The Rules We Break (The Alphaletes Book 4), page 27
I feel Sage trying to pull him off me before he swings back and hits her across the face. My vision instantly goes white. Not red. Not black. Blinding fucking white. Swinging my head forward, I headbutt him across the bridge of the nose, causing the thing to crack in a sickening way as I fight like a wild animal, punching, kicking, and hitting him anywhere I can.
“You piece of fucking shit!” I roar as I continue my assault.
Alec, in a daze, shakes it off as he spits a glob of blood into my face and smiles.
“Say good night, pretty boy,” before pressing a cool metal barrel against my temple.
I feel panic run through me, not at the fact that there is a gun to my head, that these may be my last moments, but because I don’t know what will happen to Sage once he kills me. I won’t be able to save her, to protect her. The thought of what would come next for her is far more terrifying than the lights going out for me.
“Good night,” Seb’s deep vibrato sounds out from above us as he holds the gun to Alec’s head.
He freezes just as the sound of sirens ring out in the late-night air.
’Bout fucking time.
In seconds, Slater and Declan along with a couple of police officers are running into the backyard before taking over Sebastian’s spot. Alec stares at me in a menacing way that is completely unhinged, but I don’t give a fuck about him.
Sage practically jumps on me in the next minute as she runs her fingers over my face and begins patting my body down for injuries.
“You stupid, stupid man. What the hell were you thinking? Who do you think you are, Liam Neeson?”
I let out a laugh that hurts a little as I wrap my arm around her.
“The A-team, babygirl.”
“More like the C-team. He was kicking your ass.”
Scoffing at that, I shake my head as I look up into those watery purple eyes. Blood is smeared across her face, bruising already blooming across her cheek.
“I’m so sorry I let this happen,” I say ashamedly.
“Sorry? You’re a rich, pretty boy, NFL player who just busted into a biker gang hideout to save me. You’re so fucking dumb, but I love you so much for it.”
She presses her lips against mine before laying fully on top of me. I wrap my arms tightly around her, vowing to never let her out of my sight again however unrealistic that may seem. At the very least, I never want to spend a day without her. She so quickly became my whole world, and I know I could never fucking function without her, and I hope to God I never have to.
Her tongue tangles against my own as we deepen the kiss when I hear Slater speak.
“Fuck, think we’re gonna get thank you kisses like that when they’re done? I think I’ll have to call Scarlett to get permission first.”
I tear my mouth away from hers, practically growling at him.
“Fuck off!”
Slater and Declan chuckle while Seb just rolls his eyes and shakes his head. Several more police cars show up and even a few paramedics. Slater is sporting the start of a nice black eye, and I have a few marks myself, but out of all of us, Sage looks to be the worst off which fills me with an insurmountable amount of guilt.
They patch her up as best as they can while we gave our statements but told us she needed to go to the hospital for some scans just in case. The cops promise that Alec will be locked up for a long time, but I’m not taking any chances. I’m going to be making some calls and ensuring the best possible prosecutor is on the case, no matter the cost.
When we are all free to go, Sage and I go to get into the ambulance while the guys get into the car, each giving her a tender hug before they leave. Slater and Declan hug me before making their way to the car. Seb pats my shoulder and tries to move past when I stop him.
“Hey.”
He turns as I hold out my hand for him. He pauses for a moment, staring at it before he slowly takes it, shaking my hand before I pull him into a hug. He slaps my back as I slap his, and we stay like that for several seconds before he pulls away.
“Thank you, man.”
He nods. “I got you, Trev.”
That does something to me, heals a once-broken bond, one that I broke. The thing is about breaks, they never grow back the same, but sometimes they grow back stronger.
Seb gets into the car, and they slowly drive away as I get into the ambulance, where Sage is already waiting for me. I come to sit next to her when she reaches out for my hand.
“T-thank you, for coming for me. I didn’t want you to. I wanted you to keep yourself safe, but if you hadn’t, I—”
“Hey, hey, shhh,” I say as I get down on my knees to be beside her. “There isn’t a reality where I wouldn’t ever come for you. You’re mine, Raven, and I’m never letting go.”
Trevor
The roar of a crowd at a Super Bowl is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. Some people wait their whole lives to experience one, whether as a fan, a coach, or a player. Others have been blessed to experience multiples, like me. Either blessed or incredibly talented. I think both fit the bill personally.
We miraculously won the NFC championship, by a single fucking point, despite me, Declan, Seb, and Slater all being temporarily suspended for our ‘questionable actions’ the Monday night before the game. With enough explanation, testimonies from the police, and a phone call from each of our lawyers, the committee allowed us to be reinstated for the Super Bowl.
We are in San Antonio playing and wouldn’t you know it? We’re playing my old team, the Cobras. I have nothing but respect for all the coaching staff and the players, but it fucking sucks for them because I know how each and every one operates.
The ball is tossed into my hands as I look to my left where Slater is being typical Slater Santos and outrunning every motherfucker on the field, then I look to my right where Sebastian is at least five inches taller than the man covering him. Both are solid options, but we have one minute left in the fourth quarter, and we’re all tied up. So, no offense to Slater, I throw it to the person who I know will catch it no matter what. The person who knows where I’m going to throw something before I even do.
The ball lands in Sebastian’s outstretched hands perfectly as he turns and runs the remaining fifteen yards to the end zone.
Touchdown.
A feeling basks over me that is so euphoric I can’t help but lift my hands to the sky. The stadium goes wild despite the home team losing as the Crusaders fans practically tear the place apart. One voice on the sidelines is louder than the masses, at least to me.
Sage, broken ribs and all is running, well, hobbling, toward me from the sidelines.
When we went to the hospital, they confirmed that she had three broken ribs and some bruising. They did a full work-up of her head, and she came back clean, thankfully. The doctor suggested lots of rest and absolutely no traveling, but have you ever tried to tell her what to do? When I told her she had to stay home and couldn’t come to the Super Bowl, you’d think I told her that I was going to massacre all of the puppies in the world.
Alec is in jail along with the goons who kidnapped her. They are all awaiting trial, but the prosecuting lawyer who I may or may not have bribed to take the case says that Alec is facing life, and his men are looking at ten to twenty years at least. I guess Erica and Seb joined in on pressing charges against the men since they technically could have kidnapped Erica. It’s a stretch but anything to stick it to these fuckers.
Sage told me it wasn’t a good idea for her to press charges because other members could retaliate, but I didn’t budge. We need to do everything in our power to ensure he never sees the light of day again, and it starts with her.
Once her dad found out about everything that happened that night, surprising the hell out of all of us, he broke down. He sobbed, begging Sage to forgive him for all the years he had been a shit father. Told her how terrified he was to hear the news and how glad he is that she’s okay. I don’t think she really knew how to take his shift in attitude.
I can tell she wants a relationship with him but isn’t sure where to start. I told her I would support her with whatever that means. I’d kill my contract with the Crusaders if she didn’t want to continue to see him. I’d quit the league if she wanted to leave it all behind and start somewhere new, to which she gave me the strangest look as if that wasn’t even an option on the table.
We haven’t talked much about the future beyond the fact that she doesn’t want to work for the Crusaders anymore, that she wants to bake and is thinking of going to school for it. I told her I’d get her into any program she wanted, all she had to do was ask. So, being the brat she is, she picked out a fancy one in Paris that she is starting in two weeks. Good thing the season is over because there is no way in hell I am letting her go to school one town over, let alone an ocean over, at least not alone.
We will come back when she finishes school right before practices start in July. Seb made the public announcement that this is officially his last season, and everyone already knew it was Dec’s. Slater and I will finish out our contracts and play it by ear from there.
Scarlett just got her latest scan back, and she is still cancer-free, thank God. They are even talking about surrogacy, and Erica, of all people, volunteered if they were wanting to go that route. Yeah, Erica, the girl who had a pregnancy from hell with the twins, is willing to do it all over again. Scarlett and Slater both cried when she offered, even if Slater said he just has really bad allergies.
Declan and Vi I think are both excited for him to finally retire officially. Their family is only continuing to grow, and if I’m honest, I think they miss Tennessee. They said they’ll never get rid of their house up here so they can visit often, but apparently Mama Daniels and Grandma Judy miss all the kids like crazy, and Vi and Declan too, I guess.
Sage is only a few feet away, proudly wearing a number eighty-three jersey as she jumps into my arms, again, strongly against doctor’s orders.
“Ow, ow, ow. Fuck,” she grumbles.
“Settle down, crazy. Have you forgotten they’re broken?” I laugh.
“Sorry, can’t help myself. I just saw a really hot quarterback and was wondering if he wanted to go fuck in the tunnel after all this,” she says as she gestures all around us.
“Like you have to ask.” I smirk.
“Great, I’ll go grab Hanson then,” she says, pointing toward the new Cobras QB.
A feral growl rips out of me as I pin her tightly against me.
“You’re getting your ass spanked raw for that shit.”
“Can’t wait.”
Trevor
Two Years Later
The season is about to start, and we are having our friends over for dinner before the craziness of the season begins. I have two more seasons until my contract with the Crusaders is up, and I honestly don’t know if I’ll continue. I love what I do, but during training camp this year my arm started giving me trouble. I’ve been working with Scarlett, but I’ve been in the league for over a decade now. No one can say I haven’t had a wildly successful career.
I’m not sure Slater will ever want to retire. He will probably need another career-ending injury for that to happen. Despite him still being one of the fastest running backs in the league, it doesn’t take away from the dedication he has to his family. Scarlett has been running her own physical therapy practice for about six months now, and they just welcomed baby Jude last May.
Erica was their surrogate, and it ended up turning out amazing for everyone. She had an easy time, hardly any morning sickness or back pain like she had before. The nice thing about it is that Scarlett and Slater were able to be a part of the whole pregnancy. I think Scarlett spent more time at their house than her own, and when Slater wasn’t playing ball, he was right there by her side.
Slater and Scarlett are, unsurprisingly, amazing parents, and Jude has quickly become their entire world. As soon as the kid started walking, Slater was trying to show him plays. It ended in lots of falling which had Scarlett scolding him.
Parenthood wasn’t always in the cards for them, and I think in some way they had accepted that. But as soon as they held him, it was obvious they were always meant to be parents. He’s one lucky kid.
Declan and Vi moved back to Tennessee shortly after our Super Bowl season. They kept their house in Seattle, and they typically spend their summers up here and the rest of the year down there. Their kids are getting so big it’s wild. We all joke that Declan must have a breeding kink because they are pregnant with their fourth child, and when the discussion of more kids comes up, neither of them is opposed to it. Crazy bastards.
Vi’s floral shop is booming in Tennessee. It’s actually doing so well they just opened a second location up here. She’s a regular entrepreneur, and Declan is more than happy to spend all of his time either with the kids or helping support his wife’s dreams. They are literally the definition of couple goals.
Seb and Erica are really enjoying retirement. They travel a lot as a family to all of Erica’s galleries and showings. They are on the move so much they decided to homeschool the girls for a while at least. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a tighter knit family than those four.
After the Super Bowl, Seb took all his girls on a tropical vacation to the Bahamas for almost a month. They said it was the best time, and they even ended up buying a condo out there so they could visit often. Family of globetrotters, I swear.
I figured after Sebastian retired, we’d lose contact, at least a little, but honestly, we are closer than we’ve been in years. Maybe it’s because we finally got all of the shit off our chest, maybe it’s the fact that we walked into the literal lion’s den together, and he saved my life in the process. Or maybe it’s the fact that I’m no longer in love with his reason for existence. Could be any number of things.
Seb, Slater, and I actually get together quite a bit. Whether it is to grab a drink or have a barbecue with the families. I love it. It feels amazing to have my friends back, truly. Guess all it takes is to stop being a narcissistic ass.
Erica and I still talk, and she will never not be one of my closest friends, but we definitely keep a healthier separation between us. The same can’t be said for Erica and Sage. They are practically sewn together.
Relief wasn’t even close to the right word to explain the feeling we all experienced when we found out that Alec ended up getting nailed with several unsolved murders and was ultimately served a life sentence without parole. Sage cried for a solid hour, mostly happy tears, but I think a little bit of healing ones as well. I just held her through it, and when she looked up at me with red-rimmed eyes and watery cheeks, I knew I would never let anyone or anything put that look on her face again.
I step up behind Sage who is putting the finishing touches on her salmon risotto. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I lean down and press a kiss to her neck. She smiles softly before turning to face me.
“If you think loving up on me is going to allow you a chance at the rolls, you’ve got another thing coming, Michaels,” she says as she moves the basket of her fresh baked rolls away.
“Whatever you say, Mrs. Michaels.” I smirk.
“Shhh,” she says as she whips around, pressing her finger against my lips as she lowers her voice.
“We haven’t even told anyone yet.”
“Wasn’t that the whole point of this dinner?” I mock whisper back.
She rolls her eyes at me as she continues working. “Yes, hence why you shouldn’t ruin it, jackass.”
“Love you too, dear.” I chuckle before swatting her ass as I move to the dining table where everyone is sitting.
Sage and I were in Vegas a week ago when we decided on a whim to hit up the Little White Wedding Chapel. I proposed to her over a year ago, and though she said yes, she said she wanted a long engagement. I teased that she wanted that in case something better came along, but when the year mark came along and she still didn’t even want to talk about a date, I started to wonder if maybe I was right.
We were making our way down the strip when she pointed at a white cocktail dress in a window. We went inside, and when she came out, she did a little spin.
“Yep, I think this is it.”
“What? You mean you want it?” I ask as I scroll on my phone.
“Yeah, I think it’s about as good a dress as any to do it in.”
“Do what?” I say with furrowed brows as I look up at her.
“Get married in,” she says flatly like I should be on the same page as her.
My heart thumps in my chest as I quickly stand up from the couch in the shop and make my way toward her. She’s smiling at me. Not her typical mischievous smile, but a sweet one. One that melts my heart and fills me up.
“Are you serious?”
She nods. “Tonight.”
“Tonight? Like right now?”
She shrugs. “Why not?”
The way I fireman-carried her out of the store, tossing down a few hundred dollars to pay for the dress and didn’t stop running until I made it to the Little White Wedding Chapel. It’s been so hard to keep it a secret from everyone since we got back, but we decided what better way to tell everyone than at dinner?
She said that she plans on calling her dad tomorrow and telling him. Their relationship isn’t the best, but it is getting better. They are slowly building something out of what was essentially nothing. Aberton is less of a dick than usual, at least when he’s inside my home, and as long as Sage is happy, I’ll deal with the guy.
I haven’t spoken to my parents much over the years, honestly. Since I fully removed myself from the business, they haven’t made much effort. My mom more so than my dad. That’s why an elopement was so perfect for us. It was just me and her. Small, intimate, and completely unconventional.
After the Super Bowl, Sage and I packed up and moved to Paris for the offseason while she took her culinary classes. I didn’t think it was possible for her to get any more talented but somehow she did. She took both pastry and regular cooking classes, but her heart came back to the love of baking. When we came back for training camp, she decided that’s what she wanted to do.
