Page 4 of Menace in Vegas

I wasat dinner with Harper, Ford Brooks, and four members of the Green Mountain Avalanche — Connor Byrns, Jake Monroe, and Cole Kingston — when Mark’s text came through.

It said, “I can’t make it to Harper’s wedding.”

My vision went red. I shot up from the table, fury sizzling under my skin. I barely registered Connor’s voice calling after me, that annoying hockey menace trailing me like he couldn’t help himself.

He’d been flirting with me all damned night, even before the restaurant.

I ignored him, already dialing Mark’s number.

I needed reassurance from him, dammit.

Connor was shredding my resistance, complimenting me, making me question everything with Mark.

When I smugly informed Connor I had a boyfriend, he just raised his eyebrows and asked why he wasn’t around.

I defended Mark until Connor said, "Guess I’ll meet him at the wedding."

I faltered — Mark had already told me he "probably" wouldn’t make it.

Connor pounced. "If he wanted to, he would."

His words sliced beneath my skin like a knife.

I texted Mark, hiding my phone from the nosy asshole hockey player sitting beside me.

I needed to hear from him. To be reassured that we were still us.

All his traveling and never being with me for anything important was getting to me.

His work and his life always came first.

The phone rang.

Mark answered, sounding distracted, like I’d interrupted something.

“What do you want?”

I told him to FaceTime me.

He huffed and hung up.

The screen lit up, and behind him, people in formal wear milled around, holding drinks and laughing.

“What is it, Allie? I’m in the middle of something.”

The dismissive tone. The frustration in his eyes. It triggered something I couldn’t hold back.

"I think we should take a break."

Mark didn’t argue. Didn’t hesitate.

I think that’s for the best."

He looked fucking relieved.

The silence between us crushed me.

And right as I was about to hang up, a beautiful blonde slid her arms around him, leaning over his shoulder.

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