Page 82 of The Secret Play

Never in my life had I heard Nico fumble around a woman like that. He was suave, cool, effortlessly casual about these things. But in my hallway, he sounded like a nervous teenager.

Which meant he liked her. It was weird for me, though. The thought of my brother and a woman who was like a sister to me…being intimate. I squirmed, thanks to the heebie-jeebies of that thought. But the truth was, it wasn’t such a bad thing.

As long as they were happy, I’d manage.

The limo waiting outside was sleek and extravagant, its polished black surface gleaming under the streetlights. Winnie practically bounced into the backseat, her hands running over the plush leather seats with giddy enthusiasm. The passenger area was light blue and purple, giving every shiny surface a glow.

“This is so cool!” she squealed, her little feet swinging as she settled in.

Megan immediately zeroed in on the champagne stash, pouring herself a glass and holding up the bottle. “Want some?” she asked, already halfway through her first sip.

“Not yet,” I said, settling into my seat.

Nico sat across from us, looking far too pleased with himself. “What?” he said when I gave him a pointed look. “You deserve it. Let yourself have some fun. You’re not driving tonight.”

I couldn’t argue with that. Seeing Winnie this happy made it all worth it, even if the extravagance felt a little over the top.

“Thanks, Nico,” I said quietly, my chest tightening with gratitude as I took a champagne flute from Megan.

“Anything for my baby sister.”

“Are you nervous about going against the Razors?” Megan asked.

I’d expected him to flash a grin, vowing that he was never nervous. But instead Nico said, “They’re a good team full of bad apples. This season, they pulled out some wins I never saw coming. They’ve been so unpredictable that the bookies in Vegas have been talking about it. The odds are against us for tonight, and the bookies are almost always right.”

I nearly dropped my champagne out of shock. “Nico Grimaldi, are you being humble for the first time in your life?”

He smirked. “Realistic. I expect the Razors to come after me tonight, so it’ll be good to have you three in the stands in case I get carted out on a stretcher. You can ride in the ambulance.”

Winnie clapped. “An ambulance ride, too?”

“Only if I get hurt, Win,” he said.

Her little face fell. “Don’t get hurt.”

“I’ll do my best.” He ruffled her hair and smiled, but I saw the pinch at the corners of his eyes. He had never been good at hiding his worry from me.

The drive was short, thankfully. Once inside the arena, it was hard to hear each other at first. Crowd noise drowned our voices. Winnie’s excitement was infectious as we made our way to our seats—prime spots behind the glass with an unobstructed view of the action. I couldn’t believe Nico scored us these seats. When I said as much, he said I shouldn’t doubt him.

“This is amazing!” Winnie said, her face pressed against the glass as she took it all in.

“It’s definitely something,” Megan agreed, sinking into her seat with a second glass of champagne. I had no idea how she had snuck it to our seats.

Nico handed me a tray of concessions before kneeling to give Winnie a quick hug. “All right, kiddo, I’ve got to get out there. You three have fun, okay?”

“Good luck!” Winnie called, waving as he jogged off toward the locker room.

I turned back to Megan, catching her watching Nico with an expression I’d almost never seen before on her face. But there was no mistaking that look. “You like him.”

“What? No,” she said quickly, her cheeks flushing.

“You totally like him,” I teased.

She huffed, crossing her arms. “Even if I did, it’d be weird. He’s your brother.”

“It’d be weird forme, but that doesn’t mean it’d be weird for you, and I’d get over it. And, for the record, I wouldn’t interfere. You two are grown adults, and you make your own choices.”

Megan didn’t respond, but the darkening blush on her cheeks said it all.

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