Page 89 of Beautiful Broken Love

I know she heard me clearly, because her eyes expanded and she yanked her hand back. Stepping away, she whirled around and slammed the check on my desk.

“When you come to your senses, cash the check and walk away. Leave him where he belongs.” She stormed out of my office, the click-clack of her heels growing faint the farther she was away from me.

When she was gone, my shoulders sagged, and I released the shaky breath trapped inside me.

FORTY-SIX

DEKE

Jacobi Bennet, one of the Ravens’ power forwards, passed me the ball, and when the rock hit my hands, I positioned myself to shoot.

The ball sank into the net, and the nine other men on the court hollered at the tops of their lungs.

“Let’s go!”

“Hell yeah, that’s game, baby!”

“That’s what I’m talking about, Bishop!”

A hand clapped my shoulder as I placed my hands on my hips to catch my breath. We were in the stadium where all the magic happened. Training camp wasn’t starting for another week, but Coach Harrison gave us the green light to scrimmage with some of the rookies.

I preferred it this way—getting to know the new guys and building a connection with them before we got into the heavy hitting. In my opinion, a team couldn’t be a team if we didn’t trust each other.

Jacobi gave my shoulder a proud shake before he let it go and snatched off his headband. “I see you’re ready to ball, Bishop.”

“I am, man. Been training with Ken all summer.”

Jacobi hissed through his teeth. “Ken Massey?Yo, I know he’s been drilling your ass. That man is tough as hell, but that only means you’ll be ready. Nobody’ll be able to stop you, my boy.” He tapped the heartof my chest with the back of his hand before walking backward. “I’ll catch you in a couple weeks, though. Stay up, Bishop!”

I gave him a nod, then jogged toward Javier. We grabbed our stuff from the locker room, then headed to the private garage, where our cars were parked.

There were bound to be people lurking outside the building, trying to catch a glimpse of the team. Though we loved our fans, most of us were tired and ready to go home and chill.

“I am telling you, Deke. If I do not hire someone soon, I will lose my mind. Aleesa has been having these tantrums. I am not understanding why. It is like she is a whole new person.” Javier stopped at his black Range Rover with a frustrated huff. I could see the tiredness in his eyes, the heaviness on his shoulders. “My mother has been helping out, but she has to leave for Argentina soon.”

“Hire Octavia,” I offered, swinging the door of my car open and dumping my gym bag on the passenger seat.

“You would like that, wouldn’t you?” He inhaled deeply, his chest inflating, before letting the air out in a sharp exhale. “I will decide closer to the start of the season.”

“Don’t wait too long.”

I focused on Javier, who was about to climb behind the steering wheel of his vehicle but ended up doing a double take over my shoulder. When his brows furrowed, I looked with him, and my smile collapsed.

Giselle was walking through the private parking deck. Some of the teammates drove by and whistled at her, which only made her grin and swing her hips harder.

I slammed the passenger door of my car and marched her way. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Hey to you, too, Deke.”

“Stop with the bullshit, Giselle. Why the hell are you here? How did you even get in this garage?”

“Security let me in. I told him it was urgent. He remembers my face. Besides, I could’ve been waiting for you at your condo, but my key doesn’t work anymore, and Justin said you removed me from your visitors list.”

“Yeah, I changed the locks and removed you from the list because you don’t get the fucking point.”

“I don’t think we’re really done,” she said, stepping in closer. She tugged on the hem of my shirt, but I pushed her hand away. She frowned.

“Go home, Giselle,” I said, turning away.

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