The Player's Club: Finn Read Free Page A

cotton gown didn’t exactly give him leverage, for one thing.
    “We didn’t come here to argue,” his mother said, her soft voice insistent, a little panicked. She hovered by Finn’s side, checking his head. “How are you feeling?”
    “I’m fine, Mom.” Actually, his head was pounding, and his body ached like the last time he’d tried boxing, but it really wasn’t the time to mention it. “If Dad hadn’t hired the P.I.s again, you wouldn’t have known about it until I was completely recovered. You wouldn’t have had to worry.”
    “What’s next, Finn?” his father said, pacing at the foot of Finn’s bed like a lawyer prowling in front of a jury. “You going to start playing Russian roulette? Going to dive into a live volcano?”
    “Well, in a few weeks I’m supposed to get shot out of a cannon,” he said, remembering Ben’s second challenge.
    “That’s not funny, goddamn it.”
    “It’s my life, Dad. I know you don’t approve, or agree, but it is my life.”
    “I could cut you off,” his father said. “Kick you off the board, make sure you didn’t draw any pay from the stocks.”
    “Dad, I don’t touch the money you guys give me at this point.” For exactly this reason, he thought. “I’ve still got the money from Grandma Macalister. And…” He looked at his mother, not wanting to remind her of his other source of income. “The other, you know, hospital money. So go ahead. Cut me off. Cut me out of the will, if you want.”
    “What difference would it make?” His father’s eyes shone with anger. “At this rate, I’m going to outlive you. ”
    His mother let out a strangled sob.
    “There. See what you’ve done?” his father bellowed.
    “What I’ve done?” Finn protested.
    “You don’t even care that you’re tearing your mother apart. Don’t care about what this is doing to your mother and me!” His father’s face was red, his voice deep, ringing through Finn’s already-pounding head like a kettledrum. “When the hell are you going to grow up, Finn?”
    Finn closed his eyes, wincing. “Why do you think that ‘growing up’ is doing whatever you tell me to do, Dad? How is that maturity?”
    “And now you’ve joined some cult!”
    Finn’s eyes flew open at that. “I’ve what? ”
    “George told us,” his father said, and Finn’s stomach roiled. He’d have some choice words for his cousin when he got back to the mainland. “That…gamers club, whatever it’s called. He said that they’re adrenaline junkies. Says the police hate them.”
    Finn took a deep breath. “That’s not right, and George knows it,” he said sharply, wondering how to explain to them that since George had been expelled from the Club and the stupid, frat-styled pranks had stopped, the police really didn’t have an issue with the Players anymore. And since George had personally screwed up by trying to get the police chief to shut down the Club, an act that had backfired spectacularly, the attention of the police had disappeared.
    “I’ve read the newspaper articles about them,” his mother interjected, taking Finn’s hand and squeezing. “Oh, honey…I think…you might want to get help. If you need it, your father and I know some of the best treatment centers in the world. We can get you in tonight.”
    “Treatment?” Finn echoed, feeling more and more disconnected as the conversation grew more surreal. “Treatment for what? Adrenaline rehab?”
    “Brainwashing,” his father snapped. “They pull kids out of these cults. I’ll just bet you’ve been reprogrammed.”
    Finn couldn’t help it. He burst out laughing.
    “Damn it, this is your life you’re talking about,” his father said. “And I’m not going to stop with just some lectures. You brought this on yourself, son.” His father headed for the door. “Come on, Betty.”
    His mother gave his hand one final squeeze, then leaned in to hug him. Then she leaned forward, kissing his cheek and whispering in his