Love In the Red Zone (Connecticut Kings Book 1) Read Free Page B

at my watch. Only a few minutes until I needed to hit the road for practice.
    “I’m surprised it ain’t blasted all over the news. Wouldn’t be though. They only blast negativity ‘bout you.”
    He was referring to my charges, trial, conviction, and imprisonment.
    “They can’t blast what they don’t know. I’m not an official coach. I’m just out there working with them.”
    I wore hoodies on some days, skully caps on others. I’d even grown a beard to cover my identity. These kids were so small, they had no idea. Their parents, on the other hand, were an altogether different matter. I stayed away from the crowds, kept my head down, giving very little eye contact. The few who knew were respectful of my privacy after the coaches spoke with them.
    “You heard from your grams?”
    “I stopped by to see her before I came here. She talking about Trick coming home soon.”
    “Yeah,” he panted. “Two months. I’ m… hoping...”
    I swallowed hard, eyes fell right away.
    “It’s been what…ten years?”
    “Ten the hard way, man,” he panted, pitch the note of a soprano most times now.
    I nodded. It was that time.
    “I only wanted the best for you guys, man. You, Trick, and Trey.”
    Trey was his younger brother, the one underneath him while Trick was the baby. Trey died in a car accident when I was in high school. Coincidentally, Trick and I were the same age. Weird for uncle and nephew dynamics, but true. As I absorbed Shank’s claim, I didn’t say, but I knew it. I’d paid for it. It was at the expense of my relationship with Trick. For him, my relationship with Shank resembled too closely what his should have been with his older brother. I never understood it myself, but coming up as a youngin’, Shank tended to me more than an uncle should. It was as close to the father I never had. It confused me at times and angered Trick all the time.
    The door opened and in came a full figured woman, no more than five foot four. I remember the first time I met her, she had the most desired hourglass shape around. Over the past fifteen years, she’d inflated. Grew three times the size I’d met her at. But April was still fine in her own right. She rocked a golden tapered cut, just an inch from her scalp. It was curled and styled into a Mohawk. This was different for her, but I liked it. Her cinnamon eyes still sparkled when they saw me, always had.
    “Trent!” She smiled on a contented breath. I stood to greet her. “You made it.”
    We met each other in a tight embrace. She smelled good like always.
    “Yeah. They told me you just left to go and shower.” I tucked my hands in my pockets halfway. “This dude obviously sensed you coming. He just woke up.”
    She laughed, waving off my soft flirtatious compliment. April had been used to it. Shank made sure we all spoiled her like a queen from the moment he finally got his shit together and married her. Yup . He’d married her knowing his HIV status. She knew, too, and was still down for the matrimony—eager, in fact. I never understood it, but always respected it. Their love and commitment had always spoke volumes to me. It was a gift and a curse. April’s dedication to my uncle taught me women were riders and needed. It also gave me x-ray vision on the thousands of groupies I’d encountered from the beginning of my career. Real women were built like April. Those types weren’t being produced anymore, even my uncle agreed.
    “How you making out, Trent? Everythang alright?” she asked.
    “I’m surviving. We’re days from fall. New season, you know.”
    “Good, Trent.” She smiled again as she made it to the other side of the bed and kissed Shank on the forehead. She whispered to him, “You good, baby? You need something to eat?”
    Shank breathed, “Yeah. Not hungry though.”
    There was a comfort level he had with her at the most difficult time of his life. Theirs was a love that was rare. I’d never seen anything like it before. I knew Shank.