The Harder You Fall (Rixon Raiders 3)

Cam was on his phone when he glanced up. “Showtime.”

“They’re here.” My pulse spiked.

“They’re here.” He gave me a reassuring nod. He’d been great about this whole thing. Jason too. It hadn’t been easy aligning all the pieces, but we’d called in some favors here and there, and I may have dropped my father’s name once or twice; but this was it, make or break.

“Okay,” I said jogging into position. “See you on the other side.” It was impossible to see her, my vision blocked by the wall of bodies all facing the bleachers where I knew Hailee and Felicity had led Mya to wait. I could imagine her standing there in my jersey, wondering what the fuck was going on.

At least, I hoped she was.

“Who are we?” Jason roared.

“Raiders,” my teammates voices echoed through the air.

“I said who are we?”

“RAIDERS.”

“And what are we?”

“Family.”

“And what are we gonna do?” Jason glanced back at me, giving me a sharp nod.

“Get the girl,” they yelled in unison.

“I said what are we gonna do?”

“Get the girl!”

Adrenaline pumped through me as the guys began to close rank, jogging into two lines—offense and defense—until they were stacked in front of me in a long vertical ladder leading straight to Mya.

Grady glanced back, shooting me a shit-eating grin. “You got this, bro,” he mouthed, and I nodded.

I’d done some questionable things over the last four years. Partied too hard. Fucked too many girls. And partied some more. I’d lied to my friends and played a role in a game I never wanted any part of. I’d grown bitter and resentful and I’d dealt with it the only way I knew how—by plastering on a fake smile and making some lame ass wisecrack and raising a glass to the perfect life everyone thought I had.

But this, standing here waiting for my cue, was the first time I felt at peace. There wasn’t a single doubt that this was the right decision.

Now all I had to do was convince Mya.

The opening beat to Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons boomed over the PA system and slowly, pair by pair, the two lines separated until I could finally see her.

Mya.

My Mya wearing my number, staring at me as if I’d lost my ever-loving mind.

Maybe I had.

Maybe this was an over-the-top cheese fest of epic proportions. But she deserved it. Mya deserved to know unequivocally that I loved her and that I chose her. And what better way to show her than in the presence of my teammates. My brothers.

My Raiders family.

I jogged toward her, high-fiving my teammates on the way down. When I’d first asked them to help me out, they’d all given me a ton of shit and Grady had asked to see my newly grown vagina. But Jason, being Jason, had soon insisted they fall in line. We were a team. And if one of us needed

help, we stepped up. End of.

Slowing my pace, I came to a stop just in front of Mya.

“Hi,” she said softly.