Page 21 of Nikoli

"You lying sack of shit!" Dario points. "You can't keep your eyes or hands off Willow." He wiggles his eyebrows. "I bet if she flashed her tits at you during a game, you'd fall over your own damn feet."

I narrow my eyes. "First of all, Willow would never do anything like that. Second, I've never fallen over my own feet, and third, Gemma did not flash her tits."

"Can you two girls stop talking about tits?" Madden joins us.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" I ask, sitting back and nursing my jaw.

"I quit women."

Dario frowns. "What exactly does that mean?"

"It means," Madden says, "exactly what you think it means. No women. I'm becoming a priest."

"Bullshit!" Dario shakes his head and gives Madden a look of disgust.

"I'm serious. Women are always throwing themselves at us. But why? Because we're professional athletes. It has nothing to do with who we are. I'm over it."

I wince. "You got burned, huh?"

"Not really. I'm more pissed off than anything." Madden looks at Dario. "So, what's up with you and Gemma?”

"Nothing."

Madden snorts. "You took three down over nothing!"

"He has a crush on the new girl," I tell Madden. "I'm sure he doesn't think about his teammates when she's in sight."

Dario gets up, gives us the bird, and walks out.

Madden smiles. "What's this I hear about you and Willow?" Serious, he adds, "If I can help with anything, I will. Just ask."

I exhale and wipe my face with a hand. "I've thought about the situation. I think I'm going to hire Ellison Security to clean up this fucking mess. At least they know what they're doing." I lean over the table and Madden does the same. "Marcus Carter already killed his brother."

"Fuck!"

"Tell me about it."

15

WILLOW

Martha is tired today, so she snoozes in an armchair by her bedroom window. She has a great view of a pond with ducks bobbing about atop it. Large willow trees are dotted around the embankment. Benches for the residents to enjoy the fresh air are placed spasmodically around the pond. It's pretty and relaxes my soul. I know this from experience. It's one of my happy places since I've been here.

I don't relish the thought of heading home to Louisville for any reason. The town is about a thirty-minute drive West of Baton Rouge. But then again. I have a sudden thought—if Marcus and Sarah are here in Boston, then that means they're not in the house in Louisville. Which means I will have some time to search for my brother.

My belly fills with nerves at the thought. It could work though. Something at the house would surely tell me where Gabe is. No one would expect me to go there.

I wince as I turn and face a sleeping Martha. I care for her and have second thoughts about leaving. It would only be temporary, but even so. Then there is Nikoli. I can't tell him what I'm planning to do. He has a game tonight, and he does not need the distraction of worrying about me.

A thought comes to me. Rosie and Levi, or Dodge as he prefers. They could come with me. Oh, maybe not Rosie. She'll be at the game. Dodge though. He gave me his card yesterday. I hunt through my jean pockets, but of course the pair I wear are fresh, the others need laundered. Then I remember, I peel off the cover on my cheap phone.I hold the card and look at the crisp black ink of his number. There is no name. No business. Just black digits.

I check on Martha who snoozes away and leave the room. The door closes softly behind me. Waiting for me in the hallway is Isobel. She hooks my arm and tugs me further along away from resident doorways. I go with her because she doesn't scare me and I'm curious as to what she wants.

"What is going on?" she asks coming to a stop. She faces me. "That man from yesterday accused me of things."

"I saw you and Laura slip the envelope beneath my door. That is why Dodge was here asking questions. You facilitated someone threatening me."

Her complexion pales. "I'm sorry. We should have realized it was something bad." She glances away and then holds my gaze. "We didn't know. Will you tell that man as well. I don't want him back here. He wasn't very friendly. He was easy on the eyes until he started questioning us."

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