Page 42 of Her Devils

“Yeah, I know. Hopefully I’ll be able to hang out with Trent and make him feel better.”

I shoot Sarah a knowing look. “Right. I can only imagine how you’re going to do that.”

“Hey!” She giggles. “It would be nice if you weren’t the only one who got laid this weekend.”

I laugh, telling her to lower her voice because Mom and Ken are just two rows in front of us, but the shuttle reaches the party venue.

“Holy shit,” I murmur as we get off the minibus.

The party venue is at the top of a modern skyscraper, which is all glass on the outside and marble and polished brass on the inside.

Several elevators bring us and many more partygoers to the top floor where a sky bar, completely enclosed by glass, welcomes us in its unprecedented luxury.

Waitstaff dressed in outfits reminiscent of skydiving suits are walking around the room, offering us dainty canapés and glasses of chilled champagne.

A long glass bar takes up one entire side of the square room, and a few bartenders are there to offer cocktails and liquor to anyone who wants something other than champagne.

Darrius makes a beeline for the bar, followed by his girlfriend, while Sarah and I are more than happy with the champagne.

“I think I should keep an eye on my son tonight,” I hear Kyle tell Mom a few feet away from us.

“Yeah, it looks like he’s far from over today’s poor performance.”

Kyle’s frown is uncannily similar to his son’s as he shakes his head. “Yeah, but he only has himself to blame. He should know better than to let a squabble with another team affect his performance. He let the Cove Devils provoke him and get in his head.”

I watch Mom frown at her business partner and lifelong friend’s words. “Kyle, I don’t know exactly what happened in that locker room, but from what Ken told me, Darrius was as ready to fight just as much as Peyton.”

I don’t hear Kyle’s response because the Cove Devils enter the room, and everyone applauds today’s overall winners.

Every journalist and blogger present wants to ask them questions and snap a shot of the “second Star Cove team,” despite the press conference the team attended after the event was over.

“Thank you, everyone,” Peyton says with his most charming smile after answering a couple of questions. “We’re extremely happy with today’s performance, but the season has just begun, and it’s a long way to nationals and worlds. We answered all your questions earlier, and now it’s time to party!”

He spots Sarah and me, and he wades through the crowd to join us, followed by his teammates and Anna, who’s dangling from Jameson’s arm.

“Come on, girls.” He winks, letting his dark blue eyes linger on me a second longer than what’s considered appropriate. “Let’s get this party started. Who wants to do some shots?”

“That sounds fun,” Sarah agrees, wrapping one arm around my shoulders and following the Cove Devils, plus Anna, to the bar. “Let’s go, Len.”

I’m immediately thankful that Peyton heads to the opposite side of the bar from Darrius.

A few more skydivers from other teams join us too, and I’m soon served a shot of top-shelf vodka.

The cold liquid warms my throat as I tip the shot glass, but I stop with the second shot in midair when my eyes meet Darrius’s gaze at the other end of the bar.

He’s sipping from a tumbler full of amber liquid, totally ignoring his girlfriend who’s still talking to him, and his frown deepens as he looks at me.

I thought I knew my best friend. I was convinced that I knew him better than anyone and that we understood each other with just one look.

Things have definitely changed since I came back from France, and now I have no idea what’s brewing beneath the dark scowl on Darrius’s face.

I feel relieved when our group moves outside after ordering more drinks.

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