He scoots to the edge of the mattress and I scoff when he shifts to adjust his hard-on in his pants.

I look out the window and after a few minutes of silence my shoulders sag and I drop my head back.

“Raven.” Where before, his demand was imbued with carefulness, this time it’s firm.

Fucking whatever.

I exhale, watching the smoke rise above me before floating out into the night. “How is it, a royal piece of shit like my mother, who hates her daughter, gets to keep me for seventeen years before someone steps in, but someone like Captain, who wants nothing more than to love his child, to hold her every day and show her what she means to him, can’t have his for even a night? How does that happen? How is that acceptable?”

“It’s not.”

I shake my head, unable to forget the way the little girl smiled at her daddy. I blink hard. “The system sucks.”

“Raven.”

“Stop.” I close my eyes, a deep crease taking over my forehead before I can stop it. “Don’t say it.”

“What you did today...”

“I said don’t.”

“For us, for Captain. Your need to ease him in a way we can’t.”

I roll my neck to the side, to meet his stare.

While unease lines his eyes, gratefulness shapes his features.

“It’s not a big deal.”

“You’re wrong.” He frowns. “It is a big deal. Real fucking big deal.”

I look away.

“We’re not sure how to handle you.”

I frown at the cherry of my joint. “That’s how I like it, big man.”

“I don’t care what you like. This is our fucking future and you just became a problem.”

“Became a problem. Right.” I give him a blank stare. “I didn’t become anything. I’ve been the problem and you know it. Now I’m just more dangerous to you because in your world blackmail is a way of life. Well in mine, we don’t rat. We don’t share detail. When we learn, hear, or see things we turn the other way.”

“That’s a fool’s way of thinking.”

“That’s a smart man’s way of surviving,” I bite back. “Life isn’t this simple outside your comfort covered issues. You may not have answers to everything, but you have way more than most, Maddoc, and more than the house and the cars and the money, you have Royce and Captain, and they have you. Your side and your back are covered. People like me? We have to sleep with one eye open. I don’t need enemies, so why would I make one out of you three?”

“Money.”

“Please.” I roll my eyes at his attempt to reach for straws. “I can make money at the snap of a finger if I needed to and you know it.” It’s disgusting but true.

He glares.

I lean toward him.

“Don’t let this mixed up sexual tension we’ve got going make you forget. My being here? That was all you three. You owe me nothing, if you need me to go, tell me and I will.”

He leans forward this time, his teeth bared as he growls more than talks. “You still don’t get it, do you?”

“What’s there to get?”

“We want you here more than we should. All fucking three of us. Maybe even enough to force you to stay if you try to leave.”

When my eyes widen, he stomps to the door, but pauses and turns back to me before exiting.

Anger now acts as his shield and his eyes bore into mine. “Touch me again when you’re fighting to forget something, and you’ll regret it.” He leaves.

I drop back against the chair and shake my head.

His words are delivered as a threat, but I know better.

Seems big man wants my all and my not laughing over it proves what a dumb girl I’ve become.

I need to break away, distance myself and get my head straight.

Even thinking it I know it’s a bad idea, but most of mine are so ... fuck it.

Since tonight was an away game, more people than last time linger, waiting to see what the boys have planned, no doubt. We played a rare Friday night game, so everyone’s extra hyped to get the afterparty rolling.

“’Sup, Rae.”

I turn to find Bass coming down the bleachers. He drops beside me and raises a brow.

“Watch out Bass, you keep popping up at these kinds of things, I’ll start thinking you actually enjoy it.”

He nods, spinning his lip ring with his tongue as he eyes me.

“What?”

Laughter fills the room and his gaze flicks over my shoulder.

“Nothing.” He stands, making his way down the bleachers. “See ya.”

I frown at his back. “Later.”

I spin back around right as the team starts to shuffle from the locker rooms, freshly showered and ready to get the night started.

Maddoc steps from the back, looking all dressed to make ‘em spread in simple jeans and a T-shirt. That hair perfectly mussed on top. Lazy but sexy. Fresh fade.

He glances my way, doing a double take when he meets my eyes.

The corner of his mouth lifts.

Yeah, he knows he looks good.

In the next second, his attention is captured by a cheerleader for the opposing team. She slides up – literally, slides her foot across the squeaky, freshly polished hardwood – planting her little body in front of him.

My eyes jump to his, following along as his trail over the wide curve of her hips and thick thighs in her short skirt. She’s packing way more sex appeal than I ever could.

He smirks and her pretty painted nails plant themselves on his shoulders so she can pull herself up to whisper in his fucking ear.

Acid fills my mouth when his arm wraps around her middle to hold her there and then they stumble back a half step, laughing as he rights them.

“I see things have escalated, huh?”

My eyes snap to Vienna’s a moment. “What are you talking about?”

She rolls her eyes. “Please. You’re two seconds from shredding a pair of pom poms.”

Both our attention turns back to the boys, all three plus a few extras now standing there with a pack of fucking sharks with pink lips circling, ready to attack their prey.

Maddoc’s arm leaves the girl right as his eyes hit mine only to dip back down and whisper in her ear this time.

Are we playing this game, big man?

“He yours, Rae?” Vienna asks.

Apparently not.

My brows snap together at the thought. I don’t answer.

“You his?”

His eyes narrow as if he can hear what we’re talking about and he takes a half step forward, but another brunette plants herself in front of him.

I look at her.

She doesn’t push, but instead asks, “Feel like getting out of here?”

I glance back at the boys, finding each one’s focus elsewhere and stand. “Let’s go.”

“Wait, really?” She smiles wide, then a light squeal leaves her. “Hell yes! Let’s bounce!”

I don’t turn around again as we exit the gym and make our way to the parking lot to catch up with her other people.

I spot Victoria among them right away.

She scowls, crossing her arms as she waits for me to grow closer.

I shrug. “It wasn’t personal, even though it probably felt like it.”