Drew and held his gaze for a moment longer before turning my eyes to my kid brother. “When do you think they’ll bring him in?”
“If he’s already accepted, they’ll probably ease him in to work with coach until the end of the school year. He may take over full-time before then if he’s comfortable.”
“He’s the most arrogant son of a bitch I know,” I said, rolling my eyes. “So it will be sooner rather than later. His pride won’t stand by and let him take orders from coach for too long. He’ll learn the ropes and push him out.”
“This is gonna suck,” Tate grumbled, dropping to the bed and reaching behind him to where Libby was now pressing herself against his back in support.
“We’re all going to be here to back you up,” Libby said, grinning up at me. “I’m pretty sure we can do some damage without lifting a damn finger.”
Drew hissed as he sucked in a breath, cringing and scrunching his eyes up before he turned back to face Tate. “Speaking of damage…”
Tate and Libby both looked up at Drew, their eyes wide and waiting.
“May as well lay all our shit down while we’re dishing out the bad news.
” Drew blew out a breath and raised his brows, rocking back on his feet.
“I may have already lifted a finger.” He paused.
“Or five. Hard. Against Jacob’s head. Smashing it down onto the counter at Rusty’s.
Pretty much cutting off his air supply for a good few minutes. ”
Tate’s eyes widened even farther, his teeth grinding together as he studied Drew’s face.
“Bit of a miscommunication kinda thing.” Drew shook his head, feigning breeziness. “Sure he’ll have forgotten it already.”
I laughed casually and leaned my head against Drew’s shoulder.
“Jacob baited everyone in that diner, and I wouldn’t put it past him to try the same with you, Tate.
He’s going to use me, Drew, Libby, and the whole damn club to try and get a reaction from you, but you can’t bite.
You react first—you lay a single finger on him, and you’re off the team.
It’s a zero-tolerance team and he’ll know it.
He starts with that shit, you walk away.
I don’t care what he says to provoke you. You got me?”
Tate’s eyes widened, his fingers running along Libby’s arm where it was hung casually over his shoulder.
I could tell he wanted to argue, that he wanted to be the one to shut Jacob up, but he also knew I was right.
If he lifted one finger in anger to Jacob, his football career would be over.
The only other option would be to move so he could attend another district, and that was just impossible.
“Walk away?” he parroted. “A, I know how bad he can be. You know what he was like when I was a kid. When you weren’t around…” He shook his head. ”It doesn’t matter, does it? He’s screwed me.”
“No. I don’t care how it looks. He gives you a hard time, you come to Drew or me.”
Drew pulled a hand out of his pocket, balling it into a fist and holding it in the air with a smirk plastered on his face.
“Happy to miscommunicate a bit more if I have to. But you won’t need me to.
You’re going to show him you don’t care.
If he tries to talk bad about me, you don’t care.
If he bad mouths Ayda, you don’t care. It takes the power away from him.
You take away that power and people like him have nothing.
Not a single thing.” Drew pulled on the edges of his cut, rolling his shoulders before he turned to look at me.
“Now I think I should get out of here before I say something I shouldn’t.
Things are going pretty well. I don’t want to be the guy who shoves his foot in his mouth.
Time for you to take over, darlin’.” He winked.
With a small nod of thanks, I whispered the words I love you after he kissed my temple and backed toward the door, leaving Tate, Libby, and I alone again. Before the mood became too somber, I play punched Tate in the shoulder Libby wasn’t occupying and smiled down at him.
“Could be worse,” I said.
“How do you figure?”
I smiled and grabbed for the controller he’d dropped on the bed behind him. “Jacob could have been a complete angel with not a mark to his name. I have a lot of history on that man that will make good ammunition if we need to use it.”
“Like what?”
I smiled and sank down to the cushions again, folding my legs under me. “You two eat, I’ll talk.”