Page 8 of Stone's Promise

Trey.

He was standing beside it, watching me with a smirk that made my fists itch.

Great.

He stood with his arms crossed like he belonged here. Like he was one of us. My hands instinctively started to curl into fists, but I forced them to relax.

Max let out a low chuff, sensing my mood.

“You lost?” I asked, my voice flat.

Trey studied me with the kind of arrogant expression that made me itch to knock it clean off his face. “Just wanted to get a closer look at the guy Emily’s parading around.”

I stared him down. “And?”

“Still trying to figure out what she sees in you.” He moved his head up and down, making a show of sizing me up.

I’d been around guys like Trey before, men who thought they could walk into any room and take up space they hadn’t earned. He didn’t intimidate me. He just annoyed the hell out of me.

I turned toward the locker room, ready to be done with this waste of time, but his voice followed me.

“Watch yourself around Emily. She’s got enough on her plate without you complicating things.”

I stilled.

Something dark and instinctive surged inside me, a protective fire that took me by surprise. It had nothing to do with the fact that Trey was her ex or how he’d suddenly decided he wanted to be a father, even though that pissed me off, too. It was about Emily herself, her determination, her bright spirit, the way she kept standing even when life threw shit at her.

I sure as hell didn’t like the way he talked about her, insulting her one second and then pretending to be her guardian the next. He needed to run his feet like he ran his mouth and get the fuck away from me before I showed him exactly how we take punches here at Warriors Den.

I turned back to him, my voice low and controlled. “Emily’s stronger than you think. She doesn’t need youactinglike you’re fighting her battles.”

Trey scoffed. “Is that why you’re with her now? Because of her little charity project?”

I met his gaze. He shifted his feet when I took a few seconds longer to answer. “I like Em.” I shortened her name, the way I heard her friend Ava say it, even though I was nowhere near friend status with Emily. Trey didn’t need to know that. “And I’m going to like helping her on Family Day.”

“Right.” His voice was soaked in sarcasm. “Just remember where you stand, Stone.”

He turned and strolled toward the exit like he had nothing to prove, but his words left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I watched as he slid into his black Lamborghini, revved the engine like some kind of power move, and sped off.

“Asshole,” I muttered under my breath.

Max nudged my leg, and I ran a hand over his head, grounding myself.

Trey was full of shit, but I could put him out of my mind for the time being. Emily stuck with me. Since seeing her again after a year, something shifted inside me that I wasn’t sure I was ready to name.

EMILY

I STOOD IN FRONT OFmy closet, arms crossed, my lower lip caught between my teeth. For someone who spent her days making decisions at City Hall, I sure was struggling over what to wear tonight.

"Why do you look like you're about to negotiate a peace treaty instead of picking an outfit?"

I glanced over at my mother, who sat on the edge of my bed with an amused smile. She owned one of the trendiest boutiques in town, so naturally, she had opinions about fashion with a capital O.

"I just want to look nice.”

She hummed knowingly, standing and heading straight for my closet. A moment later, she pulled out a fitted sweater and matching skirt set in a deep autumn orange shade. "This. Cute, put together, and it shows off those legs I gave you."

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