Page 123

Story: Triple Power Play 2

Now I know why I’m stabby.
Aurora is out with the Viking.
“Get up, asshole.” I swing my arm out and punch Ethan in the shoulder. “Unless you want your baby to have a new stepdaddy.”
His eyelids crack open, and he scans the room. “What the fuck are you whining about?”
I round the foot of the bed. “Yourbaby girlwent to breakfast with Ricky forty-eight minutes ago and isn’t back. I swear on my nuts, if he does something, I’ll peel every one of his tattoos off, sew them into a sweater, and wear it to his funeral.”
Ethan drops his head to the pillow and pinches the bridge of his nose. “It’s too early for this shit.”
Coach needs about three more days of sleep. He has a team to run, but he fell in love with Aurora and got me as a bonus—poor guy. I feel for him.
I throw on whatever clean clothes I have left in my bag. I need to buy more; I refuse to do laundry in the creepy-ass basement.
Legs in jeans, Ethan yanks a hoodie over his head, hobbles to slip his sneakers on, and rushes to follow me out of the room.
I pull on my boots and stab the elevator button at least ten times.
“That won’t make it move any faster.” He drags his fingers through his dark, wavy hair. “Are you manic? What’s with you?”
Am I? My thoughts arerelativelynormal—for me—not racing at the speed of light, just…charmingly chaotic. I’m not hearing voices or paranoid.
It’s our new dynamic and our discussion from last night.
I’m restless, my brain isprocessing.
I need to get to a gym or on the ice.
Or murder someone.
“No, I’m not manic. Thanks for your concern,” I say, my tone sarcastic. “You’re not pissed she’s gone?”
He shrugs. “I’ll deal with it. She should’ve woken one of us or taken the twins, but she probably wanted to talk to Ricky alone.”
The elevator finally arrives, and we both step on.
I punch the button for the bottom floor. “That doesn’t make me feel any better.”
“You know how she is. She tries to fix things herself, especially for you.”
Once the doors open, I hit the sidewalk. Buildings and people are all nothing but a blur. I check my phone several times—her location shows Bryant Park, and it doesn’t take us long to get there.
Weaving through the crowd, I accidentally shoulder-check a guy and almost knock him into the water fountain. He shoots me a glare, and I don’t even blame him.
“Shit. Sorry, man.”
Ethan wraps his arm around my shoulders with a silent chuckle. “Calm down, stalker. It’s not like he’s kidnapping?—”
Our feet come to an abrupt stop, and I see red before my mind fully makes sense of the sight in front of me.
Aurora and Ricky.Snuggling. Her head is on his shoulder, his arm around her.
I’m going to fucking kill him.
My fists clench, and my body vibrates with fury. I lunge forward.
Or at least I try to.