Page 140 of Playing Dirty

“Did you find it?”

I roll my lips inward, debating just how much information to give him before deciding on, “With some help, yeah.”

He stares at me in silence, a small amount of suspicion narrowing his eyes before his gaze drops back to the fabric splayed out before him. His fingers run over the stitching of the logo before picking at some of the shreds along the edge, a little chuckle leaving him at the mangled state.

“Yeah, Blackmore is definitely gonna have to replace it next year, thanks to the accident. But right now…it’s ours.”

Phoenix’s gaze lifts to mine, and his entire demeanor changes on a dime with those last two words. A huge grin appears and he starts laughing—the kind bordering on maniacal—as he drags the fabric from the counter.

No shade to Holden, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen the guy more excited or happy in the four years I’ve known him as he starts running around and waving the damn thing. He’s a pinball bouncing off the walls, hooting and hollering at the top of his lungs. At one point, he wraps the shredded fabric around his neck and wears it like a cape as he races through the living room, shouting Leighton’s school song at the top of his lungs.

And while he might look like a fool, it’s certainly entertaining as hell to watch.

The door to the basement opens, Holden coming up the stairs with a confused expression on his face. Cam and Logan pop up a few seconds later too, both of them halfway down the stairs to the second floor, watching as the chaos that is Phoenix unfolds before their eyes.

“Uh, Nix?” Holden says slowly, his brows drawn down. “What’sgoing on?”

“Why is Phoenix dancing with a shitty flag?” Logan mutters, and I catch him glancing at Camden beside him.

“I have no clue,” Cam replies.

All eyes in the room snap to the front door as it opens enough for Madden’s head to pop through. His brows are knit with concern as he looks around the living space.

“I heard shouting so—”

Phoenix is on Madden in an instant, ripping open the door all the way and damn near tackling my boyfriend to the ground. He catches himself on the doorjamb, and Phoenix yanks him inside by the front of his shirt, letting the door slam closed behind them.

“What the hell is going on?” Madden asks, eyes popping wide with confusion.

His gaze shifts around the room some more, clearly trying to make an assessment on the situation, before it finally falls on what Phoenix has wrapped around his neck.

“You’re a fucking sellout for love, and I couldkissyou for it.”

Madden holds up his palm. “Please, don’t. I have a no-kissing-Timberwolves policy. With one exception.”

“And, uh, I’m right here,” Holden says, holding up his hand.

Phoenix turns to Holden before lifting the flag and waving it toward him. “Yes, you are. And you owe me a hundred bucks, fucker.”

Holden’s brows crash together. “What? Why?”

Phoenix’s grin belongs to the Devil when he says, “Because little bitty Theo seduced the captain for intel after all.”

My stomach drops at his poor choice of words—namely, the inaccuracy in them—and I look at Madden with worry. Yet, instead of lookingconcerned by Phoenix bringing it up, Madden rolls his eyes dramatically before walking toward me.

“Can you please set the record straight on this?” he asks while dropping his palms to my shoulders. “Because I’m pretty sure I’m the one who did the seducing in that hot tub, not the other way around.”

“So it doesn’t count!” Holden gloats at the same time Camden shouts, “Oh, shit!”

All eyes in the room fly to the hockey goalie, who is now wide-eyed and pointing at Madden.

“I just realized it’s your stepbro!”

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

“So it’s not just my brother who walks around the house naked,” Logan supplies dryly before his attention moves to Madden. “Lock the door next time, by the way.”

“You never mentionedseeingwho it was!” comes from Phoenix.