Page 76 of Caged

Jace turns to me. “It was one fucking time, and in all fairness, she’s a fucking supermodel now.”

“Oh, gross.” I take a step back from him and stare. “I don’t want to know.”

He shrugs and looks around, his face turning serious. “Where’s Hudson?”

“He’s outside. He wanted space.” My heart cracks a little at the admission, and Jace slings his arm around my shoulder. “Seriously... what’s with you guys and touching?”

“What?” he asks, looking at me like I’ve lost my mind. “I’m not hitting on you.”

I roll my eyes and silently beg for strength when the back door opens and Hudson walks in. He shakes off his coat and lays it over a chair, then kicks off his wet sneakers. “Hunter is going to come over. Is that okay, Mads?”

I nod my head but don’t move.

Hudson’s eyes focus on Jace’s arm around my shoulder. He crosses the room and smacks him off. “She doesn’t like to be touched, asshole.”

“She’s part of the family now,” Jace counters, and my mind spins.

Since when?

“Keep your fucking hands to yourself,” Hudson growls as Sawyer walks back into the room. “Have either of you talked to Scarlet?”

“Yeah, brother.” Sawyer pulls his phone out and opens his texts. “She’ll be here soon and says don’t talk to anyone until she gets here.”

There’s a knock at the front door, and Jace answers it, like he belongs here. Then he lets Hudson’s agent, Hunter, and a beautiful woman into my house.Jesus. How many of them are there?

“Maybe I should order some food.” I don’t wait for an answer before walking into the kitchen and grabbing the menu from the local sandwich shop.

HUDSON

Hunter introduces his wife, Skylar, to my brothers as Maddie walks away, and the walls start closing in on me.

I’ve met Skye a few times. She’s a neurosurgeon in New York City, so I decide maybe she’s the answer I’m looking for. “Skye, can you explain to me how this happens? How does someone go from healthy and awake last night to dead this morning. What the hell happened?”

What I really want to ask iswhat did I do?

“Is there somewhere we can sit?” she asks. We all move to the dining-room table, and she pulls an old envelope and a pen from her purse, then draws something and starts pointing to it and explaining. “Berry aneurysms aren’t that uncommon. They’re a defect in the lining of one of the blood vessels of the brain. At this spot, the vessel wall has weakened and thinned, causing it to bulge out like a balloon. Most people walk around with absolutely no idea they have this sitting in their brain, like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.” She stops speaking, but I already know Maddie’s walked back into the room. I can feel her eyes on me. But I don’t look at her. I can’t.

Skylar stands from the table and reaches out to Maddie. “Hi. I’m Skylar Carter. Hunter’s wife.”

“Nice to meet you, Skylar. I’m Maddie...” She leaves the rest unsaid, and I cringe.

Yeah. I wouldn’t want to admit I was with a murderer either.

Hunter smiles at Maddie. “Nice to see you again, Maddie. Brandon played a great game today.”

I guess he’s Dixon’s agent too.

“Thanks, Hunter. Can I get you guys anything?” When Hunt shakes his head no, she pulls out the chair next to me. “Please don’t stop. What were you saying?” Maddie asks Skye.

But Hunter is the one that answers, and he’s only looking at me. “She’s trying to tell you this wasn’t your fault, Hudson. You couldn’t have known.”

“Tell that to his pregnant wife.” I stand, not sure where I’m going when the front door opens, and Dixon steps aside, letting Scarlet in, who’s followed by Cade.

I ignore my sister and coach.

Not in the mood for more of theit’s not your faultline and make my way to Dixon instead. “Hey, man. Do you have a gym here?”

He drops his bag at his feet, still dressed in his game-day suit. “Yeah. Come on.”

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