Page 65 of Force At Third

AJ and Nour are checking out IG, Bennett’s having a stare-off with Rome, and I’m back at Walton, sitting around the table, hiding a hard-on.

Pissed Gwendolyn York … so fucking sexy.

Bennett finally breaks the silence. “What about the stadium? Forty-six thousand people pack those stands. Is he capable of?—”

“The stadium is safe,” Gwendolyn interrupts. “The fans are safe. The team”—she pauses—“is safe.”

He nods then shakes his head. “Then how did you miss the row of houses next door?”

Fuck, Bennett. Come on, kid.

“There’s two of them, Bennett. Known them both a long time. Played ball with Marks. Played?—”

She elbows me again, harder this time, and I decide to keep it PG.

“If they knew that was even possible?—”

“CeCe was with me at my place last night,” Rome cuts me off. “They had eyes on her. If this is arson, it was planned and executed when none of us were around.”

“Before you are all back in, a system will be in place,” Marks assures them.

“Okay.” Bennett pushes back in his chair and stands.

“Highlights?” I ask.

“Let’s do this.” Nour stands next.

“Dude.” AJ stands and shakes his head. “You better hope the coach doesn’t see that. He sees how fast you can run when motivated, he’s gonna motivate the hell out of you.”

Not to self: I gotta check out social media more often.

* * *

It’s one in the morning when the boys start nodding off.

“Room situation. AJ and Nour good with the double?” Gwendolyn stands. “Gonna guess Rome wants CeCe’s room. So, Blaze can take Cora’s?”

Blaze nods.

I stretch as I stand up. “You and me then, huh?”

She rolls her eyes at me and looks at Marks. “Tell him to go ahead and head up.”

“Why? Did you put a dead rat in the bed or something?”

“She wouldn’t disrespect CeCe’s home like that.” Marks leans back and links his fingers behind his head.

“The other living room set up for me?” she asks Marks.

“It’s set up enough for me. You take Danny and Chloe’s room. I’m good in there.”

As I’m walking away, I hear Gwendolyn whisper, “Did you give him a freaking gun?”

“Absolutely not. It came with the Mystery Machine.”

“You need sleep more than I do—you’re not making a damn bit of sense. Plus, I need to check in with EchoFury and Wren.”

“We’re good, York. We?—”

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