Page 22 of College Hockey Bully

“Are you going to let the bitch get away with talking to us like that?” Noah barks as Scarlett rushes from the room, her ponytail bouncing behind her.

I tear my eyes away from the entrance, latching it onto Noah’s enraged expression. “I’ll handle her.”

First, I need to handle my body’s response to the sudden about-turn of our plans this afternoon. Scarlett burst into the locker room and every nerve cell became overactive, transmitting messages from my brain to the organ that has a fucking mind of its own these days. Thank God for these black sweats that hide everything. Her fury turned me on and it pisses me off.

Yes, fuck it. I’m attracted to Scarlett. I’m intrigued by her curves and her hair and those eyes that move something inside me every fucking time. I can’t get her out of my head, and I hate it. It’s hard to reconcile that I desire the woman who almost ruined my life.

But, did she, though? Her words come back at me—

“You always fucking say that, but you’re not handling anything. You’re treating her with kid gloves, making her brave enough to take things up a notch. Before you know it, she will be stealing our game plan. You heard her; she’s fucking smart.”

Yes, that is the exact thing that’s making me second-guess myself. Scarlett is the most brilliant person I know. Would her sabotage be so obvious?

Noah comes to stand in front of me. “I’m serious, Aiden. This nice guy theme isn’t working. Time for the big guns. Send her—and her partner a message that will discourage them once and for all.”

I cross my arms over my chest, fixing him a hard stare. “We’re done, Noah.” I direct my next words to the entire team. “From now on, we leave Scarlett alone, understood?”

“Like hell, we will,” Noah sneers. “You’re not the only one with a stake in the championship—”

“Yes, I fucking know that. It doesn’t change what I said.Stand the fuck downand let me handle things from here on out.”

Which is what I should’ve done, instead of blurting my suspicions about Scarlett to the team.

With his expression still flaring, Noah opens his mouth to reply, but Cameron cuts in. “I agree with Aiden. Let him handle Scarlett, especially if she’s innocent.”

“She’s not innocent,” Noah snaps.

“Well, I think she might be,” Cameron throws back. “And I’ve been warning you all against jumping to conclusions without real proof. Scarlett just said it. She’s way too smart to be so obvious.”

I exchange an agreeing nod with Cameron.Great minds think alike.

“I say we let it go, leave Scarlett alone and figure out who’s really behind this,” my best friend goes on. “We’re wasting time focused on the wrong person.”

Noah’s mouth twists as he contemplates, then he sighs harshly. “Fine, but if she puts another toe out of line, I’m gunning for her.”

“And I’ll be gunning for you,” I counter.

He scoffs, looking me over with slight distaste. “Careful,Captain. One would assume you have a thing for that traitor. Not a good look for the team she betrayed. Right boys?”

“Right,” a few of them reply.

“Aiden, I’ve got respect for you, man,” Michael speaks up. “Don’t make me lose it by sleeping with her. You think she’s innocent, but some of us are still on the fence.”

I glance around at the nodding heads, an uncomfortable sensation forming in my gut. “Trust me, that is one thing you don’t need to worry about,” I assure them.

“Good to know,” Michael replies.

Throwing on a fresh shirt, I hurry from the locker room in search of Scarlett, soon realizing I don’t need to look very far. My heart bounces in my chest when I see her kneeling, her body shaking, her sobbing piercing the open space.I caused this. Fucking hell.

“Scarlett.”

Her cries stop abruptly. I walk around and stand in front of her, offering my hand. An overwhelming relief fills me when she slides hers in my waiting palm.

“I’m sorry.” The words fly out and from the widening of her eyes, she’s just as surprised as I am. Not that I don’t truly feel remorse for seeing her cry, but ‘sorry’ is not a word I’m used to saying.

I clear my throat. “It’s time we discuss what happened that night.”

She wipes her cheek, giving me a wary look. “Why?”

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