Page 24 of Prince of Wrath

I locked myself in one of the shower stalls in the ladies’ room and took my time washing, conditioning, and drying my hair. I figured he would get bored and leave by the time I grabbed everything from my locker.

Had he stalked me? How else could he have known where I lived or worked out?

I pushed it out of my head. It would only rattle me further, and I had to keep my wits about me if I was going to outsmart him in whatever game he was playing.

I slammed the locker door shut and took my phone out of my bag. The screen lit up in my hand to show three missed text notifications.

Seere

Are you wearing black or red tonight?

I’d prefer you wear red.

You look ravishing in red.

Sloane

Don’t worry about what I’m wearing. You’re not going.

The last thing I needed was Seere showing up anywhere I was.

Another text came in from Seere, but I ignored it. Whatever smart-ass remark he had could wait until I got to the office. I hauled my gym tote onto my shoulder and headed to the door. To my misfortune, standing just outside the ladies’ locker room was Ben. I rolled my eyes and continued to the main exit, ignoring him, but he jogged up to me before I made it outside.

“Leaving so soon?” He folded his arms across his chest, enforcing the wall he’d become between me and sanity.

“Yes.” I stepped to the side, and he followed.

“Heard you had quite the day at work yesterday, seeing as I went after all your boys. I needed to get your attention, and by the way you’re behaving, I did.”

“I hope Charles works out for you instead of spending his first quarter in the sheets and giving nothing to the game. A real winner you got there.”

“He won’t be the last.”

“What?”

“You heard me.” He sized me up like we were about to go ten rounds hand to hand. “I’m coming for you, babe.”

“You’ve lost your mind.” I stepped around him, and this time he didn’t follow.

Instead, he waited until I was in my car and came up to the window to knock. I shook my head, but he knocked again.

“Just leave, Sloane,” I whispered to myself, taking a deep breath. “Start your car and leave. You don’t owe him any of your attention.”

“Want to come to a truce?” His muffled voice came through the window. “Dinner. That’s all I want. I’m even willing to make a trade for Johana.”

Shit.

Jasper Johana was a newer player but showed potential for greatness. I felt it in my bones. He wouldn’t just win tourneys. He was destined for the Hall Of Fame. I cracked the window. “For who?” I knew it was a trap, but if I was careful, it would work out in my favor.

He took a half step back, waiting for me to roll the window down more, but I refused. If he was going to act like a pathetic dog, he could bark at me through a sheet of glass.

“We’ll see,” he said proudly.

I thought about it for a moment. More than the player he was offering—one I’d been drooling over for months since his last contract had lapsed with an agent who didn’t do him justice—I wanted more than anything to humiliate Ben. Trading a weaker player for a top-ranking center who had the potential to win a career full of tournaments would be a career-ending move for Ben.

“Lunch. Not dinner,” I countered.

“Deal.”