Page 44 of Twisted Ruck

"I guess so," I said. All I wanted now was to end the conversation. "Thank you for clearing everything up."

"Any time," she said sweetly. "You can take any orders that come from Ramsey as coming from me."

I glanced up and met his gaze. He looked back at me like he was amused in some way. Right now, I couldn't get my head around why that might be.

"Okay," I said, glancing down at the kitchen island.

"Are the rest of the guys with you?" Daze asked.

"Storm Keller, Daniel Frost and Dallas Gregory are here," I confirmed. My gaze skimmed from one to the other as I said their names.

Storm frowned, but the other two seemed curious. Whatever was going down, they were ready for it.

"Good, you can tell them what I just told you," she said. "I expect all of you to keep an eye on Dominic King and Otis Skinner. And anyone else they bring in from the Sydney Devils. Players, staff, whatever. I don't care if it's the person who cleans the toilets. They're planning something and I want to know what it is long before it happens."

Even though she couldn't see me, I nodded. "We will. Nothing will get past us." I hoped like hell that was true.

"Make sure it doesn't," she said. "I'm sure you'll understand what will happen if it does."

"Yes,” I said. “We’ll die."

Chapter Seventeen

Dallas

I saton the couch beside Chelsea, my arm around her. She nestled into me, breathing soft and low. Awake, but relaxed.

"Well, that was interesting," Frost said.

Storm grunted. He hadn't said a word since the other three guys left. He sat in an armchair finishing his dinner while brooding, lost in thought.

"It was," I agreed. "I told you they were good guys." I hadn't exactly, but close enough.

"Just because they're on our side doesn't mean they're good guys," Storm grunted.

"It does if it means Atlas killed Bruce for Chelsea," Frost said. "It sounds like something out of a movie." He cocked his head and smiled.

"I wish he'd taken the retirement option," Chelsea said softly. "He'd still be alive if he had."

"And Dominic King would have been GM for longer," I concluded. "Maybe before Atlas and Jay joined the team. What would that have meant?"

"Maybe nothing," Storm said. "Maybe something."

"King might have stopped them from joining the team," Frost suggested.

We all stared at him.

"Fuck," Storm said softly.

"What?" Chelsea sat up a little and covered her yawn with her fist.

"We don't know what Dominic King knows about Atlas and the rest of us," Storm said. "He could know exactly what we're up to."

She stiffened in my arms. "Shit." After a moment, she loosened a little and shook her head. "I didn't get that impression from him or Skinner. They might suspect there's people like us watching them, but I don't think they know who. If they did, they would have pulled strings to have Atlas and Jay stay at the Devils. Or go somewhere else."

"I hope you're right," Storm said. "Otherwise we've just been thrown into a tank full of hungry sharks. I'm not going to be their fucking bait."

"We won't end up bait," I said. "We'll be fine."

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