Page 21 of Shot Taker

The guys look confused and dejected.

“Enough,” I grunt. “This was a win. Treat it like one.”

I pull up my phone and send a five-grand transfer to Rookie.

“You did what I said. And you showed up Utah.”

His expression brightens.

They get back to their exercises, but I’m still in a bad mood.

Still no response from Nova.

I shove down the disappointment and force myself to go through the workout.

I’m completely focused—until my phone buzzes next to me while I’m doing pull-downs.

It’s only my agent congratulating me on the game, and I tell the disappointment to back the fuck off.

“You wanna spot me?” Jay asks.

I step toward him, hovering behind the barbell as he lifts it from the cups.

Miles hollers, grabbing my shoulder. “Brooke wants everyone to go out to Harrison King’s club. There’s some DJ playing she wants to see.”

“Lots of girls?” Rookie asks hopefully, finishing his set and grabbing a water bottle.

“So many. I could have a threesome in the bathroom,” Miles comments gleefully, his phone still in his hand. “Wade looks like he could use one of those. Plenty of girls would like you to after how it went down tonight.”

“Not in the mood,” I grunt. What I need is an ice bath and a massage.

“Is Chloe going?” Rookie asks.

Jay pushes out another rep, grinning through the effort. “She’d chew you up and spit you out.”

“She loved the book I got her.”

“She was being nice.” Jay counters.

“We’re doing a buddy read.” Rookie’s grin turns smug. “If she’s thinking of chewing me up and spitting me out, she sure seems to like how I taste.”

Jay’s face darkens as he grits out his final rep.

Miles types some more, then grins. “Nova’s going.”

I straighten so fast I nearly drop the barbell Jay passes to me. “How do you know?”

“I asked.” He flashes his phone at me so fast I only see her name at the top and bright symbols on the screen.

I don’t know if I’m more jealous she’s talking to him or that their text chain is full of emojis. Who knew yellow smileys could make me feral?

“You coming?” Miles asks me again.

I yank a clean towel off the shelf and rub it over my face.

“Yeah, I might stop by.”

7

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