Page 151 of Call the Shots
“Our kid?” I glanced up. “I thought you were the stepdad?”
“That’s for your plants.” Bear tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and my face warmed. “Did you hear that sound she made? After five seconds, Montoya used tongue. DNA tests don’t lie. That’s my son.”
We were tangled in each other’s space, and I was worried he could hear my pulse kick up a notch. “So what does that make me?”
“You’re both mine.”
With three words, Bear swept away the chess pieces of the game we were playing and when he broke away to answer a question about the Wi-Fi, I watched him leave, heart pounding. Watched him leave in that slutty tank top that showed off his muscles, watched him bend over to help the guy on his laptop.
Warmth pooled while I checked him out.
“Oh,” I whispered.
I really,reallywanted to fuck Bear again.
“We’re running into the same problem,” Nick said, raising his voice to be heard over the chatter. “None of these are handwritten confession letters—duh. This stuff’s weird but not enough to get rid of Vernon.”
“Handwritten letters would be nice,” Denali muttered.
“I’m saying—it’s not solid proof. None of it.”
I studied the whiteboard of evidence connected by bright string. Riley’s old schools had no record of him playing hockey. There were too many questions and no answers.
“Okay, then.” I swept back my hair to pull it into a ponytail. “We’ll make it.”
Bear glanced over his shoulder. “Make what?”
“The proof to get Vernon out of here.”
CHAPTER 56
JUNE
THE DUMBEST MISCONDUCT
Usually my shiftsat the Colo began with checking our social media numbers, scheduling future posts, and responding to emails, but I drummed my fingers on the fold-out table, waiting for Riley to arrive to our meeting.
“Why is this so early?” Riley demanded, closing the door behind him. “Where’s Vernon?” His eyes narrowed. “Where’s Denali?”
The truth was, I had specific instructions for the Gladiators and Cleo. No one else could walk into this room, no one could be involved with this. If I didn’t get information from Riley, I didn’t want anyone else in trouble. This conversation would either uncover what was going on or I was saying goodbye to the hockey team.
I gestured to the chair. “They’ll be here later, I want to help you adjust to your captain role.”
“Being captain is easy. I don’t let them walk all over me like Bear did.” With a flick of his wrist, he yanked out a chair. “It’s mindless shit.”
My eyebrow twitched. “Before that, let’s discuss something.” I placed my phone on the table. “How much were you and Vernon hoping to embezzle from Marrs?”
“I—what?”
“Which is why he hasn’t touched his budgets.”
“Budgets?What?”
“And is somehow connected toyoubecause you’re obviously not a hockey player.”
Riley gaped. “What are you talking about? We’re not embezzling anything!”
“It’s why you joined a dying team?—”
