The Dark Storeroom

Third POV

Loud gasps ripped through the massive gymnasium, slicing through the thick, suffocating tension. Cleo didn’t flinch. Tuning out the whispers and the wide-eyed stares of the surrounding crowd, she shoved her weight forward and threw the heavy leather basketball straight at Ryker.

He caught it with a sharp, stinging smack that echoed off the high ceiling. His fingers dug into the texture