Heat bristles up my neck. I assess the situation, parsing out any potential escape routes, but they’re like an impenetrable wall. That’s hockey players for you. But with the headspace I’m in right now, I’d rather throw punches than darts.
Resigned to my fate, I spin around and throw the first dart, hitting a bullseye with a loud thump. The next two darts land dead center, too, smacking just as hard.
Payton lets out a soft whistle. “Impressive hat trick, Cowboy. Now talk.”
The fight seeps out of me as I turn, meeting their eyes one after another. Do I give them details or just the highlights?
Here goes nothing.
“Bree kissed me.”
Chapter Twenty-One
WADE
The smack of darts hitting boards brackets us on both sides, along with the chatter of voices and the aromas of burgers and fries. Our server walks over with the pitcher of beer Ethan ordered, deposits it and several glasses on a nearby high-top. She takes one look at us standing there, staring at each other, and hightails it back to the bar.
Elias glances to his left and then to his right as if he wants to know if the others are as shocked as he is. “I did not see that coming.”
Mouth hanging wide enough to catch flies, Ethan nods in agreement.
Pay-man drags a hand down the side of his face. “I’ve experienced a bit of that myself, mate.”
He has my full attention now. Maybe he can help me figure out what to do next. He fell hard for his bodyguard—way before she showed anything for him.
“Lily?”
He snickers. “Never saw it coming.”
Could that be what happened to Bree? Did she catch unexpected and sudden feelings for me? “Did it make you want to run?”
“No, quite the opposite.” His expression turns sheepish as if he’s embarrassed. “She’s the one who resisted.”
“Sophie did, too. When I screwed up.” Luke growls and stares at his feet.
Things definitely got tense around here when Sophie came on the scene, and Luke had to agree to an interview—Rebecca had requested a series of profiles on the team for the local paper to help bring the fans back after the scandal with the previous owner.
Come to think of it, I do recall him being grumpier than usual through all of that.
But my situation is different. I know exactly what I want. Or rather, who. My problem is that I don’t know how Bree feels about me. Beyond the whole best-friend status, I mean. “Not very encouraging, fellas.”
“Yeah, but once we got our heads on straight, we went after our girls.” Luke glances at Payton and Ethan, who nod reflectively.
“When you know, you know.” Ethan shrugs, grinning.
Pay-man lifts a finger as if to push pause on Luke. “If I recall correctly, my head remained quite straight and very much focused on winning Lily over.”
“More like out of your mind.” Ethan gawks at him.
Payton flashes a cheeky grin. “I think of it as determination.”
Sighing, Ethan tilts his head back. “Whatever helps you look in the mirror, Your Highness.”
Payton’s smile drops faster than a flying puck hitting the ice.
I’m about to lose my patience with these two when Zayne—or Zanie as Mathéo calls him—walks up to the group, hands in his pockets with a skittish expression on his face. “Sorry I’m late.”
Mathéo smacks him on the chest with the back of his hand. “Got any experience withamour?”
