“You’re sure you didn’t drink it?” she asked as she moved around to my back.
“I’m sure. This is weirdly relaxing,” I teased her as she pulled my T-shirt up and ran her hand over my back. “Like a pregame warm-up massage.”
I heard her huff out a laugh as her hands kept moving. “You’re funny,” Quinn said lightly. “Okay, I have nothing.” She stood back and then moved to my side so I could see her. “Who were you looking for at the party?” she asked casually as she took her bag from Gray.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean,Jett, that I’ve known you for ten years give or take, ever since daddy dearest left the Navy and settled down in the house right beside yours.” Her eyes flicked between me and my brother. “I know when you’re speaking bullshit. Now, if you want me to help, you tell me what I want to know. Now.” Quinn gestured to the door. “Or I walk.”
Gray caught her arm to stop her in case she went through with it. “Quinn, we told you—”
“You told me shit,” Quinn interrupted him. “Jett doesn’t go to parties when he doesn’t know who’s having them, who they are, or what they have going on. And he sure as fuck doesn’t go alone!” Wrenching her arm from Gray’s grip, Quinn turned her angry stare my way. “Who were youbothlooking for?”
“Quinn . . .”
“I told you!” Angrily, she stepped toward me. Quinn was tall, but still she needed to look up at me. “I told youallto leave it alone.”
“We’re never going to do that,” I bit back just as angrily. “That fucker messed with what’s ours.”
Throwing her arms up into the air, she pushed past me. “I’m done. When you can listen, andrespectmy wishes, then I’ll talk to you.”
The door slammed behind her. Gray and I stood awkwardly for a moment longer before I turned to the urinal.May as well take care of business since I’m here.
“We stopping?” Gray asked me as he stepped up to the one beside me.
“No.”
“She’ll be pissed.”
I grinned as I unbuttoned my jeans. “She’s always pissed,” I replied grimly. “I don’t give a fuck if she’s pissed, nothing stops us.”
As we headed to the stadium, I thought about what Quinn had said. I knew she wasn’t happy about what we were doing, and even though it had caused more of a rift in the friendship we had, she had to know we would never stop.
Quinn Lawrence was like a sister to me; no one in this world wouldeverhurt me or my family.
No one.
* * *
Ash was running routes when we got to the stadium. Coach was glaring at both me and Gray, and without a word, Gray ducked into the locker room to get changed while I dropped my pissed-off self onto the bench.
Ben came over to talk to me, and I spoke to him briefly about nothing. Me not mentioning his arm, and he not mentioning thefact that I was sitting on the sidelines like a spare prick in a brothel.
“Why are you here?” Bowers said to me after he pointed at Ben and then the twenty-five-yard line. Ben took the less-than-subtle hint and jogged over to meet up with the rest of the offense.
“I’m recovering from aslightinjury. While I do so, am I not supposed to make it to practice?” I couldn’t look at him. If I did, I might punch him, and then “Two Weeks’ Suspension” headlines would become “No Longer Plays for Cardinal Saints College” breaking news.
Bowers set his foot on the bench and rested his arms on his raised knee so that he was eye level with me. “Don’t pull shit with me, son. You and I both know that this team does not need to have you glowering at them from the sidelines. Pick your butt off that seat, go away.”
“Go away?” I asked him disbelievingly as I met his heavy stare.
“You have something more important to be doing, no?” He straightened before he took a step back. “Go find what you need to be finding.”
I sat for a few seconds, my temper flaring, but instead, I rolled my head on my shoulders and stood swiftly, causing Coach to stand back abruptly. My smile was not friendly, perhaps had too many teeth, and I knew my eyes told him exactly what I was feeling. “I’ll see you soon.”
I didn’t bother saying anything to Gray as I passed him coming out of the locker room. He knew when to leave me alone. Outside of the stadium, I looked around. As much as it pissed me off, I reluctantly agreed with Coach.
Find the threat to my career.Eliminateit.
