Page 36 of Unleashed

“That’s fucking low, Coach.”

“Yep. If you two utter a negative word to each other, I’m out of here.”

Simone rolls her eyes, and I throw my hands into the air as I step back. “Sounds good to me. We won’t talk to each other at all.”

Wilder shakes his head. “It doesn’t work that way. As pitcher and catcher, it’s imperative you communicate during the game.” Christ. Calm down. We’re not bringing home a space shuttle.

Simone whines, “Then I want another position. I’ll take anywhere in the outfield.”

Wilder grins, rubbing his chin. His black wedding band resembles a tire, an homage to his stupid dirt bike. I found it at the jewelry store. I still can’t believe how I helped Hadley marry this dimwit. “Not happening. Make it work, or I walk. And that’s no empty threat.”

He puts his sunglasses back onto his face. Absently, I rub my right-hand fingers over my bare left ring finger. After I threw my wedding ring in the bar kitchen, Amos took it. I’m sure he keeps it in his underwear drawer, guaranteeing I don’t snatch it back to toss into the James River. I’d laugh if my life wasn’t a certified disaster. With a smirk, Wilder taunts, “Because I can. Simone, take your turn at bat.”

“What about please?”

He frowns at her preposterous request. “What about it?”

“Sometimes, I can’t stand you.”

As Simone walks away, I attempt a slick escape, but Wilder snags my arm. “Don’t think you get off.”

I glare at his hand on my arm and then at his smug expression. “What?”

Wilder narrows his eyes at me, making him resemble my grandfather after two beers and a line of coke. “I don’t know what went down between you and Simone but don’t think I’m not on her side. Whatever the hell you did, it broke her heart. I’m not letting you off the hook.”

“Her heart? Are you fucking kidding me?” I hiss. “Despite the lies your sister fed you, she pulled the plug on our marriage after a damn argument. I begged her to take me back. And you know how that fucking feels. Right?” Wilder grits his teeth as he looks past me, no doubt thinking back to when he crawled on his hands and knees for Hadley Beckett. I know he’d do it again for her. He almost ended his life after losing her. But Romeo didn’t die. Paris was the one who bit the dust. That, boys and girls, is what happens when you drink and drive. You’d think he’d have better reflexes with a name like Dash.

“Regardless, you’ll only talk to Simone when necessary for the team.” He glances toward home plate and shouts, “Sims, don’t swing at everything! And keep your eye on the ball!” Shaking his head, he mutters, “Jesus.”

“Butt out!” she screeches before returning her attention to Crick. She’s holding the bat like a lazy serial killer wielding a heavy axe.

As I watch Simone’s tight body sway, readying for the pitch, I think of the time in my bedroom when her perfect tits bounced as she rode my aching dick and moaned my name. “Oh, Greg!”

Breaking my mental jerking off, Wilder says, “By the way, cut the theatrics at bat and on the mound. You’re going to hurt someone again.” I glare at him when he leans closer, gritting his teeth. What a douche canoe. As if I’d forgotten slamming Hadley with a line drive to the stomach, setting off a catastrophic chain reaction that changed our lives.

“You don’t need to remind me. I think I’m skipping Rhodes’s shindig for Shasta tonight.”

Wilder scowls at me. “You’ll be there with your team.”

“You just told me to stay away from Simone.” I glance at Mud Puppy, who is already gawking at me. I’m sure Simone told him a shitload of lies and laughed about my tiny dick. I never heard her complain. When the assclown smiles at me with a nod, my silent sneer tells him to fuck off.

“You and my sister are still a package deal. Play nice.” A crack of the bat makes us turn toward the field to see Simone hitting a grounder that slips past Val and rolls into the outfield, where Patrice is no roadblock.

I sigh. “This season, that shit’s not happening without divine intervention.”

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