Page 62 of Shockproof

Baffled and slightly disturbed, I shake off the incident and step back into the practically empty hallway. I make the tactical choice to do a full circle of the floor of suites to avoid any more possible fangirls or actual attackers before heading for the room where my family is.

The door hasn’t even had time to finish shutting when Angel Cake cautiously calls to me, “Cowboy…we need to go.”

Horror does its best to stay hidden in my tone along with my expression. “Why?”

“Blu says work needs us.”

“Blu?” Pinching my brow tightly together occurs on a growl. “Why the fuck didn’t he call me?”

“He says he did. You didn’t answer.”

That’s because I was probably trying to disarm a hockey ho.

“When?” I ask as opposed to explaining my absence. “When does he need us?”

“Now.”

If my second needs us now, that can only mean one of two things.

Either she really is in danger here or Wiz finally fucking has something we can use.

Chapter 9

Arley

Blu impishly leans forward onto the palms of his hands and kicks his chin in our direction. “That a hickey?”

“What?!” Frantically touching my neck occurs without hesitation. “No!” I tug my bright green tank to one side while doing everything I can to contort myself into a better position to possibly spot the mark I don’t remember seeing earlier. “Or at least I think no.” Panic pierces my voice during the continued searching. “And now I’m praying no because talking toallof my boyfriend’s parents with a big ass hickey on my neck would have been themost awkward thingto ever happen to me.”

“Even more awkward than having a pair of underwear fall out of your hoodie pocket during a sexually mixed messages conversation with your Applied Mathematics for Non-Mathematicians professor?” Slater causally challenges from where he’s standing beside me.

“Why?!” Snapping my head up to him is attached to tossing my hands in the air. “Whywould you bring that up?!”

“Seemed relevant.”

“What type of mixed messages?” Blu amusedly questions from the opposite side of the island. “Like you wanting to bang him but him being married so it would be a bad idea?”

“How isthatrelevant?”

“I – unlike the non-cape wearing crusader over there – never said it was.”

Horror and embarrassment have my jaw unhinging.

“However, if it makes you feel better, you’re not the one with the hickey.” My other bodyguard’s beam grows blinding. “He is.”

“I gave you a hickey?!” Mortification flies my hands over my mouth for a minor moment. “Seriously?!”

“Yes.” Slater states to his best friend prior to dropping his gaze to mine. “Andyes.I noticed it when I was originally getting dressed for the game.”

“Originally?” Blu chimes in.

“Why didn’t you say something?!”

“What do you mean originally?” he quietly investigates.

“Or let me cover it with makeup?!”

“Why would you get dressed and then undressed and then redressed for the game?” Slater shoots him a quirked eyebrow and a crooked smirk, a combination that causes Blu to slowly, mirthfully nod. “Nice, man.”

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