Page 217 of The Maxwell Brothers
My family, we were strong. Maxwells don’t take shit; we hold our own ground. But no one gets a pass at my woman.
"I won't stand by when someone talks shit about my girlfriend."
"He'll try any weak points to distract you. You know that."
"Adrian was an ass. Basically called Kendra a stripper and said he’d take her for a spin. He spewed some shit about my wife too,” Steve said. He was a good captain, always standing up for the guys, and we all appreciated it.
“He's just generally trying to provoke everyone," I added.
"You're the captain. Deal with it. Get your shit together, both of you," he said before walking back up the tunnel. The team was already in the changing room.
I did a double take. Kendra and Declan were standing a few feet away from us. My eyes bulged. My girl was crying. I hurried over to both of them.
“Babe, how did you get back here?”
“Declan convinced a security guard to let us back here. I had to see that you were okay,” she said, tearing up, checking my face and patting my torso with her palms. She couldn't feel that much, considering all the padding. "Oh my God, that looked so rough. I was so afraid something happened to your shoulder or that you were hurt."
"I'm fine," I assured her, cupping her face with both hands. Fucking hell, her eyes were glassy.This worried her that much?"I swear, I'm not hurt. My ego maybe, but otherwise no."
Steve came up to us. “We need to hurry and get in the locker room. Coach is already fuming.”
“You go. I need a minute.”
As he went inside, Declan took a step back, giving us privacy. The press was far enough away that they couldn’t see us. Even they knew not to approach the changing room.
I focused on Kendra. Her eyes were wide. "I listened to what you said to the manager. You got into a fight, and it was because of me?" she asked.
"No, it was because Adrian is a jackass."
She bit her lip. "Andrea said Daniels warned you about not getting involved with me. Why didn’t you tell me?"
Smiling, I got closer. "What did I tell you about me barely following rules, let alone instructions, babe?"
She swallowed hard and kept my gaze, but I felt her tense up.
"Talk to me, babe," I said.
"Not now. You have to focus on the game," she said. "I don't want you to get into trouble because of me, that's all."
"I'm not. And even if I did, it wouldn’t matter. I told you, you're number one. Don't pull away from me." I accented every word, looking her straight in the eyes so she knew I meant it.
"I'm not. I mean… Why are you saying that?”
"Babe, I can feel you tensing up. Your shoulders, your whole body."
She was silent for a moment, and then she shook her head, biting her lower lip. "I’m not. Come on, Mr. Superstar Goalie. Go get ’em," she said, but her voice was uneven.
The door to the changing room cracked open. Steve looked out at us.
“Tyler, get in here now.”
“Okay, fuck. I’ll be right there.”
All I wanted to do was stay here and finish this conversation with Kendra.
I looked at Declan. "Take care of my girl while I'm out there."
He nodded before I stepped into the locker room.
