Page 18 of Playing the Neutral Zone (Vancouver Dominators #4)

Levi

Immediately upon entering Illusions, a staff member escorted us upstairs to our private room, where our food awaited us.

“Ah, food,” Dylan said, heading over to the platter of hot wings.

“Fuck, I’m starved,” I said, loading wings onto a plate as well.

Knox, Colton, Lucas, and Clay followed suit, and then we all took our usual seats. Colton took a minute to give everyone a beer.

I’d just sunk my teeth into one wing when Knox looked over at me.

“It’s about time you join us,” he said, drinking back half his beer.

“Yeah, sorry about that, guys. Things have been a little crazy.” I shrugged.

“Who’s the girl?” Colton questioned, taking a bite of pizza.

I looked at my teammates. They were waiting for me to divulge my secret. I could tell from the looks on their faces that they knew I was seeing someone, so there was no point in hiding it any longer. I was about to speak when Lucas cleared his throat.

“Don’t even think about trying to tell us you aren’t seeing anyone. We already know you are. Shitty game days, shitty practice days, not going out with us. Odd behavior there.”

I sat back and let out a sigh. “Fine, yes, I am seeing someone.”

“Who?” Colton questioned.

“I don’t really think that matters, does it?” Dylan asked.

“Yep, it does. It will tell us on a scale of 1-10 how fucked up he really is,” Knox answered. “I mean, look at Clay before I found out he was doing my sister.”

“I was only fucked up because I knew you’d kill me,” Clay said, shaking his head.

“Damn right I would. Should have kept it in your pants.” Knox chuckled.

“Shouldn’t you have kept yours in your pants, then? I mean, you were doing Phil’s sister.”

Knox looked over at Dylan and nodded. “Probably, but Lorelai had her shit together. Peyton didn’t.”

“Oh god, let it go already,” Clay said, letting out an enormous sigh.

Knox laughed. “Just busting your balls.”

“So, who’s the chick?” Colton asked again, trying to get them focused on me.

I took a drink of my beer and sat back. “It’s a little complicated, but it’s someone from my past.”

“An ex?” Colton asked.

I shook my head. “No, but it’s a long story.”

“Mia’s mom?” Dylan questioned.

I shook my head. “No. If you want to know, it’s an old friend’s younger sister. I’ve known her since I was in my early teens, and we were practically inseparable growing up.”

“Do we get a name?” Lucas asked, getting up and getting some pizza.

I knew the moment I told them her first name, they’d know exactly who it was, but I also knew they were relentless. They would get it out of me.

“Fine, but I don’t want to hear any more after I tell you.”

The guys all looked at one another in confusion and nodded.

“Her name is Scarlett.”

The room was quiet. In fact, if it hadn’t been for the rumble of music in the background, you’d probably have been able to hear a pin drop. They all looked at me, a load of questions I knew they were dying to ask.

“As in Green? The chick from the Ice Insiders ?” Knox asked, not caring what he’d just promised.

I nodded my head.

“Fuck me,” he said under his breath. “Don’t you think it might be wise not to get involved with anyone in the media?” he questioned. “Or at least give us the heads-up when she started reporting on the team?”

“Whoa, now hold on,” Dylan said. “We all know we can’t help who we are attracted to.”

“Never said we could. I’m just saying, this sort of thing could lead to a lot of trouble,” Knox said as if I wasn’t even in the room.

“Exactly, Knox, I’m with you on that. This could be disastrous for his career,” Colton added.

“I wouldn’t say disastrous,” Lucas added. “But it might have a way of harming it.”

“Whoa, guys, I’m right here, you know. I trust Scarlett. I’ve known her for a long time, and I know she respects my wishes, especially with the media. She knows how I feel about interviews and articles being written on me, and I know she would never break that trust.”

“Yeah, until they bribe her or force her to write one on you.”

“Wouldn’t happen, trust me. I know this girl well. She’d come to me if they were trying to do something like that to her, besides I know she’d do nothing like that to hurt me or Mia.”

“If you say so,” Lucas said.

“Yeah, man, just be careful, okay?” Colton added.

I nodded. I knew this was coming from a place of caring, but right now, I didn’t need those types of ideas in my head. Scarlett would never do something that would intentionally hurt me, that much I knew.

“I will be. Now, how about the game?” I said, changing the topic.

I opened my eyes, blinking a few times as things came into focus. Scarlett rolled over and snuggled against me, her head on my shoulder. I pressed a kiss on her forehead and pulled her against me.

Things were progressing fast between us. I’d been home most of the week, and she’d been here with us most of that time, aside from when she was working. I stroked her arm, and she let out a tiny moan just as Mia called for me.

“I’ll be back,” I whispered as I slipped from the bed. “Don’t go anywhere.”

I slid my shorts on and then left the bedroom, closing the door behind me, and went straight into Mia’s room.

“What is it, pumpkin?” I asked.

“I had a bad dream,” she cried, rubbing her eyes.

I walked over and picked her up, grabbing her blanket and Potato from her bed, carrying her into the living room where I flopped down in the corner of the couch, pulling her against me.

She rested her head on my chest and hugged Potato, while I covered her up with her favorite blanket before wrapping my arms around her.

“It’s okay. It was just a dream. Close your eyes,” I whispered, kissing her forehead.

Within minutes, Mia was back to sleeping soundly, and I carefully slid her off my chest down to the couch, got up, and went into the kitchen and started making some coffee.

I grabbed my pile of mail and carefully sorted through everything, one envelope, in particular, catching my eye.

It was from a family law office in New York addressed to me.

Frowning, I ripped open the envelope and pulled out the letter inside just as I heard my bedroom door open.

Not knowing what was on the letter, I quickly shoved it back into the envelope and shoved it into a drawer just as Scarlett came around the corner.

“Morning.” She smiled.

“Morning. You ready for a full day?” I questioned.

We were getting together for lunch with Dylan and Aurora and Knox and Lorelai. They’d asked to meet Scarlett last night just before we left the club, and I’d reluctantly agreed, without even speaking with Scarlett until we got home.

Scarlett nodded and gave me a small smile.

“A little nervous. Is it okay if I go jump in the shower?”

“Of course. When you come back, I’ll have your coffee ready.” I winked, watching as she made her way down the hall.

The moment she was gone, I pulled out the letter and started reading it, a sick feeling forming in the pit of my stomach.

“Uncle Colty!” Mia yelled as Colton entered the backyard where we were all sitting.

Colton bent down and picked Mia up, throwing her up into the air as she laughed.

“Hey, Mia!” he said, tickling her once she was back safely in his arms.

Scarlett sat with Aurora and Lorelai, talking, each of them getting to know her and her them.

Occasionally, she’d look over at me and give me a nervous smile.

It wasn’t a secret that the girls were on edge, but as always, they were doing their best to make Scarlett feel welcome, which I appreciated.

“Want another beer?” Dylan questioned, pulling me out of my own thoughts.

“Uh, yeah, I guess,” I said, leaning forward to take the bottle from his hand.

“You guys are going to get it from Thompkins if you keep drinking this way during the season,” Aurora called over.

She was right. We’d been hitting it a little hard, but right now, I didn’t care. I needed to unwind today, especially after the letter I’d received this morning.

“Last weekend, promise,” Knox called out, reaching into the cooler for another bottle just as Colton came over and grabbed one for himself.

“Glad you could make it,” Dylan said, flipping the burgers on the barbeque.

“He isn’t going to turn down free food.” Knox chuckled.

“I see you aren’t either,” Colton responded, punching Knox in the bicep.

The guys laughed, but I just sat there, staring at the ground, lost deep in my own thoughts.

I heard nothing around me, because all I could think about was that stupid letter stating that Skylar was coming for Mia.

The sound of fingers snapping pulled me out of my head and I glanced up to see Dylan staring at me.

“What?”

“You going to answer Mia?” he asked, nodding over in her direction. “Before she has a full-on meltdown.”

I looked over to see her holding something in her hands.

“What you got there?” I asked, getting up out of the chair I was sitting and making my way toward her.

She giggled as she opened her tiny hands to show me a little frog she’d caught.

“I found him. Can I keep him?” she asked, looking up at me with hopeful eyes.

“Oh, well, I don’t think he’d be happy at home,” I said.

“Yes, he can live in a jar. I will make him a bed and everything.”

“No, sweet pea, he needs to be outside with all his other frog friends. Now, how about we put him down in the flower bed over there?” I said, pointing toward Aurora’s small garden while guiding her over to the corner.

She looked down at the small frog in her hand and sniffled.

“Sorry I can’t take you home,” she said to her hands, clasping them together as the frog tried to crawl away.

“Let him go right here.” I pointed to a shady spot under one flower.

“Okay.” She sniffled as she released the frog and watched him hop away.

I placed a kiss on her forehead, picked her up, and carried her over to the small sandbox Dylan had been working on for Jackson, then I made my way back over to the guys.

“So, you seem distraught. Everything okay?” Knox asked as I sat down.

I looked over at Scarlett to see she was knee deep in a conversation with Lorelai and Aurora and then looked back at the guys, who all sat there waiting for me to answer Knox’s question.

“This doesn’t leave this group.”

“Got it,” they all said in unison.

“I mean it, not a fucking word of it,” I whispered.

The guys all looked at me, a seriousness falling over them.

“Got it,” Dylan said, sitting down, leaning forward and resting his forearms on his knees.

“I got a letter this morning from a family law office in New York. Apparently, Mia’s mom is coming after her.”

The look on the guys’ faces was the same as mine, and I could tell none of them knew what to say.

“When did you find this out?” Colton asked.

“This morning. The letter was in my pile of mail. Thing is, she’s never been a part of Mia’s life after she walked out that door, so I do not know how she even found me.”

Colton glanced over his shoulder to where the girls sat, quickly drawing my attention to them.

“What about her?” he asked.

“No fucking way would she ever do something like that,” I said with certainty in my voice.

“What are you going to do about it?” Dylan asked.

“Get myself a lawyer because there is no way she is taking Mia from me.”