“Byron…” His name comes out steady, but his blazing eyes remain unchanged, the fury still simmering beneath the surface.
I know that fire—it’s the same look his sister has whenshe’s angry. Those blue eyes, so striking and unrelenting, have always been a strange source of comfort for me. Even now, raging or not, they feel familiar.
“Lottie is our governor,” I say firmly, holding his gaze. “There will be times I have to talk to her.”
“Charlotte or Ms. Hendricks to you. Only our friends call her Lottie.” He raises a brow. “I’ll know the difference if it’s a business conversation or not. This is your only warning. If you fuck up, you won’t see me coming.” He yanks the door closed behind him.
Hell, I need a minute because it’s a death wish to stay.
The door clicks again, and I spin to Charlotte, quietly closing the door behind her.
The fuck? “Are you mad? Did you not hear your brother?”
“Oh, I heard him.” Like a tiger in a cage, she restlessly walks back and forth, frustration and anger suppressed.
“If you have something to say, then say it.”
“I have plenty I want to say,” she growls out, then closes the gap between us. She is close enough that I could reach out and touch her as she looks directly into my eyes. “You left. Just like Byron said.”
This isnotabout business.“Did you hear what he said about talking to you?”
Her chin lifts. “I did.”
“Are you trying to end me, Lottie?”
Her eyes narrow. “Did you hear his warning about calling me that?”
Is she defying him?
“I did. But this is you and me now.”
She smiles, but not in a trusting way. “You and me.” She shakes her head and looks down with a grin. When her eyes meet mine, something has snapped. “You don’t get to associateuslike we go together like yin and yang.”
“I’m sorry, Lottie.”
Her brows tighten. Beautiful blue eyes flick over my face.
“I’m sorry for everything. I never intended any of it to go down the way it did.”
She steps back as though I’ve wounded her. The movement causes her to stumble, and without thinking, I reach out, wrapping an arm around her waist to stop her from falling. Then, before my brain can catch up, my lips go to her ear. “Let me fix what I broke.”
In that moment, she springs from my arms, shaking her head. “Get us the championship, BJ. It’s the only reason you’re here. Fix the team you broke when you left.” She rushes to the door.
“Lottie,” I call out, and she turns. “I’ll fix everything, I promise.”
She shakes her head, her smile filled with sarcasm. “Always the dreamer, BJ. You don’t even see it when you’ve become the nightmare.” She closes the door behind her with a quiet click, but if there’s one thing I understand about her surprise appearance, we are not over, and the off-court battle has just begun.
16
BRANDON
My first gameback with the LA Sharks has me itching to get on the court and prove to everyone I was worth the risk.
Nerves are always the highest inside the locker room, listening to Coach’s pregame speech. The expectation mixes with the desire to win and not allow ego to rule over common sense and the game plan.How will the fans react when I run out onto the court again?
Byron won’t look at me. River is beside him, always in his back pocket, and going by his scowl, he has no desire to get to know me. I like that he is supporting Byron, but dude, give me a damn chance.
As soon as Coach Mathews finishes his speech, I’m bouncing up and down on the spot. High knees. Stretching lightly before we run out.
