Holden barks out of a laugh. Kai is hiding his face behind his hands as he tries not to do the same. Truett just shakes his head and resumes bobbing his head to the music.
Maxton glares at me. “You know what the worst part is? This isn't even the first time you've hooked up with someone in my family.”
I’ve been wondering how long this would take to happen. It was only a matter of time after they got together that they’d have the exes talk.
“Sage and I happened before you two got together,” I say evenly. “Years before you got together.”
“That doesn't make me feel better.” His eyes are cold as he glares at me.
“I knew that I liked her as soon as she showed up to take the team’s photos,” I admit. “She's smart, funny, beautiful, and doesn’t take shit from anyone. What’s not to like? But she only ever had eyes for you, man. Even when she was trying not to, it’s always been you.”
Maxton's expression softens slightly. He knows it's true. Sage and I had a brief thing two years ago. It was only a few dates. We had chemistry, but it was nothing serious. However, as soon as I heard the way she talked about Maxton, I knew I didn't stand a chance.
I'm not bitter about it. Sage is great, but she wasn't mine. She has always been waiting for Maxton to get his head out of his ass.
“What about Gianna?” Maxton asks. “What's your excuse there?”
I lean back in the booth, swirling the whiskey in my glass. “I don’t have an excuse. I met her, and we hit it off. She's so… free.”
No shit,” he deadpans. “She's twenty-two. Of course she’s free.”
I glare at him. “I know how old she is.”
“She's my sister in law.” He arches a brow.
“I’m also aware of that.”
Maxton runs a hand through his hair. His frustration is evident. “She’s unhinged, Daemon. Pure fucking chaos. You don't need that in your life right now. The two of you are at completely different stages.”
He's right. I’ve known that since the moment I laid eyes on her. But that hasn’t stopped me from thinking about her and wishing I’d left my number that morning.
“I left my fucking credit card number with her on New Year’s day,” I say softly. “So she could use it to get a ride home that morning after I returned the snowmobile.”
“Classy,” Maxton scoffs, his anger quickly returning.
“She's still using it.” I lean forward, resting my forearms on the table.
That gets their attention. All four men perk up at my words.
Holden leans forward, mimicking my position. “What do you mean she's still using it?”
“I mean, she's been using it for nearly four months for late night Uber rides. The charges pop up two or three times a week. Always between midnight and four in the morning.” I sip my drink and scan the bar.
Truett whistles low. “Why haven’t you reported the card stolen?”
I shake my head. “No, I won’t do that.”
“Why not?” Holden asks, leaning in closer as though he needs to know my reasoning.
I take another sip of whiskey, letting the burn settle in my chest. “Because I like knowing she's getting home safe.”
There's a beat of silence around the booth. My gaze darts between all my teammates.
Then Kai grins. “Oh, you are so fucked.”
“I'm not fucked,” I scoff.
“You're really fucked, brother,” Truett agrees, reaching over to pat my shoulder. “You're tracking her Uber rides like some kind of stalker. That's an entirely new level of fucked.”
