Page 22 of Defending Madison

Do I? Lily shares her ‘you’ve got it’ look and I nod. “Yes. Let’s do it.”

Ms. Wilcox waits until I stand and shakes my hand. “Welcome to Dauntless. I can’t wait to see how you bring us to the next level.”

That’s not pressure at all. I inhale and hug Lily. She whispers. “The girls and I are going out to Dangerous tonight at nine if you want to come.”

“Sounds good. I’ll see you there.”

I walk with Georgia as she points out the player perks while we walk to the field. “Bethany’s retirement was a blow to the team. We haven’t shared that we’re bringing you on board, but I can tell you, everyone will be thrilled.”

I hope so. We exit the elevator and walk through the tunnel to the field. Assistant coaches are running drills, and I hear a familiar voice call my name.

“Benny?” A former teammate from Boulder, Evie Benning, runs up. “Oh my God. You’re our new defender.”

Georgia shakes her head as she chuckles. “Way to blow the surprise, Benning.”

Evie squeals as she wraps her hand around the bend of my elbow. “This is the best news.”

Georgia raises her voice. “Team! Gather round.” The players run to join us on the edge of the field with chattering about who I am and what’s going on echoing around. “I’d like to introduce everyone to Madison Bennett.” I nod and raise my hand as she beams. “She’s joining us as our new defender.”

Hoots and positive comments emanate from the group. The oldest player on the team, Nadia Jurgens, raises her hand. “Welcome.”

Surprise tickles my neck. That was easier than I thought. “I’m excited to be here. I can’t wait to see what we can do together asa team.” The group of women swarm me and, just like that, I’m one of them.

Later that night, I stare at myself in the mirror. The short blue suede skirt hits just above the scar on my knee. I’m not vain enough to care. I’m a professional athlete. If someone is going to judge me for my scars, they can fuck off. My hair is long and loose in ringlets down my back with a light dusting of makeup. The off-white blouse shows more cleavage than I typically do, but I don’t feel the need to hide them as much as I did. I tip my head to myself in the mirror. “You control your destiny. Go get it!”

Dangerous is a dance club in the Quad owned by one of the Campbell cousins. They’re an uber-rich family in Dallas and Lily’s close to the wives and girlfriends. In fact, her fiancé is a Campbell cousin as well. The club is the happening place to be. It’s typically full of hot women, rich men, professional athletes, and other notorious characters. Regret peeks up in my mind as I stare at myself. My soccer career is the most important thing to me, but am I missing out by not having someone to share it? My phone rings me out of the thought.

“Hello?”

“Hey. Are you coming to my condo or are you meeting us there?” Lily is a good friend, of course she’s calling to check on me.

I flick my wrist. I’m late. “I’ll meet you there in twenty.”

“Cool.”

Chapter 8

MADISON

Eighteen minutes later, I walk through the doors into the loud, popping music. On the bottom floor of the entertainment tower of the Quad, the rich and famous frequent Dangerous. Cameron Campbell and his brother, Calder, designed the club after their favorites in Amsterdam. I inhale a deep breath as I approach the ground floor area that leads down the stairs to the club. The burly gorilla of a man, who towers over me by half a foot, nods and moves the red velvet rope to just let me walk right in. Why do I feel like I’ve left Dallas and been transported to a ritzy, famous, glamorous club in New York?

I glance around and don’t see Lily or her friends. Most of Lily’s friends are involved with her fiancé, Stewart’s brothers or cousins. I’ve met quite a few of them. Those men come from a phenomenal gene pool. All of them are rich, successful, hot withdark hair and swimming blue eyes, including Lily’s fiancé, the All-Star professional baseball player.

I stop at the bar and catch the attention of the female bartender. The club is decorated in black, white, steel and glass. The hard edges give it a bold, retro look out of the nineteen seventies. It looks like a night club should look. Lily mentioned that above the club, there are other businesses in the Quad, owned by the Campbells and their relatives: the most popular restaurants, bars and clubs in Dallas. I smile thinking about the gentlemen’s club I’ve heard is in the basement.

“What can I get you, hun?” The petite, dark-haired, tatted bartender smiles.

“Surprise me.”

She beams and walks off as I feel a hand slip around my waist and wait for some man to whisper he wants to buy me a drink. The hand tightens and pulls me into a broad chest. I’m tall for a woman at five-foot eleven. Well, I’m just a smidge off six-foot, but that intimidates men, so I just round down.

“Can I buy you a drink?”

Predictable. I face the older man, not quite my height. Well, let’s see whether he’s the confident type or the bully. I smile. “Sure. But let’s drop the hand.”

He frowns and tightens his grip. “You don’t mean that. I saw you come in. You’re alone.”

“I’m meeting friends.”

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