He edged backwards a step, looking like he was biting the inside of his mouth. He was looking every which way, but at me.

I caught sight of the clock on the wall. Half the third period was over.

Now I was the one who wanted to swear.

Nut-Brother still hadn’t answered, and I was losing patience. “Forget it. I apologize for whatever I did, and I won’t say anything to Sasha except that there was an exchange, and she needs to hear it from you first.”

After that, I was out.

Once I hit my chair, I pulled my phone out and checked our emails. There was an email with his number so I sent him a text back.

Me: Koala Sister here. It was nice seeing you. Missed you. The emails are great, but you know.

A minute later.

Koala Boy: Koala Brother here now. I missed you too. And I know.

That. Right there. That was everything worth Deek or Chad. Everything.* * *Thirty seconds to the end of the game, the sirens lit up.

The Bravado scored.

Mustangs lost.34CutHendrix dropped his towel on the bench beside me.

I didn’t look up. Everyone was pissed. Hendrix was pissed. I was pissed. Alex. Crow. Everyone. Coaching staff. Margo swept through the locker room with a scowl of her own. We lost games. That was part of the job, but it wasn’t a good part. Every game counted because we wanted the Cup this year. Bad.

Pulling on his pants, Hendrix dropped down, snagging a shirt on the way. He raised it up over his head, before yanking it down to cover him. “Talked to some of the guys. They’re up for heading to Bresko’s. Want to forget this game for the night.” He eyed me. “You in?”

Cheyenne was here, but checking my phone I saw that Chad, Deek, and Hunter were also here.

I frowned. “Uh… maybe.”

He smirked. “Got to run it by your woman first?”

I shot him a smirk back. “Spoken by someone who’d love to have a woman that he runs things by.”

Hendrix’s laugh was quick and slightly abrupt. He stood back up. “Right. Maybe, if the right one comes along.” He reached for his shoes, starting to pull them on, but frowned at me again. “That Not-Russian friend of your girl’s, maybe you should invite her tonight, too.”

I rubbed at my forehead, enjoying what I was about to say. “She owns Tits, you know.”

His eyebrows shot up. “The strip club?”

I nodded.

“No shit?”

Another nod. I was right. I was enjoying this.

He whistled under his breath. “Now I’m really intrigued.”

“Heads up, though. She’s somewhat involved with Chad.”

“Your boy Chad?”

I nodded.

Hendrix got all serious. “Good to know, but Bresko’s though?”

“Maybe.” I was in the mood for some dark corner, sitting in a booth, holding Cheyenne and forgetting this game. I grabbed my bag up, giving Hendrix a nod. “Heading out. I’ll let you know about the club.”

“Sounds good. Bring her with you. I forgot to add that. That was a given.”

I assumed.

Going through the door, my bag over my shoulder, I took two steps before my phone starting ringing.

Chad calling.

“Hey, man.” A bunch of people were coming down the hallway.

They saw me, and a few raised their hands in hello. A couple stood back, waiting for me to pass. I had to lift my bag up and over a little kid, and his eyes were bugging out. I grinned down at him. “Hey, kid.”

His mouth fell open.

I kept going.

“Hey…”

Everything tensed inside of me.

That wasn’t an easygoing-ready-to-down-some-beers Chad. That was his I-have-to-tell-you-something-you’re-not-going-to-like voice.

My mood was going to take a nosedive. I felt it coming. “What happened?”

He took a breath, and I could hear some voices behind him. Male voices. One sounded younger.

“Who’s with you? That Hunter?”

“I have to tell you something and you’re not going to like it.”

I was just turning the corner for the parking lot, and there, standing just inside the door was Cheyenne. She was with her girls, Cassie included. The other three were talking, but Cheyenne was staring right at me. I took all that in, and I didn’t like what I was seeing or hearing.

Cheyenne had a knowing look in her gaze.

Chad was about to tell me something not good.

I bit into the phone, “What the fuck did you do?”

“I, uh…I got protective of Hunter, and Deek was there, and yeah. Not the proudest moment of my life.”

“Chad.” Another growl from me.

Cheyenne broke off from her group.

I was getting attention, but she was ignoring it.

I was ignoring it, though; I knew I couldn’t ignore it all. Sometimes shit that got overheard got spun and sold to websites and there was a whole section of click-bait hungry people out there, so I had to keep this neutral…for now.

Cheyenne had made her way to me.

I lifted my arm and she moved in, her arms sliding around me and her face touched my chest. I adjusted, putting the phone between my face and shoulder and cupped the back of her head with my hand.