The Red Zone (A Big Play Novel Book 2) Read online

  The Red Zone

  (A Big Play Novel)

  #2

  Jordan Ford

  © Copyright 2016 Jordan Ford

  www.jordanfordbooks.com

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  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, actual events or locales is purely coincidental.

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  Cover art (copyright) by The Cover Lure.

  http://thecoverlure.com/

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  Kindle License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please go to Amazon and purchase your own copy.

  Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Blurb

  #1

  #2

  #3

  #4

  #5

  #6

  #7

  #8

  #9

  #10

  #11

  #12

  #13

  #14

  #15

  #16

  #17

  #18

  #19

  #20

  #21

  #22

  #23

  #24

  #25

  #26

  #27

  #28

  #29

  #30

  #31

  #32

  #33

  #34

  #35

  #36

  #37

  The Handoff

  Note from the Author

  Books by Jordan Ford

  About the Author

  Connect with the Author

  The Red Zone

  Mack Mahoney is hot, popular and used to getting exactly what he wants…until he sets his sights on the new girl, Kaija Bennett. She’s an exchange student from New Zealand and attending Nelson High for three months. Mack’s never been one for love at first sight, but this chick has him feeling things he never knew existed within him and, in spite of her feisty rejections, he’s determined to get to know her.

  Kaija Bennett did not escape her New Zealand high school only to be dragged into the popular crowd at Nelson High. She’s on the run from a past she wants to forget, and the attention of the gorgeous quarterback is not helping. Can she resist his pulling power and keep her secret safe? Or will the dynamic football captain unearth the truth and make her fall harder than she ever has before?

  For Brody

  The guy determined to walk his own journey. I love your strength and independence, and the fact you’ll give anything a go. I can’t wait to see what your future holds.

  Love you, Broski.

  #1:

  One Look Can Change Everything

  Mack

  The gymnasium is packed with color. As I look out across the student body my eyes are assaulted with a sea of orange and blue. Pompoms jiggle in the air to my left, and the stands in front are packed with expectation. Tomorrow is our final game, our chance to win the division championship title. It will be an epic way to end the season, and I want the entire school to be there, watching.

  “Hey, Raiders!” I shout into the mic, pumping my fist in the air and feeling like a king.

  The cheer is deafening, enhanced by the thundering of feet pounding on the bleachers. My team shouts and whoops behind me. Tyler even jumps up, using my shoulder as leverage, and pumps his fist in the air.

  I grin and shove him off me before leaning back down to the mic. “It’s been the best season this school has ever seen. Tomorrow, we’re going to take away that title and go down as freaking Idaho legends!”

  Laughter echoes through the cavernous space followed by another wave of cheering and applause.

  I wait for it to simmer down before continuing. “We need you there tomorrow. So get your butts to Nelson stadium and be the loudest, most obnoxious crowd you’ve ever been. Make our day one to remember for the rest of our lives.”

  More thunder and cheering.

  I raise my hands in the air and whoop. “Raiders!”

  “Yeah!” Tyler shouts behind me, no doubt feeling as much like a celebrity as I do.

  I can’t deny that I kind of like it. Everyone in the stands loves me…us. We are gods in this place, and I don’t want to think about the fact that in seven months, it’ll all be over.

  Enjoying the moment is my only priority today. Every time I think ahead, I’m sucked into a black vortex I don’t want to face.

  My smile is broad as I scan the crowd, taking in the enthusiasm, the smiling faces, the flirty looks from girls of all grades. I wink at a cute little freshman with dark brown curls. Her face flames with color and she dips her head. I laugh and step back from the podium so Coach Watson can rile the school up one last time before dismissing them to class.

  “The big Mahoney, everybody!” Coach points at me while the students cheer…again.

  I keep my smile in place, but don’t miss the fact that Coach referred to me by my father’s nickname. Yeah, I’m a legacy and I can tell ya, it’s damn hard living up to the name of a dead man. Especially one as epic as my father.

  I do my best.

  I play. I party. I lead.

  I live the life expected of me…the life my dad would want me to have. It’s my attempt to fill the gaping wound left by his absence. Sometimes that hole feels small, and other times it’s so big I don’t think I can stand it.

  But what more can I do?

  “These guys have worked hard, trained hard, and they are the biggest threat in high school football in the state of Idaho. Heck, I’d be willing to challenge the whole nation with these guys. Don’t you doubt that for a second!” Coach doesn’t even need the mic; he has one of those booming voices. His voice vibrates throughout the gymnasium, creating yet another shockwave of support.

  Tyler nudges me in the side, adjusting his letterman jacket as he checks out the cheer girls. Roxy glances over her shoulder, giving us both a sultry smile before waving her pompoms in the air.

  Yeah, she’s beautiful…and she knows it.

  I shake my head and run my eyes down the line of players on the stage. Finn’s jaw is clenched, his wide nostrils flaring slightly as he endures the pep rally. He hates these things. Although he plays center, he hates being front and center when it comes to a stage. I snicker, then grin when I catch Colt making eyes at his girl. The guy is so completely gone for Tori Lomax. I never thought any of us could fall that hard.

  I follow his line of sight, looking for his cute little counterpart. I don’t ever say it out loud, but I think she’s kind of cool. She can talk football, and she’s not all about how she looks. She’s just a nice girl with a quirky sense of humor. I could never fall for someone like that, but I don’t mind having her around.

  I finally spot her in the stands. She’s grinning at Colt, her large blue earring getting caught in her messy curls when she tips her head. She makes a funny face and sets about trying to untangle herself.

  I snicker as she leans across to ask for help. Her best friend leans in for the assist…and that’s when I stop breathing for a second.

  Because I see her—the
most stunning creature I have ever laid eyes on.

  Now, I’m not a romantic guy, okay? I can’t stand chick flicks and I think those romantic novels my sister, Layla, reads are complete bullshit. But I swear I don’t know what is coming over me right now.

  I’m taken.

  I’m stolen.

  I’m owned.

  I’ve never seen this girl before. She must be new, because if I ever had, I would have done something about it.

  She’s tall and lean, with waves of luscious hair and the kind of face you want to take in your hands and caress. Her eyes are… They’re emeralds, and they’re staring straight at me. My heart is pounding so hard I’m surprised the whole school can’t hear it.

  Her wide lips part, her eyes rounding for a quick moment. It’s like she wants to look away from me but she can’t.

  I don’t know what the hell’s going on. I want time to freeze. I want to stay locked in this…whatever the hell it is…for as long as possible.

  What is wrong with me?

  She blinks and jerks away from my intense stare, severing our connection. I can physically feel the loss and I’m totally confused.

  Love at first sight does not exist.

  I bite the inside of my cheek, studying her narrow, straight nose and the curve of her oval face.

  The thought makes it hard to breathe, but I have to wonder if my aversion to romance is about to get kicked in the ass.

  #2:

  Reality Check

  Kaija

  He won’t stop looking at me.

  Not that I really mind. He’s completely gorgeous. My heart is beating so fast I actually feel sick. There’s something in those dark brown eyes of his that is doing weird stuff to my body. I’ve had the hots for guys before, but this is something else. Something unfamiliar. And it’s fully freaking me out.

  The last thing I need to do is fall for the captain of the Nelson High football team.

  Reality check, Kaija!

  I’m in this country for less than three months. Ten weeks from now, I’ll be on a plane, flying home to New Zealand. I didn’t come to Idaho to mess around with some super-hot McDreamy. I came here to…

  I swallow and run slightly shaky fingers through my thick locks.

  I came to experience something new.

  My cheeks flush red at the lie. I can’t think about the real reason I’m in America.

  All I know is that falling for this school’s celebrity would be the world’s biggest mistake.

  The intense attraction I’m feeling right now doesn’t need an explanation. It needs to be ignored.

  I force my gaze everywhere but the stage, trying to soak in the bizarre cacophony around me…but my traitorous eyes keep skimming the spot just to the right of the podium. I have no idea what the football coach is saying. My ears are ringing and my heart is still thumping like a bass drum—an incessant pounding that says, “Check out the hottie. Check out the hottie.”

  Snapping my eyes shut, I pull in a breath and crunch my teeth together.

  This is ridiculous!

  Love at first sight is for novels and romantic comedies. Whatever the hell I’m feeling right now must be pure lust or something. Maybe it’s jet lag. I only arrived two nights ago; my body’s still adjusting to the new time zone. The altitude in the plane made me loopy or something.

  Surely, there’s a logical explanation.

  I fight the pull and force myself to look at Anderson. He’s my host brother while I’m here. Our families have known each other for years and that’s the only reason Mum let me come. A few months back, they invited me to experience a winter Christmas and to spend my New Zealand summer break checking out what life in the States is like. I’ve just finished Year 12, which is like my junior year of high school. Because of my sweet exam schedule, I finished about a week before everyone else. I flew out about seven hours after my final end-of-year exam. I wasn’t going to do it at first. Who wants to give up their summer break to hang out in small-town Idaho? But then…

  I clench my jaw, a nightmare image flashing through my brain.

  The day before my exams began, I changed my mind. I couldn’t get out of Auckland fast enough…and I’m already dreading my return.

  Someone whistles behind me. I flinch at the sound while Anderson laughs at me.

  “Totally ridiculous, right?” He nudges me with his pointy elbow. “I hate these things. All this hype? It’s such a crock.”

  I scan the ocean of orange and blue. The student body looks smaller than my school. Macleans College has around two thousand students from Year 9 - 13. I read that Nelson High was closer to the eight hundred mark. The amount of volume they are creating at this pep rally, though? The numbers could be argued. People don’t cheer like this in New Zealand. We’re more…low-key.

  I snicker and look back at my blond friend. His hair is a muddy kind of color, like it couldn’t decide whether to be brown or blond so settled for br-ond. He has one of those pointy kinds of faces with a sharp chin and a small mouth that curves into a tight, sardonic smile. To top it off, he has ice-blue eyes that are so keen I feel like they can see right through me. You wouldn’t need to know anything about him to work out he’s one of the smartest kids in the school.

  He told me he’s aiming for valedictorian.

  I cast my eyes down our row, checking out his band of brainiac friends. So far they’ve all been really nice to me and I’ve tried to convince myself that this will be the best ten weeks I’ve ever had.

  Another lie.

  I’m going to give it my best shot, but I’m not stupid. Anderson Foster and his Ivy League crew are not my usual peeps. I steal a quick look at the stage. The quarterback guy is grinning at one of his teammates, but his eyes soon travel back to me. I look down before he catches me checking him out.

  I don’t want it to be true, but guys like him… They are my people.

  I won’t go back, though. I can’t become that girl again. So, Anderson and his mates it is.

  Holding in my sigh, I lean over to hear what he’s saying.

  “…Thank God the season’s nearly over,” he shouts above the crowd.

  The coach raises his fists and the student body jumps to their feet with a deafening roar.

  “Now get your butts to class, and be great today!”

  The students all cheer and I clap along with Anderson, who is now rolling his eyes. Nerves prickle my skin when I try to remember where my first class is. Anderson and his little sister, Dana, took me for a tour of the school yesterday, but it was a lot to take in. I’m guaranteed to get lost a few times over the next couple of weeks. Not that it really matters if I’m late to class. This trip is about the experience. None of my grades will count. Anderson’s father has had heaps to do with the school over the years, so they’re kind of doing him a favor by letting me attend.

  It’ll be a good experience.

  At least that’s what I’ll keep telling myself.

  I collect my bag and nestle it on my shoulder. A cute chick two rows down lets out a little squeal as this hot guy in a letterman jacket wraps his arm around her waist and swings her down off the step. She nestles her arm around his body and smiles up at him. The way he looks at her is so adorable. She says something that makes him laugh, then he kisses the side of her head and they walk out of the gymnasium together. I notice a few cheerleaders glaring after them. One of the tall blondes and a girl with long dark hair scowl. I can already tell what those catty girls are thinking.

  Whoever snagged one of “their” players doesn’t belong. I guess schools the world over are the same. There are always social boundaries, and when someone tries to cross them, trouble ensues. A shudder runs down my spine, memories haunting me as I study the cute couple in front of us.

  “That’s Colt Burgess and Tori Lomax. Them getting together has been the big scandal this semester.” Anderson rolls his eyes. He does that a lot.

  “I take it the football guys rule this school.”

  �
��Jocks and cheerleaders.” He pokes out his tongue like he’s going to be sick.

  I grin. “How very high school movie of them.”

  He laughs and holds out his hand to help me off the last bleacher. I’m quite capable of jumping down on my own, but I don’t want to be rude. With a tight smile, I take his hand. The way he smiles at me is just a little too hopeful, so I wriggle out of his grasp as soon as I’m standing on the shiny floor.

  “Yeah, the social lines in this school are marked in permanent ink. I’m telling you now, you want to stick with your own kind. Tori and Colt have caught some major flack from the cheerleaders over their relationship, but the guy seems really protective of her, so it’s working for now.”

  “They make a cute couple,” the short girl beside me pipes up. “I hope they last forever.” Her smile is dreamy as she stares after them.

  “Ugh, Shelby, please do not start referring to them as Cori or Tolt. I will have to disassociate myself from you if you do.” She giggles while he grimaces. “You’re so romantic.”

  “What’s wrong with a little romance?” Her deep dimples are accentuated when she smiles like that. “I wouldn’t mind one of the Raiders sweeping me off my feet. Tori Lomax is the luckiest girl in this school…and that status will not change until Mack Mahoney scores himself a girl.” The way she wistfully sighs Mack’s name makes it obvious how much she wants it to be her.

  “Mack doesn’t need to score himself anything. The girls in this school practically kiss the ground he walks on.” Anderson’s derisive tone is impossible to miss, as is Shelby’s blush.

  I don’t really know who they’re talking about.

  The guy next to Anderson leans into the conversation. “The guy’s the quarterback and captain; technically, he should be dating Roxanne Carmichael. She’s the head cheerleader.”

  My nose wrinkles. “Isn’t that a bit cliché?”

  “High school movie, remember? Welcome to Hollywood.” Anderson chuckles as we walk through the double doors.