Page 56 of Mr. Irrelevant (Rock City Renegades #1)

FORTY-THREE

MADDOX

“Great game, yesterday, man,” Theo says, tipping his chin as he takes a pull of beer.

We fought hard against the Blizzard in the Wild Card game, but came up just short of the win.

Holding our own against the reigning Super Bowl champs is nothing to hang our heads over, and I’m beyond proud of what we created this season.

We’ll be back after the draft with even more weapons on the field, ready to show the world why they shouldn’t underestimate us.

“Thanks,” I reply with a smile. “It was a hell of a run. We’ll get them next year. At least we went down swinging against some of the most legendary players in the league. I almost shit my pants when Tanner Lake came over to congratulate me on a great season. Not sure I’ll ever get used to that.”

I keep the details of the conversation to myself—him telling me how impressed he was with the way I stepped up for my team, and that he’s looking forward to seeing me in the playoffs again soon.

I’ll admit that it felt validating coming from the Super Bowl MVP.

The guy is everything I strive to be, on and off the field, and having his vote of confidence means a lot to me.

He huffs a laugh, looking around the room as our teammates and their significant others talk amongst themselves.

After we got home from Boston, we decided to get together at Jett and Bailey’s new house to commiserate, although the entire night has been a lot of fun.

It’s hard to be upset when we accomplished so much, laying a solid foundation to do even more in the future.

And the fact that I ended up with the most amazing girl is just the icing on the cake.

Like a magnet, my gaze finds Livvy just as she throws her head back in laughter at something her sister said.

My heart flips and squeezes in my chest, thinking of all the amazing memories we’re making.

We haven’t necessarily been hiding our relationship from the public, but we figured we’d just let them find out organically.

It’s only a matter of time before cameras catch us out at the grocery store or on a dinner date, and when they do, we’ll tell them the truth.

But for now, we’re enjoying the normalcy of being a regular couple around our friends and families.

So far, the support has been overwhelming, even from Mr. Grant.

Although I think it was a little weird for him at first, being that I’m a player on his team and was sneaking around with his daughter behind his back for so long, he seems to be warming up to me.

In fact, he called me earlier today to thank me for being such a strong leader for the Renegades.

I’m looking forward to getting to know him and Mrs. Grant more during the offseason.

They’re going to be my in-laws someday, so I’m going to do everything I can to show them how dedicated I am to making Liv happy.

I’m broken from my thoughts as the doorbell rings.

Jett perks up, leaving the room for just a moment and returning with Austin Baker trailing not far behind.

He battled several setbacks after his injury, including a nasty infection that almost took his life.

He hasn’t been out much since he was released from the hospital, other than stopping by the practice facility this past week to let us all know that he won’t be renewing his contract with the team next season.

The brutal hit he took made him rethink his future, and he decided to hang up his cleats for good.

I don’t blame him at all. He had an amazing career, and I have no doubt that he’ll be voted into the Hall of Fame one day.

I’m sure it wasn’t an easy decision for him, but he seems to be at peace with it, which is all we can hope for when football is such a big part of our identities.

“Damn,” Theo says, lifting his chin toward the feisty-looking brunette at Austin’s side.

“Who is that ?” She’s a gorgeous girl with moody brown eyes and her long, dark curls pulled up into a high ponytail.

I shrug noncommittally, giving him a look that says let’s go find out , because we’re worse than the women when it comes to gossip.

I’ve talked to Baker a few times since his injury, and he never mentioned a girlfriend.

Plus, with the body language between them, it doesn’t look like they’re close in that way.

“Thanks for having me,” he says in greeting to Jett and Bailey as we all close in around them.

“Everybody, this is my nurse, Stella. She’s been helping me while I recover.

I thought it might do her some good to meet the team since she’s a bit of a homebody and a workaholic.

” He winks in her direction, earning a playful scoff in response.

One by one, we introduce ourselves, and I can’t help but notice the look in Emmett’s eyes as she makes her way around the room.

I’m not sure if I’m the only one who picks up on it, but the tension between them is thick, especially when she spends a little longer talking to Theo than she does everybody else.

Something tells me that this isn’t the first time they’ve crossed paths.

“Hey there, Mad Dog,” my girl says as she steps in, wrapping her small arms around my waist. She looks up at me, her beautiful blue eyes twinkling with mischief. “What do you say we go find a vacant bathroom and you fuck me against the sink?”

My brows shoot into my hairline, and she lets out a boisterous laugh, letting me know that she was absolutely fishing for that reaction.

I should call her bluff, drag her to the car, and turn her ass red in the backseat for trying to make me hard in front of people.

But that’ll have to wait, because there’s no way we’ll be coming back in here once I feel the crack of my hand against her flesh.

“Don’t you worry, Dimes,” I reply quietly.

“I fully plan on making that pussy cry for me all night long. Until then, don’t forget I have something in my possession that could make your life very difficult in front of our friends right now.

” I subtly bring my hand up, patting the pocket of my jeans.

The remote control to the brand-new vibrating butt plug that’s currently stuffed inside her tight little ass sits at the bottom, just waiting for her to mouth off enough for me to turn it on.

The thought is hot, but we both know I’m a possessive son of a bitch.

There’s no fucking way in hell that I’d let her come in front of my teammates, regardless of whether she was able to hide it or not.

She hums a laugh, tightening her hold on me as I bring my arms up over her shoulders and haul her into my chest. I drop a chaste kiss to the top of her head, anchoring myself to the moment.

They say life comes at you fast, and that’s never been truer than it is for me.

It wasn’t long ago that I thought being Mr. Irrelevant was a death sentence for my career.

I spent years sitting on the bench, doing everything I could to prove myself, with absolutely no idea that I already had.

Somewhere in Cleveland, the most beautiful girl in the world was watching me, and she saw everything that was hidden within.

She believed in me in ways that no one else ever had, and she never faltered, teaching me how to shine when I felt like the light had left me.

I’ll never be able to thank her for the things she’s done, but I vow to spend the rest of my life trying to prove that I’m worthy of her heart.

Olivia Grant is my forever, and I can’t wait to see where this crazy life brings us next.