The Unbreakable (Ghost #3)

Chapter 49

"Thanks." Lia grins, leaning up for a kiss.

"That was the weirdest shit I've seen you do... this month." Simon laughs, staring at me wide-eyed as I get back in line.

"What? Lia can't do it herself with her arm immobilized." I shrug offhandedly.

"Don't tell me you're the one that did her hair..." James teases with a smirk.

"Who else?" I smirk back. I'm not even a bit ashamed of being able to braid my girl's hair. Some guys would frown at this and say it's not manly, but I think that a real man doesn't balk at something as simple as helping his woman do her hair.

"Alright, enough chatting. – Coach interrupts our exchange – Get back to work. Warm up!" He commands, blowing the whistle.

Oh boy, it's going to be a loooong practice.

Lia

"So, Cookie, what the hell happened to you?" Justin asks as soon as we're both sitting in the booth. Coach is on the field with the guys, so we can talk freely.

"I got caught by that asshole... - I sigh - Now that I think about it, it was partly my fault for being stupid. I was summoned to testify in Evan's case, you know, about the drugs, but it was a trap. I should've known better than to go there alone, but I didn't suspect the whole thing to be a set-up..."

"You mean... that guy?! – Justin gasps in shock – He was the one that did this to you?!"

"Partly. He had a cop working with him; that's how he got out after being arrested in Chicago and that's how he found me. That cop blames me for his son's death, but that's a completely different story and it's quite fucked up, so I won't go into that. Anyway, since he thinks it's my fault that his son died, he's decided to make me pay for it and beat me up while I was unconscious."

"Fucking hell... Hold on, you refer to that fucker in past tense, but when you talk about the cop, you use present tense..."

"That's cause that fucker is dead and the cop isn't. Yet." I quietly tell him so no one can hear me.

"How did..." Justin trails off.

"I went full vampire on him. – he frowns in confusion at this – I bit off a chunk of his neck."

"You're kidding!" He exclaims in shock, getting the team's attention. I only wave it off.

"Quiet! They don't know!" I admonish.

"Sorry. But... wow. I got to say, you're something else." He breathes out.

"Thanks, I guess." I shrug. "Now your turn. What's going on with those drugs? Did the cops tell you anything?" I question. I better not catch Evan anytime soon or I'll beat him to a pulp for getting the team and my Cakey in trouble.

"Not really, but from what I saw when I went to give them the stuff, it's not only your linebacker that was involved in that shit. I caught a few of your players also locked up. I didn't bother asking about any details, cause it's not really my business, but from what I heard, they're facing some serious charges."

"Good. They deserve all the punishment they'll get for getting everyone in trouble. I mean, the team even got suspended from the nationals because of them! Blake should be fine, cause he's just a sophomore and will have another chance to play, but what about the seniors? They won't be able to play next year. They won't get a chance to show off their skills to recruiters or anything."

"Not necessarily..." Justin wonders out loud and I frown at him questioningly.

"What do you mean?"

"Just because they're not in the championships anymore doesn't mean they can't get noticed, Cookie. I can talk to Cole and ask him to reach out to his friends from NFL and see if they could come see your guys play. I'll even ask our coach about arranging a game with your team again." I stare at Justin wide-eyed and absolutely stunned.

"You'd do that?"

"Of course. It's no problem. And we both know Cole will agree to anything the moment you're mentioned." I laugh at this. It's true. Cole always has my back.

"That'd be awesome. I'll talk to the coach and see if he's down for it. You know, with recent developments the team lost a few players, so the guys may need a bit time to adjust to their new lineup." I glance pointedly at the guys on the field.

"True. – Justin nods – No hurry, though. We have all the time we need."

"Thanks, Justin." I turn to him and wrap my good arm around his neck. He puts his arms gently around my waist, careful on my arm between us.

"Don't mention it, Cookie. You're family." He hugs me for a moment before we pull away. "I don't want your man beating me up for touching you." He chuckles when I look at him questioningly, pointing his thumb to the field where I see Blake standing with his fists clenched by his sides.

"Give me a moment, I have to go smooth his ruffled feathers." I laugh as I get up from the bench. I go straight to my Cakey, smiling at him lovingly.

"Jelly Cakey. – I put my arm around his waist and hold him close – You look like you want to kill someone."

"Why was he hugging you?" Blake complains, wrapping his arms tightly around me.

"I hugged him first because I wanted to thank him for something." I bat my lashes at him, knowing it works every time.

"Fine. – he grumbles sulkily – I'll let it go only because I trust you." He leans down and gives me a deep kiss, not minding the whole team watching us.

My cute Caveman Jelly Cakey. He's so adorable.