I had spent the darkest hours of the morning curled into a tight, shivering ball on a massive leather sofa.
Leo Kincaid lived in a high security building on the wealthy edge of town. His apartment was stark, minimalist, and smelled faintly of expensive cedar and pure ice. I did not sleep a single wink. Every time I closed my exhausted eyes, I saw his heavy steel skate crushing my only lifeline. I heard the terrifying certainty in his voice when he told me the syndicate would hunt me down.
Now, the morning sun was blinding. It offered no warmth.
The official summons had arrived in my student email inbox at exactly eight o'clock. It was a mandatory meeting request from Director Miller. He was the head of the State University athletic department. He was the man who controlled my compliance job and my pre law scholarship.
I stood outside his frosted glass door. My stomach churned with violent anxiety.
The low, constant hum of the central air conditioning unit vibrated through the thin soles of my boots. I smoothed my damp palms down the sides of my professional black trousers. I took a shaky breath and pushed the heavy wooden door open.
The smell of lemon furniture polish and faint cigar smoke hit my nose instantly.
Director Miller sat behind a massive mahogany desk. He was a red faced, imposing man who treated the athletic program like his own personal kingdom.
But he was not the most intimidating person in the room.
Leo Kincaid was already there.
He was lounging in one of the plush leather guest chairs. His long legs were stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankles. He wore his dark blue team jacket. His broad shoulders seemed to take up half the available space in the cramped office. He did not look like a man who was being hunted by an underground betting syndicate. He looked like a king holding court.
When I walked in, his dark eyes locked onto mine. A silent, terrifying warning flashed in his gaze.
"Miss Reed," Director Miller barked. He did not offer me a seat. "You are exactly four minutes late."
"I apologize, sir," I said softly. My voice sounded thin in the tense room. "The morning campus shuttles were delayed."
"I do not care about the shuttles," Miller dismissed my excuse with a wave of his meaty hand. He picked up a printed file from his desk. "We have a critical situation on our hands. And you are going to fix it."
I swallowed hard. My heart hammered against my ribs. For one terrifying second, I thought the director had found the offshore financial data. I thought the syndicate had tipped him off. I braced myself for the devastating loss of my scholarship.
"Leo is struggling," Miller announced gravely.
I blinked. The sheer absurdity of the statement knocked the breath out of my lungs. I looked at the star captain.
Leo sat perfectly still. His jaw was clenched tight, but his face remained a blank, unreadable mask.
"Struggling?" I repeated the word slowly. I was a compliance analyst. I reviewed his academic files every semester. Leo Kincaid maintained a solid three point eight grade average. He was exceptionally smart.
"His midterms are approaching, and his focus is slipping," Miller lied smoothly. He did not even look at the physical papers in his hand. This was a rehearsed script. "The playoffs are two weeks away. If our captain falls below the academic eligibility threshold, the entire university suffers. We cannot risk losing our golden ticket to the national championships."
I stared at the director in stunned silence. Then, the horrific reality of the trap began to dawn on me.
This was Leo's plan. He had orchestrated this entire meeting. He had used his elite, untouchable status to fabricate an academic crisis.
"I need a dedicated academic manager," Leo said. His rough, deep voice filled the room. It sent an involuntary shiver down my spine. "I need someone to monitor my schedule. Someone to enforce my study hours. I need someone who knows the athletic compliance rules inside and out."
He turned his head slowly. He fixed his burning, intense gaze directly onto my face.
"I want her," Leo stated.
The demand hung in the air like a heavy, suffocating blanket.
Director Miller nodded eagerly. He was desperate to keep his star player happy. "Miss Reed is our top student analyst. She is incredibly meticulous. She will be reassigned to you effective immediately."
"Wait," I gasped. Panic flared hot and bright in my chest. I could not do this. I could not be tethered to this dangerous boy twenty four hours a day. "Sir, I have my own heavy academic load. I have a mock trial brief due on Monday. I cannot manage the schedule of a star athlete. It is a full time job."
Miller slammed his thick hand down on the mahogany desk. The sudden, violent noise made me flinch backward.
"Your job is whatever I say it is, Miss Reed," the director growled. His face turned a dark, angry red. "Your pre law scholarship is funded directly by the athletic department budget. You serve at my discretion. If you refuse this assignment, I will revoke your funding by noon today. You will be packing your dorm room bags by dinner."
The threat was absolute. It left no room for negotiation. My legal mind scrambled for a loophole, but there was none. They held all the power. I was just an invisible pawn on their frozen chessboard.
I looked at Leo.
He was watching me with a calculated, predatory stillness. He had warned me last night. He had promised to pull me out of the shadows and force me into his spotlight to protect me from the syndicate. He was keeping his dark promise. He was locking the golden cage around me.
"Do we have an understanding, Miss Reed?" Miller demanded.
I dug my fingernails into the soft flesh of my palms. I fought back the hot, humiliating tears burning behind my eyes. I thought of my mother working endless double shifts at the diner. I thought of her tired, proud smile when I showed her my acceptance letter. I could not let her down. I had to survive this.
"Yes, sir," I whispered. Defeat tasted like bitter ash on my tongue. "We have an understanding."
"Excellent." Miller leaned back in his expensive leather chair. He looked highly smug. "Kincaid, she is yours. Make sure she keeps you eligible to play."
Leo stood up. He moved with that terrifying, fluid grace. He reached into the dark duffel bag resting by his chair.
He pulled out a heavy piece of fabric. He tossed it through the air.
I caught it on pure reflex.
It was a dark blue State University hockey jersey. The thick material was incredibly soft. The heavy white numbers were stitched flawlessly into the back. Number seventeen. His number.
"Put it on," Leo ordered softly.
I stared at the jersey in my trembling hands. It felt like a branding iron. If I wore this out of the office, every single student on this massive campus would know I belonged to him. The invisible girl would cease to exist. I would become public property. I would become his property.
"Leo, I do not need to wear this," I pleaded quietly. I tried to keep my voice steady. "I have my own coat."
He closed the distance between us in two long strides. He stood so close I could feel the heat radiating from his massive chest. He leaned down. The faint scent of mint body wash wrapped around my senses, momentarily blocking out the smell of the director's cigar smoke.
"You put the jersey on, Caroline," he whispered. His tone was a lethal mixture of velvet and crushed glass. Only I could hear him. "Or I will dress you myself right here in front of the director. The syndicate is watching. We give them a show, or we die. Choose."
My breath caught in my throat. My hands shook so badly I could barely hold the heavy fabric.
I slowly pulled the oversized blue jersey over my head. It dwarfed my small frame. The hem fell past my hips. The sleeves swallowed my hands. I felt ridiculous. I felt claimed.
Leo reached out. His large fingers brushed against my neck as he gently pulled my long hair out from beneath the thick collar. His touch was burning hot. It sent a wild, uncontrolled spark of electricity straight down my spine.
He stared down at me. A dark, possessive satisfaction flared in his eyes.
"Let's go," he said.
He turned and pushed the heavy wooden door open. We stepped out of the quiet, air conditioned office and into the chaotic reality of the main athletic building.
It was nine in the morning. The massive concrete hallway was packed with hundreds of students changing classes.
The noise was deafening. The harsh overhead fluorescent lights glared down on us.
The moment Leo Kincaid stepped into the corridor, the sea of students parted. The chaotic chatter died down instantly. Every eye in the hallway snapped toward the towering star captain.
And then, they looked at me.
They looked at the quiet, invisible girl wearing the captain's oversized jersey.
The burning stares felt like physical blows. I could hear the hushed, frantic whispers erupting around us. I wanted the concrete floor to open up and swallow me whole. I kept my eyes fixed firmly on the scuffed linoleum tiles. I hugged my arms around my chest, trying to make myself as small as possible.
I felt a sudden, massive presence step directly behind me.
Leo closed the gap between us. He moved so close his solid chest brushed against my back.
He reached out. He placed his large, heavy hand squarely on the small of my back. His long fingers splayed across the thick fabric of the jersey. His grip was firm. It was a clear, undeniable statement of ownership and protection.
He guided me forward through the parted crowd. His touch sent a terrifying, addictive heat blooming through my veins. The forced proximity had officially begun.
I was no longer just the compliance analyst.
I was the bait.
Author's Note:
Hi everyone! The trap is officially closed and Caroline is now in the spotlight! How do you feel about Leo forcing her to wear his jersey in front of the whole campus? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Please like and share this chapter if you are enjoying the story!
