Cameron elbowed Blake. “Hey, who’s that guy with Drew?”
Blake blew out a breath. “I’ll tell you, but you have to promise to be chill.”
A feeling of unease curled Cameron’s stomach. “What the hell does that mean?”
“Apparently he’s expressed interest in your job. Drew’s showing him around the facilities.”
“He’s interviewing candidates for my job?” Cameron glanced at Blake. “I haven’t given my notice yet.”
“But you’re going to,” Blake pointed out. “It’s only a matter of time, right?”
Cameron glared. “Says who?”
“Um…” Blake scratched his chin. “You?”
“Bullshit.” Cameron turned to confront the athletic director and put the man in his place, when Blake’s hand shot out and latched on to Cameron’s arm.
“Hey,” Blake warned. “When I said be chill, I specifically meant don’t go over there and beat the shit out of Drew.”
Cameron pulled his arm free. “I only did that once,” he pointed out, then stalked away.
Cameron’s long legs ate up the ground beneath him, his irritation growing with each step. In all honesty, Cameron was irritated with himself for allowing Drew to think he’d just bow out, that he’d give the smug bastard the satisfaction of getting rid of Cameron Shaw that easily.
And the man still deserved an ass beating for almost ruining Cameron’s squeaky-clean reputation at his previous school.
Cameron had never told anyone what Drew had done on the sly, mostly to protect those he loved the most. He hadn’t wanted to put his mother through the agony of thinking her son was a homewrecker, especially having lived with a cheating spouse. To this day, Cameron wanted to kick his own ass for getting involved with Drew’s wife. It had been the biggest mistake he’d made, and Drew had seen to it that Cameron continued to suffer.
He reached the two men just as Mr. Potbelly said his thanks, then turned to leave. Drew popped a bubble with his gum, then gave Cameron an openmouthed grin. Cameron wanted to knee the guy is his too-small balls.
“How’s it going today, Shaw?” Drew asked.
Cameron gritted his teeth together. “Yeah, don’t start with that bullshit. What’s with you interviewing someone for my job?”
“Technically that wasn’t an interview,” Drew explained. “I was just showing the guy around. His actual interview isn’t until next week.”
Cameron blew out an impatient breath. “I haven’t turned in my resignation yet, Drew.”
Drew waved a hand in the air. “A technicality. It’s a matter of time now.”
Cameron took a step closer to the guy and tried desperately to remember Blake’s warning not to kick Drew’s ass. “I know you think you can push me out of here, but it won’t work.”
Drew’s smile grew even more smug. “I’m not pushing you out of here, Cameron. You’re leaving on your own.”
“No, I’m not,” Cameron corrected him. “Because I turned Denver down.”
A flicker of doubt shadowed Drew’s eyes. But it was gone quickly. “No, you haven’t. You want your own team too badly to turn that down.”
“I changed my mind,” Cameron said with a shrug. “I’ve decided to stay.”
Drew ran his gaze up and down Cameron. “Bullshit.”
Cameron patted Drew’s face. “Nah.” He leaned closer and dropped his voice low. “I know you think you won this round, but I’ll never give you the satisfaction, Spalding.” He turned and walked away, mentally giving himself a pat on the back for not smashing his fist into the other man’s smug grin.
“Hey, is that lady friend of yours single?” Drew called out, but Cameron kept walking. “The blond one with the kid?”
Cameron immediately halted, but he didn’t turn around. He counted to ten and gritted his back teeth and willed his feet to keep moving, knowing that Drew was only bringing Audrey up to piss him off. Hell, it was working, but Cameron closed his eyes and gave himself a healthy pep talk. Behind him, he heard Drew approach, but Cameron still didn’t turn around. He knew he was being too generous by giving the man a chance to save his own skin by keeping his big mouth shut.
When Cameron opened his eyes, he saw Blake watching carefully, shaking his head in silent warning.
Then Drew spoke again and broke through Cameron’s waning calm.
“I was thinking of giving her a call,” Drew said in a low voice.
Cameron cracked his knuckles.
The man stepped closer and lowered his voice again. “She seems real…sweet,” Drew added with a chuckle.
Cameron didn’t give himself time to think. He spun around and landed a blow to Drew’s jaw. The man’s head was jerked back, but he recovered quickly and got his own punch in, square in Cameron’s eye. Fire exploded across his skull, drowning out Blake’s curses and hollers from the players.
Cameron knew he’d pay for his action later, but he’d been unable to stand there and listen to the prick taunt him about Audrey. Drew laughed as Cameron staggered back. Seeing the evil grin breaking across the man’s mouth, even as it dripped with blood, only fueled Cameron’s bloodlust for the other man. He lunged and tackled Drew to the ground, landing on top of him with a loud grunt. Drew struggled, but Cameron was able to hold the man back with another punch across the face, adding to the blood already decorating his jaw. Somehow Drew wriggled an arm free and clocked Cameron again, this time getting him across the jaw. The taste of blood immediately filled his mouth, but Cameron was too focused on the asshole beneath him to tend to his pounding eye and already swollen lip.
“Get off me, you animal,” Drew grunted as Cameron punched him again.
Behind him, he heard Blake coming to stop Cameron, but he ignored him and everyone else. The red haze clouding his vision wouldn’t allow him to do anything else but vent years of anger and hatred for the man who had made Cameron’s life a living hell.
“You’ll fucking pay for this,” Drew muttered around a mouthful of blood and an
