Page 40 of Shots Fired

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

ARCHER

“Man, you were on fire tonight.” Jack claps me on the back as we step off the ice and head for the locker room.

I pull off my helmet, tucking it under my arm. “My low angle game could use some work. Overall, not bad.”

Jack stops, setting his stick on the rack just inside the tunnel. “Something on your mind? You’ve been quiet all practice.”

Oh nothing, just thinking that I’ll be balls deep inside your baby sister in around an hour.

“Nope. I’m good,” I reply, pushing a hand through my hair. “Locked in on the regular season and determined to beat my shutout record.”

My center cocks his head to one side, studying me.

Jesus, am I that transparent?

I tear my gaze away from him and look down the tunnel, concluding the less eye contact we have, the better since I’m a terrible fucking liar.

“How are things going with Abbie?”

My molars meet as I focus back on my friend. “She’s good. Busy with work.”

He nods lightly. “What does she do?”

Crap, crap, crap.

“She’s, eh, a teacher. Kindergarten.”

“Oh, nice. Will she be coming to the GM dinner? It’d be great to meet her.”

Actually, no. Because the girl I’m really involved with is your sister.

I wince, partly at the dead-ass awkward situation I’m in right now and partly to help sell yet another fucking lie. “She’s not big into events or loads of people. I’ll probably introduce her if we get more serious.”

Jack pulls off his gloves, jutting his chin down the tunnel. “You got a picture of her?”

And now all I can think about are the two photos I have of Darcy posing in my private elevator, dressed in only underwear. Along with the other photo I took when I first slid inside her and the one she sent me at lunch yesterday.

I’m getting hard.

In front of her brother.

I’m a bad friend.

“No,” I blurt out. “No pictures.”

Jack’s brows pull together. I can’t say the confused look he’s giving me is surprising. I sound like a total fucking weirdo.

“All right, well … I know Kendra is keen to meet Abbie, so don’t keep her locked away forever.”

I just smile because, honestly, what the fuck else am I supposed to do?

“Sure,” I reply, trying my best to engage in the conversation. “I guess the other girls will want to meet her too, especially Darcy.” I literally have no idea why the fuck I said that. As if the hole I’ve dug for myself isn’t big enough already.

Jack puffs his cheeks out, scratching at the back of his neck. “You know my sister …”

I do.

---