I'm Free (Heaven Helps The Man) // Kenny Loggins

Five uniformed police officers descend on the team as we're moving into the tunnel. Regin, Deke and Dave, all at the front, stop short. Frank is nowhere among the authorities. I guess as an undercover agent, he can't be seen.

"What's up?" one guy asks from the back. Murmurs start to build, speculation. A few whispers float around, rumors already starting. It's only been seconds and the tension is about to boil over.

"Reign Benson, you're under arrest."

I can't tell which cop says it, but the second he does, Reign starts a tirade.

"What the fuck for? Don't fucking touch me. You've got nothing!"

As a unit, the five officers step toward Reign. The rest of us behind the chaos step back, parting like the red sea. All five cops surround him, working to subdue him, but he's not making it easy. Reign, in full helmet and gear, drops his head and shoulders and presses forward. He takes out two cops with the maneuver, knocking them flat on their backs. But the other three close in on him. Deke and Dave don't make a move in any direction. Smart. But I wonder when it'll be their turn. Those two have doped as much as Reign has. The cops are flanking Reign, two each holding his arms behind his back.

"Reign, best let them do their job." Coach gives his calm direction from the side. It must get through to him because next thing I know, Reign is marched back into the locker rooms in handcuffs. He eyes me as he walks by. I hold his gaze. I'd tell myself that I shouldn't worry about him, but I'm not dumb enough to believe it.

The cops lead Reign right out of the locker room to what I assume is a waiting patrol car.

"McKinley, you're starting. Miller, you, too." Coach slaps his clipboard. "Leave this in the locker room. Go out there and show them what we can do."

Matt glances back at me, confused most likely. My best friend has had his own trauma to deal with. I never let him in on mine. But now we're both in a place to lead this team. He nods to me. I do the same. And we leave the tunnel to the game awaiting us.

***

The game is going as good as can be expected after the shock we had in the tunnel. Most of the guys are taking it in stride, leaving it behind us to focus on winning. It's almost half time and the score is close, 24 to 21 in Northern's favor.

Declan is still playing.

I figured he'd have been picked up the same way Reign was. Isn't that why Frank chose this game, the fact that we're playing each other on our turf? It would be easy enough to grab both guys before game time, haul them away and clean up the mess later. But for whatever reason, they only grabbed Reign.

Twenty seconds on the clock until end of the 2nd quarter. We have the ball. Matt calls for the play, we line up and hike. I run like hell, finding a pocket. Matt launches the throw. I'm under it. I stay under while watching for the defense. The ball sails into my waiting hands. I clutch it, cradle it to me and turn, ready to plow ahead. I'm met with a brick wall. Declan.

He takes me down, but I refuse to let the ball slip out of my fingers. If I hold onto it, this will be 1st down on the ten-yard line. The goal is in sight. Declan is on top of me and I half expect a kick to the face, but I get a gut punch instead.

"What happened to your QB, scrub? Don't see him on the sidelines."

Fuck. I don't want to be the one to tell him. Instead, I lock my arms across the ball and dig in, waiting for the ref to pull him off.

He shoves my shoulder into the grass as he gets up. I follow once his weight is gone. When I get my bearings and see that we did indeed get the 1st down, I turn toward the huddle.

Matt calls the play. We're running the ball into the end zone. The huddle breaks, we line up and he calls for the ball. I get tackled by Declan once again. Our tight end breaks free, clutching the ball, drops his shoulder and pushes through the line. Seconds later, the ref calls it as the half time whistle blows.

"Touch down!"

Our bench clears, guys whooping and hollering onto the field to pat the helmets of the offense. Something catches my eye from the visitor's tunnel as the shouting dies down.

A handful of cops are standing at the entrance watching the other team. One of them stops Declan, pulling him aside. Declan inclines his head to hear the guy better. then I watch as he stiffens, steps back and glances back to our side. He doesn't fight the way Reign did as they put him in cuffs. He watches me the entire time. Until he's turned around and led away.

I don't let myself worry about his look.

I can't. I have a game to win.

***

The roars in the locker room echo against the metal and concrete. Half of me is in the room with my team, the other half is questioning.

What now?

How much shit am I in?

But mostly, is Alison safe?

I was able to focus on the game while we were on the field. Now that it's over and we won, I need to get some answers. I search the room for Coach. When I find him, the look in his eyes matches mine. He gives me a nod. I can leave but he still has business to finish.

I toss my helmet on the bench and push through the team celebration. I don't bother to shower and change, not yet. This is more important. My cleats pound out a rhythm as I run through the hall to the elevator. I'm hoping that Alison is still with Misty in the press box, away from all of this. I wonder how much she knows, what she saw.

I pace in front of the elevator, waiting for it to arrive. The elevator doors open just as I was about to take the stairs. Alison steps out. I don't hesitate to take her in my arms.

"Oh my gosh that was crazy!" Her words tumble out. "The way they cuffed him at half-time? Nuts! Like a T.V. show!"

"I'm glad you were entertained." I breathe deeply, realizing I've been worried more than I thought.

"Frank texted Misty all about it. Can you believe that? She got the deets before I did!"

"That guy is crazy." I hold her tighter, even with my pads and gear still on.

"I guess Reign put up a good fight, huh? What a mess that guy is."

"True."

"And Frank said they'll probably make a couple more arrests though he didn't say who."

Deke and Dave. I wonder how long that will take.

"Oh! And he said he left something for you with Marshall."

"Who?"

Alison leans back to look me in the eye. "The security guard? He's worked here forever. How do you not know him?"

"I've been a little preoccupied since the season started." I wink. My entire focus has been keeping Alison safe and finding out what Reign was up to.

"Oh. Right." She kisses me, a quick peck.

That's nowhere near enough. I lean back to her and take her lips with my own. I press myself to her, pulling her closer at the same time. I can't get enough.

A few seconds, maybe minutes later, Alison pushes against my chest with flat hands.

"Whoa. Let's save some of that for later when we aren't in a locker room hallway about to get overtaken by sweaty college boys looking to party."

I smirk. "I can wait all night, baby. But you're mine, so get used to this public display because I'll be doing it on the regular."

She smiles. "I can handle that."

I tell her to wait for me in her dad's office. Then I shower and change as fast as I can. When I find her, she's spinning in her dad's chair while talking on the phone.

"Are you serious?" she says to whoever is on the other end.

I grab the chair to stop it from spinning. Alison smiles up at me, still talking on the phone.

"Since when?"

I pull her up to stand, then grab her ass and lift her. A rush of adrenaline courses through me as she wraps her legs around my waist.

"I gotta go." Alison's locked eyes with me. Her voice is deeper, filled with promise.

"Smexy times already?" I can make out the voice on the other end. Sounds like Misty.

"About damn time," Alison says, still looking right at me. My forehead dips to rest against hers.

"Call me later!"

Alison ends the call and shoves the phone into her back pocket.

"Have you been waiting on me baby?" I kiss her nose.

"Yes."

"Then I don't want to keep you waiting any longer."

"Okay."

I kiss her quickly, then carry her out of the coach's office. Marshall, the guard who has something for me from Frank, is standing at the exit.

"Looks like you found him." Marshall smiles.

"Yup. Do you still have it?"

"I do, I do." He reaches into his jacket pocket and produces a familiar ring of keys.

"Holy shit!" I was starting to think I'd never see them again. Alison slides out of my hold as Marshall drops the keys into my open palm.

"Parked out front, ready for you."

"But how?" I ask, not expecting an answer, but Alison has one ready for me.

"Frank said they'd gotten some DNA from the backseat where you said Declan had been sitting with blood on his hands. Declan and Reign had tried to clean out the evidence but apparently, they don't know what they're doing and did a piss poor job. Lucky for you the prosecutors determined they no longer needed to impound it because you aren't being charged and they'd gotten the evidence they needed."

She takes my hand and pulls me out the door. My Camaro is sitting out front. I can admit that it's a piece of crap car for the most part. But it was the first thing that was mine.

I open the front passenger door and usher Alison to her seat. My girl in my car, a sight for sore eyes.

"Damn you look good sitting shotgun, baby."

Alison smiles again. I fucking love that smile. I fucking love her.

"Take me for a ride, boyfriend."

"My pleasure, girlfriend."

"I guess we're going to be that sappy couple, huh? PDA, sticky sweet nicknames and joined at the hips?"

"Absolutely."

"I can handle it if you can."

I kiss her quick and close her door, rush to my side and slide into my seat. Fuck, I've missed this car. I let out a slow breath as my hands wrap around the steering wheel. Then I pop in the key and start the engine.

"Mmm, that purr."

"I can purr, too," Alison says, sliding across the bench seat and sitting close. "If you want."

How did I get so lucky? I put my arm around her as I drive out of the lot.

"Your place or mine?"

"Don't you want to celebrate with your team?"

"Why, when I can celebrate with you?"

She snuggles closer as we drive to her place to spend some time alone. Together.

The best damn word there is.

Just a little late this time. And what about that ending? Did I miss anything? There's one more chapter from Alison's POV and then an epilogue - maybe two...but some of that second epilogue might be the opening of the first Salt Creek novella so we'll see.

Anyway, it's coming to an end and I can hardly believe it! This story was fun to discover as I went and I was so excited to give Jeff a true love in Alison.

This is another song from Footloose and it feels like the happy ending, even though there's one more part so this isn't technically the end.

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AND Inevitable is joining Wattpad Paid Stories! There's a short time left to read it for free and then it will transition to paid, the first few chapters remaining free to preview.