Page 25 of Overtime Goal
Harpy held up his phone. “Dog texted. He wants to crash with Luca and me tonight, so I need to meet him at home.”
“Why’s he leaving Holky alone?” I asked. “Did they have a fight?”
That got everyone talking, and all eyes went to Harpy.
“I’m not sure,” he said, “but I’ll let you know if anything serious is happening.”
11/
riley
The nightmare struck without warning.I’d gone from asleep to trapped in an instant, pinned in a flash of blinding light, body locked and breath frozen. I felt it before I heard it, the searing bite across my skin, each lash carving fire into my flesh. The crack was sharp, as merciless as the pain. The blows stacked on top of each other as every twitch earned me another lash. My body flinched, but before I could brace, the belt bit into me again. I couldn’t breathe because each slap paralyzed me, leaving screams trapped in my throat.
As suddenly as the beating began, it was over. My muscles were locked, and I was drenched in sweat. My heart pounded so hard I could barely think. I tried to move my feet, a trick I’d learned: wiggle a toe and take a tiny breath. Soon, harsh rasps filled the air as I struggled to breathe.
The door creaked, followed by Logan’s knock. “Heard you thrashing around. Everything okay?”
I tried to answer but all I managed was a shaky nod. He flicked on the lamp and sat at the edge of the bed, the same as always.
“You’re safe, Riles.”
My body jerked when his hand settled on my shoulder, but then I arched into his touch. Steady and warm, it was the reassurance I needed.
“I’ve got you,” he said.
I swallowed and tried to speak, but the words were still stuck in my throat.
“Take your time, Riles. I’m not going anywhere.”
He sat quietly until I finally managed a husky whisper. “Thank you. Will you stay with me?”
“You know it.” He slid under the covers and wrapped his arms around me. Did he know how much I needed him to hold me together?
I laid my head on his shoulder. “I don’t know why I’m such a disaster.”
He tightened his hug. “You’re not. I want to talk about your dreams sometime, though. I have an idea that might help.”
“Okay. Maybe tomorrow?”
“We’ll see how you feel. Right now, try to rest. I’m right here.”
My brain stopped fighting because it knew I wasn’t alone, and I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. Worn out from the season, and with the playoffs only a few days away, we slept until ten. While we made breakfast together, I found myself wishing we could do it every day. I had to get my shit together and talk to Logan about what was happening between us.
Logan’s phone chirped while we ate, and he glanced at his screen. “Harpy’s texting.” As they messaged back and forth, Logan’s brow furrowed a little more with each reply.
When he finally set the phone down, I asked, “What’s up with our captain?”
Logan exhaled slowly. “Holky broke up with Dog last night. He made him leave, which is why Dog’s at Harpy and Luca’s.”
I wasn’t sure I’d heard correctly. “Wait, what?”
“Yeah.” His voice was grim. “Harpy says Dog’s a wreck. Holky isn’t answering texts, so he’s probably a mess too. Harpy wants to stage an intervention before things get worse.”
I’d thought Dog and Holky were rock solid. They chirped each other like maniacs and made everything into a competition, but they loved each other. Anyone could see it. Hell, you couldfeelit when they were in the room together.
“What kind of intervention?” I asked.
Logan swallowed the last of his coffee. “Some of the guys are going over to Harpy’s to check on Dog and help him figure out what to do. Harpy wants me to take a couple of men to Holky’s and try to talk some fucking sense into him.”
