Page 51 of The Wrong Move

“Dante. I thought maybe the idea of me seeing him again concerned you.”

“I wasn’t concerned, but I am now,” he murmurs.

“Why were you quiet if you weren’t thinking about my ex in Italy? When I mentioned him at the beach, you told me you wanted to know ‘everything about your opponent’.”

“Is he my opponent?”

“No. That’s why I said I wouldn’t see him.”

Byron makes a growly noise from his throat. “Then why bring him up?”

“Because he is Isabella’s nephew, and he’ll want to see me. I just want you to know that while I am nervous, I am not interested in him.”

“Why are you nervous, Giana?” he asks matter-of-factly.

I shake my head. “It doesn’t matter. If it wasn’t about him, then why the silence?”

“First, it does matter. And second, I was thinking about what my brother said about how I’m not free to make my own decisions.” He takes my hand in his lap and squeezes it. “But I’ll move heaven and earth to accompany you to Italy.”

12

BYRON

Brandon pulls upbeside me in his BMW. I jump out of my car, lock it, and walk with him into the gym. We take the tunnel to the locker room, ignoring our teammates’ banter.

“How was the land Down Under, BJ?” Simpson asks, his tone lined with sarcasm.

“Oh, you missed us at the game,” I throw over my shoulder. “I didn’t see any triple-doubles on your stats.”

He grumbles something as we walk past him to reach our stall. I toss my bag onto the leather chair embossed with the LA Sharks logo near the headrest. It rolls from the force and hits the cabinetry behind the chair.Byron Hendricks #19is printed on the overhead cabinetry. I hit the number in superstition like I have every day since the first time I entered this room. Retrieving my Air Jordans, I take a seat and prepare for training. I glance up at Brandon sitting opposite me in the room. He pulls his jersey over his head and taps the number seven on his chest, then touches his temple.

Each one of us has a ritual.

Brandon has barely mentioned the trip to Australia, and now I’m curious as to why. He’s mentioned how his mom was overwhelmed with happiness when he surprised her, the weather, and the party, but not much else. Nothing about Charlotte annoying the fuck out of him. He’s been quiet since he returned.

I took it as sadness at leaving his family and friends. We all make sacrifices to play the game we love. Now, I’m wondering if Charlotte made the trip almost unbearable, and he’s staying quiet so as not to offend me. I know what she’s capable of—she is my sister. And I have not been hanging with him as much as we used to due to being distracted by Giana.

Springing from my chair, I jump up and down on the spot, testing the fit of my Air Jordans.

“You playing in the training match?” Simpson snickers. “I thought Coach was playing Trax.” What is he talking about?

Leroy leans close. “Ignore him. He’s pissed because Holden Hayes hit on his sister.”

Holden Hayes is my main opponent and plays for the LA Stars.

“Hey, Simpson. Remember the last time I owned Hayes? You should take a page out of my playbook.”

“Fuck you, Hendricks.” His eyes dart to Brandon, who is focused on tying his laces. The bastard better not start with Brandon. “You wouldn’t be so smug if you knew?—”

“Hey, hey.” Jye pulls at Simpson’s jersey. “Let it go, man.”

“Who’s ready to crush it?” I yell, bouncing up and down. We jog out of the locker room, along the tunnel, and toward the court.

Leroy is beside me. “While Simpson pisses me off…” I tell LeRoy, “… I understand his anger. If anyone in the team touched my sister, I’d destroy them.” Not them, but their career. “I’dmake sure they never got to play another game with the LA Sharks.”

Leroy slaps my back. “Calm down, tiger. We all know the bro code. Even Simpson wouldn’t lay a finger on Lottie.”

For a few seconds, a possessive emotion rips over me. I would tear them apart. Family is off-limits.

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