Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79564 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79564 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
But Rafferty is saying maybe I am?
I drag my fingers through my hair. “Christ… I don’t know what to do.”
Rafferty claps me on my shoulder. “Just be patient with her. I don’t think this is over.”
Before I can reply, a blur of motion catches my eye and I turn to see Penn striding toward me with fury radiating off him like a heatwave. His eyes are locked on me and Rafferty takes an involuntary step back, which opens the door for Penn to push me hard. “You motherfucker,” he snarls.
I rock back two steps but don’t go down. I can’t retaliate either, because Rafferty is already there, in between us both with his hands outstretched, one palm planted on Penn’s sternum.
“You touch him again,” Rafferty growls, “and I’m going to lay you out.”
Atlas, King and Foster gather around us but Penn’s eyes never leave mine. “You gave her my address.”
I had been expecting this and I could easily deny it. I mean, I didn’t technically give it to her, but it seems like something’s broken loose. “She might have seen your address on my contacts when I left my phone unlocked on the table. But I didn’t give it to her.”
“You expect me to believe that?” he barks.
My patience snaps. I push against Rafferty but go nowhere, my voice rising. My own frustrations over this whole debacle with Farren send my emotions into overload and I take it out on my teammate. “Why are you so pissed, huh? What’s she to you? Why are you so desperate to keep her away? Why the fuck are you the way you are?”
Penn’s eyes narrow, and he slaps at Rafferty’s hand. “None of your fucking business. Stay out of it.”
“Like hell I will,” I fire back, pointing a finger at him, rage over this shit with Farren taking away every bit of reason. “You’ve been acting weird for months, and now some woman from your past shows up, and you lose your shit? That’s not normal, Penn.”
“North,” Rafferty warns, but I ignore him.
“Let’s lay it all out,” I press, my anger fueling me. “The fan that called you a traitor. McLendon going after you in that game. The teddy bear. And now this? McLendon played with you in juniors, didn’t he? Is this about that hazing incident where a teammate died?”
The words hang in the air like a bomb. The guys freeze, their expressions ranging from shock to disbelief. Penn’s face pales, and he looks like he’s been punched in the gut.
“What the fuck did you just say?” he whispers, his voice trembling with barely contained fury.
“You heard me.” I step closer and lower my voice. “Is this about that kid? Is that why McLendon hates you? Is that why you’re acting like a goddamn hermit?”
Penn doesn’t answer. Instead, he surges forward so fast, Rafferty can’t stop him. He shoves me hard and I go flailing, but Atlas catches me before I hit the ground.
“Mind your own fucking business, North!” Penn roars, his voice echoing across the tarmac lounge. “Or so help me God, I will kill you.”
Rafferty chokes from the shock of that threat, but I wave it off.
I square my shoulders, meeting his glare head-on. “You think I haven’t tried? You’re my teammate, Penn. We care about you, but you’re making it real hard to have your back when you keep shutting us out.”
He doesn’t respond. He just stares at me, his chest heaving, his fists clenched at his sides. Then, without another word, he turns on his heel and storms off toward the line forming to board the plane.
The silence he leaves behind is deafening.
“What the hell was that about?” Foster asks, breaking the tension.
I look around at my friends, only Atlas understanding the background of what just happened. I quickly fill them in on the mysterious woman named Mila and what happened at Mario’s after the Demons game.
“Do you think it’s true?” King asks, his voice low. “About the hazing thing?”
I shake my head, not in denial, but in confusion. “I don’t know. But if it is, it explains a hell of a lot.”
We stand there, the weight of the situation settling over us. Finally, King claps me on the back. “Come on. Let’s get on the plane. We’ve got a game to win.”
I nod, but as I follow them to the gangway, my mind is still racing. Whatever Penn’s hiding, it’s bigger than I thought. And if we’re going to help him, we need to figure it out before it’s too late.
“You,” I hear from my left and cringe as I recognize Callum Derringer’s voice.
I turn to see the Titans GM standing there, expression dark with anger. Clearly, he witnessed that altercation, but he’s approaching me and not Penn.
He makes a crooking motion with his finger and I get a sympathetic look from my buds before I head his way.