Page 132 of The Pucking Wrong Rookie

Ari and Camden carefully climbed off the furniture they’d mounted and were also backing their way toward the exit.

“A lot of things about Golden Boy are on aneed to know basis,” Ari muttered. “I don’t think he’s going to consider this aneed to know.”

Ari screamed as a rat darted past him, and he dove toward the elevator, crawling into it like a man escaping a burning building. “Close it! Close it! Close iiit! They’re after me!”

The elevator doors slid shut as Camden and I both stared wide-eyed at Ari on the floor.

Camden took out his phone and took a picture.

“I’m showing Geraldine,” he said. I snorted as Ari flipped him off and struggled to get up.

“What’s wrong with you? Why are you acting like your legs don’t work anymore?” I asked, as I checked my phone. Sloane had just sent me a text saying they were wrapping up. Perfect timing.

Ari was muttering something about rats and tacos as the elevator doors opened into the lobby.

“Good idea, Lancaster. Let’s get tacos,” I told him, supremely happy with how things were working out. “But we need to make this quick. I’m sure Sloane will be calling me soon.”

* * *

When the call finally came, I answered on the second ring, putting on my most innocent voice. “Hey, baby. How was shopping?”

“Logan, there are rats everywhere!” she cried, her voice shaky.

“What?” I asked, trying to keep the amusement out of my tone.

“There are rats. In my condo.Everywhere!”

“Are you serious? How the hell did that happen?”

“I don’t know!” she wailed. “But I can’t stay in my place. I’m in the lobby…I need to get out of here.”

“Okay, okay. Breathe, Sloane. I’ll be right there. We’ll get what stuff we can, and you can stay with me.”

There was a pause, and I could almost hear the wheels turning in her head. Finally, she exhaled shakily. “Okay,” she whispered, sounding unsure.

I bit back a triumphant grin. “I’ll stay on the phone with you the whole time I’m driving.”

“Thank you,” she said softly, and I did a fist pump in the air as I started the truck.

I didn’t feel an ounce of guilt on the drive over.

CHAPTER34

LOGAN

The sun was relentless, glaring down on us as we walked onto the field, the announcer hyping up the fact that we were there to throw out the first pitch to celebrate winning the Stanley Cup before the Dallas Raptors MLB game.

It still felt surreal, hearing that.Stanley Cup Champions.

The air smelled like sunscreen, overpriced hot dogs, and freshly cut grass—a weird combination that somehow worked.

We stopped just outside the pitcher’s mound, decked out in freshly pressed baseball jerseys, customized withKnightsstitched across the back in block letters. Lincoln, of course, had the honor of throwing the first pitch. Naturally. He was the captain. Our leader. The all-around Golden Boy.

“You nervous, Linc?” Camden teased, tossing the baseball between his hands like he was warming up. “Wouldn’t want to ruin your image in front of all these fans.”

Lincoln shot him a look, his mouth curving into a slow smirk. “You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you, Hero? Didn’t you get cut from JV baseball in high school?”

Camden feigned offense, clutching his chest. “I wasn’t cut. Iquitto concentrate on hockey.”

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