Page 78 of Offside Angel

“Right.” I dig the toe of my shoe into the dirt, trying to decide the best way to bring this up. After almost no consideration, because I’m too much of a coward and might chicken out if I think about it too hard, I decide to jump straight into it. “I need you to look into something for me.”

“Professionally?”

“Yes. I need you to check with the staff at the gym. See if they have any security cameras set up.”

“They do,” he says, turning to fully face me. “I know they do. Why do you need to see them?”

Whatever I ask, he could report back to Zane. I know that’s true. Some part of me is even glad that it’s true. Zane and I can both trust Evan, which is why he’s good at his job.

But it also means I have to be careful.

“I want to know if Dante has been by,” I say plainly.

Still, his shoulders tense. “Is that why you’ve been skipping kickboxing the last few days? Have you seen him? Do you know where he?—”

“I don’t know anything.”

“I’ve been keeping a close eye on things at the gym, but I’ll check again,” Evan says. “I can ask them for footage and take a closer look, if you’re worried.”

Zane gets a blindfolded Aiden aimed in the direction of the piñata and then turns around, looking for me. Our eyes meet across the lawn, and my insides light up like a switchboard.

“Thanks. It’s just a precaution.” I manage my first real smile in days. “I’m sure everything will work out just fine.”

29

ZANE

“This is an open meeting, but you really don’t have to come if you don’t want to.” I squeeze Mira’s hand as we walk down the stairs. “Evan is just outside. He can take you back to the condo. I’ll go by myself.”

“Zane.” Mira pulls me to a stop. She’s a step ahead of me, our eyes almost on the same level. “I want to come with you. Please don’t be nervous.”

“I’m not nervous.” She arches a brow, and I drop my head to her shoulder. “Fuck. Fine. I haven’t been this nervous for a meeting since my first one. I’ve only ever gone to these by myself.”

“Well, I’m happy to be your first.” She gives me a teasing smile. “But if you don’t want me here, then I can leave. It’s up to?—”

I yank her forward, catching her with a kiss.

She hums contentedly against my mouth and my hand slides over the curve of her waist, across her hip. I pull her against me, pressing her where I want her until?—

“You’re at the wrong building,” someone croaks from way too close.

I snatch Mira around the waist and haul her down to my step before I realize we’ve been caught by a woman half my height and three times my age.

The old woman takes a shaking step down the stairs to get past us. “Sex Addicts Anonymous is at the Greek Orthodox church down the block.” With that, the woman leaves, her witchy cackle floating back to us as she wobbles away.

Once she’s down the stairs, Mira laughs against my neck. “How does she know where sex addicts meet?”

“Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to.”

I grab her hand and lead her into the dingy church basement full of addicts.

Folding chairs have been set up in a circle. As opposed to most meetings I attend first thing in the morning before practice, almost every seat is full. Mira and I have to squeeze between a middle-aged couple in matching striped shirts and a young guy FaceTiming with a woman who looks old enough to be his mom.

“Do you want any coffee?” I point to the refreshments table. “It’s actually pretty good. Caffeine is the only drug we’re allowed, so we know how to do it right.”

“That’s okay. Now that we’re here, I’m nervous,” she admits. “I don’t know what this will be like.”

Before I can prep her, the secretary for this meeting stands up and opens up the proceedings. They pass the donation plate to collect enough money to pay for the cookies and coffee—I toss in everything in my wallet. Then the first speaker reads from the Big Book.

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