Page 27 of Blood Sport

All I can do is watch her. I focus on the way her brown hair falls over her shoulder like a cascading waterfall with the icy blonde section of hair shining under the harsh lights of the stadium or the way her mouth moves to form the syllables of the lyrics as she sings them proudly.

I can’t help but wonder how that pretty little mouth of hers and those plump lips would look wrapped around my—

The song ends, and my team begins moving into formation. I hear words of encouragement from our coach, but they sound like static in my ears as I walk to the center line on the pitch.

I can’t allow myself to be distracted by Evie for the next ninety minutes.

Focus, Jaylen.

The starting whistle kicks off the game and I look to my left at Miles, who nods in my direction. Oh, we’re ready to kick some ass.

***

Sweat is pouring down the side of my face as I run across the field, the ball bouncing off the inside of my foot as I inch it toward the opposite goal. I can hear the opposing goalkeeper’s racing heart as I get closer, the rhythmic beat growing more staggered as the defenders struggle to keep me away.

It’s the exact same scenario as this morning with Cain. This keeper is almost as good as him, so if I stick to the same old tactic I use against Cain, I’ll have this in the bag. So long as no one gets in my way and messes up the shot.

With one quick glance at the scoreboard, I know I only have twenty seconds left on the clock before the final whistle to sink this ball into the back of the net. It would give the Raiders the win. I can’t fail. Not now.

I can sense the defenders hot on my heels, their breathing heavy as they try to close in on me. But it’s no use. Not when I can apply a little more of my power to keep out of reach. The keeper is staring me dead in the eye as I approach. He is standing in the middle of the goal box, so I slow down my pace, reel my right foot back, and kick the ball.

I stop dead in my tracks when I see the ball slide past the keeper’s hands as he tries to save it, but he’s not close enough as it flies into the back of the net.

An eruption of cheers from the crowd nearly blows the roof of the stadium off as I run toward my teammates and am instantly swept into a massive group hug as we celebrate the 3-2 win over the Dolphins. Miles is the first to clap my back and pull me into a tight hug, followed by the rest of the team as they form a tight circle.

As the Raiders celebrate, I look toward the crowd where I know Evie is and catch the wide smile on her lips as she watches me, her hands clapping along with everyone else in the stadium. All I can focus on is her and the way her amazonite eyes are lit up with joy as she watches me.

She has no idea how enamored I am by her. But she will soon.

***

“Well done, Jaylen,” Coach Jones says, coming up beside me as I slide a fresh black T-shirt over my head. He claps me on the back, a huge smile on his face. He’s an older man in his 50s with a goatee and gray hair. “You really were the star of the game.”

I smile and turn to face him. “I appreciate that, but I couldn’t have done it without the rest of the team. I just hope I can continue to make you proud.”

Coach grins, his fake teeth too bright in the dim locker room. “Just keep doing what you’re doing.”

I nod, watching as he walks away to talk to Ethan and Preston. It’s been almost an hour since the game had finished, and I’ve spent most of that time in the locker room getting out of my sweaty uniform and celebrating with the team. My teammates have been congratulating me nonstop for the winning goal since walking off the pitch, but I’ve long since forgotten about it. The only thing on my mind is Evie. At this point, she lives in there rent-free, and I fucking love it.

I was hoping she would stay behind to see Miles after the game, which would allow me to see her too, but her friends dragged her away. It just means I’ll have to find another way to get close to her. Admittedly, it has been a challenge to get close to her when Miles is as protective over her as he is. He’s always been that way, I know this, but lately, he’s been extra overprotective over Evie and I’m unsure why. He doesn’t know what happened between us at Black Rose, so it couldn’t be because of that.

Either way, I’m not letting it get in the way of what I want, and that’s her. I want all of her, and I will stop at nothing to get what I want.

“Earth to Jaylen.” Miles’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

I look up from my open locker at Miles standing beside me, his brows furrowed slightly.

“You’re deep in thought,” he comments. “Is everything all good?”

I nod and turn back to my locker to finish grabbing everything I need to take home and shove it into my gym bag. “All is good, man. You?”

Miles nods. I can feel his eyes burning a hole in the side of my face as he watches me. “Yeah. I just wanted to let you know that I’ll be home late tonight. I’m going to see Cindy.”

“Again?” I quirk a brow as I sling my gym bag over my shoulder and shove my helmet under my other arm.

He chuckles. “I can’t say no to good pussy when it’s served on a silver platter. You know that better than anyone.”

I do. Being who I am, I’m always looking for a woman to satisfy my cravings and bloodlust. I’ve been with too many women to count, but at some point, they all just blur together, and I can never remember their names or faces. They no longer fill the void deep within my chest. This doesn’t bother me in the slightest because there has only ever been one woman I’ve truly wanted, who I know will satisfy the needs burning deep inside of me. But she’s my best friend’s little sister, who is off-limits.

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