Page 40 of Bad Teammate
Julia lingered a second to translate. “Sasha said, ‘awesome party!’ ”
“Glad you’re enjoying it,” I muttered.
We waited until Niko and Julia were out of earshot to resume the conversation.
“Anyway,” I said, scratching my neck, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I’m not dumb, Reavo. I can see what’s going on. And you two aren’t exactly doing a good job hiding it.”
I bit my lip.Fuck.
I tried to deflect his suspicions with humor. “Wait, weren’t youjusttelling me a second ago that I needed to find a nice girl to settle down with?”
“I want you to settle down with a nice girl so youdon’tmake a move on the phenom’s sister.” Hath palmed his forehead. “If you think there’sanychance of settling down with the Russian girl while she’s visiting Texas for one week only, you’re thinking with the wrong head. And it’s bound to get you, and the rest of the team, into deep shit.”
I groaned. “It was just a joke. Of course I don’t think that.”
“So how bad is it?” he asked. “Do I need to be worried? Does Dane need to know we’ve got a situation brewing?”
“No, no,” I said with a defeated sigh. “It’s just a harmless little crush, alright? I’m not stupid enough to act on it. She’s Niko’s sister, for fuck’s sake. We already talked about what a disaster it’d be if I”—I choked on my words, as a flood of steamy memories from last night jolted through my mind—“ahem,if I was dumb enough to do anything with her.”
Hath nodded approvingly. “So Niko’s not going to hear anything that’s going to make him demand a trade, or bolt back home to the KHL, or anything like that?”
“No, Hath.” I shook my head sullenly. “He’s not going to hear anything, because nothing’s going to happen.”
Nothing more, that is.
Hath slapped me on the chest. “Good man. That’s all I wanted to hear.”
“You know, it’s like you never stopped being our captain,” I said as we left the hallway and rejoined the party. “Maybe Dane will give up the C for you?”
Hath laughed. “Nope. Dane’s a great captain and you couldn’t pay me enough money to wear the C again. Besides, I like our new arrangement—Dane handles the media, I handle the room. And you take care of the youth, to make sure they develop into their highest potential with us.” He gestured across the room at Niko. “Get what I’m saying?”
“I hear ya, bud. Loud and clear.”
Vaughnsy, Vedros, and the Rivers twins suddenly burst through the front door. The players led a rowdy line of scantily dressed, plastic-looking girls into the party. The girls whooped and hollered as they lined up vodka shots on the center island, screaming,“yeeeeeah!” “Party time!” “Hell yeah!”
I nudged Hath. “Think there’s any nice girls among them?”
He chuckled. “Nope. Definitely not. But at least they won’t get you into any trouble with the future of the franchise.”
“Yeah. You’re right.”
I downed the rest of my beer.
Sigh.
14
Katerina
At forty-two stories high, the wind whistled as it cut through the balcony. A tense silence grew as Emma and Austen stared at me, patiently waiting for my answer to the question that took me totally by surprise.
“Is there something going on between you and Reavo?”
I wasn’t sure how to answer. I wanted to tell them the truth, but I feared the consequences, too. Because this wasn’t just a schoolyard crush—so much more was at stake. But the longer I hemmed and hawed, the hotter my cheeks burned. For each second that I failed to even muster a basic denial, I knew I only looked guiltier.
But how could I lie to these girls? It was obviousthey already knew.I liked them so much already, and lying to them would only push them away and make them distrust me.
