Page 18 of Justice for Puck Bunnies

“I’ve already got an entire album of pictures to flaunt to our captain. I guess I can suffer the loss of the real thing for the look on Brad’s face when I scroll through ‘em when he’s looking over my shoulder.”

Izzy gasps but then bursts out laughing. She coughs out garbled yesses.

“We aren’t telling anyone shit,” Trick grumbles.

“Aw, come on!” Mason says. “She’s right and you’re right. Brad’s pushing us harder than he ever has. You were worried about him dropping the ball, but Izzy’s got him focused. Besides, the guy’s an egotistical asshole. Don’t you want to knock him down a peg?”

A tickling sensation in my mind screams that this is the only way forward. My instincts are rarely wrong, even when I don’t understand them at the time.

I get to my feet because I know it has to come from me if we want Trick to agree. The other two, they aren’t pack. Mason... it’s too early to think about Mason. I like the guy well enough—that is, when he can keep his chaos in check.

“It’s good for all of us in the short and long run,” I tell Trick. “Izzy gets a place to live and a reformed Brad at the end. We get temporary help around the house and a captain worthy of the title, plus some retribution for his bad behavior.”

My alpha considers us for a long beat. The stiff shoulders tell me he’s unsure, but his face is open.

Please come around, Trick. This will work. I know it.

“All three of you are okay with this?” he asks.

We share a glance, but I can practically feel the mischief coming from both my left and my right behind me.

“We are.”

He palms his face and rubs his eyes with a thumb and a pointer finger.

“I’m going to regret this.”

* * *

Izzy

Only a week later, the boys haul my meager belongings up the stairs to a room at the end of the hall. It’s got a nice view of the neighbor’s house, but also two backyards and a high fence separate us.

Yes, this will certainly do for a few weeks.

I will have my revenge on Brad the Cad. There’s an enticing joy in making him squirm and crawl back to me.

Actually, more than that, I’m doing this for puck bunnies everywhere.

The players like to use and discard us—but not this time. This PB is getting a wife card.

May my revenge become legend.

May I be a conduit for all of our feminine rage.

Hell hath no fury like a puck bunny scorned.

Justice for puck bunnies, one and all.

My success is our success. Reforming the world one manwhore at a time.

Besides, I’ve already braved the text to my parents about my change in venue.

There’s no turning back now.

My keys scrape against the tape sealing a box closed. I probably shouldn’t unpack entirely. Who knows how long I’ll actually live with the boys?

There’s something about last week’s conversation that leaves me with the impression Trick doesn’t really want me here. It’s not that he hates the idea. We’ve had a few group chat messages between the four of us since for him to back out.

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