Page 81 of The Defender

I flipped him off with a good-natured grin.

“This is for you.” Seth handed me a glass of Veuve Clicquot. “Thanks for inviting me. This is, like, the coolest trip I’ve ever been part of.”

“Anytime, man. You’re part of the team. You know that.”

He ducked his head, his cheeks reddening. He was twenty, making him the youngest kit manager in Blackcastle history. But he was good at his job, if a little too earnest, and he was shy enough that I’d made an effort to include him in as many group activities as possible.

Noah gave me a terse hug, which I didn’t take personally. Everything he did was terse. I was honored that he’d even shown up.

Then he stepped aside, and there she was.

My breath caught. Brooklyn was laughing with Carina about something. She hadn’t noticed I was nearby yet, and I took the opportunity to drink her in.

I’d seen her in every type of outfit possible—pajamas, workout gear, fancy dresses and sexy dresses and a lady pirate costume for Halloween last year. She looked great no matter what. But there was something about her tonight that stole the air right out my lungs.

Her red dress clung to her waist and flared around her thighs, revealing miles of smooth, bare skin. Her heels added at least three inches to her height, and her hair fell in soft golden waves down her back. It wasn’t just the way she dressed or looked—it was the way she moved. The way she smiled. The wayshe could switch from playful and charming one minute to warm and empathetic the next.

It was…fuck, it washer. Every piece and facet of her. They shone so brightly I couldn’t look away.

The truth had always been there, waiting for its moment in the sun. It’d compelled me to invite her to Budapest even though I knew it was a bad idea, and it’d made me want to kill anyone who made her cry.

But I’d never been able to put my finger on it until now.

Fuck. Me.I wasn’t just infatuated with her. I?—

“Happy birthday, DuBois.” Her smooth greeting carried an amused lilt.

While I’d been reeling from my revelation, she’d come up beside me, her expression quizzical as I stared at her like I’d suddenly forgotten English.

“Merci. I mean, thank you.” I chugged the champagne Seth gave me, which was a mistake. Champagne wasn’t meant to be chugged. “You look…nice.”

“Merci.” Her eyes crinkled at my expense. It was adorable.

“Carina!” I turned abruptly to the brunette. “You look great too.”

“Thanks, but not as great as Brooklyn,” Carina chirped. “Right?”

I blinked. What the fuck did that mean? Was she on to me? Could she read minds? Did everyone in Scarlett’s friend group have some freaky ability to mess with my head?

Brooklyn glared at her, but that didn’t wipe the devious smile off Carina’s face.

Thankfully, Scarlett came over at that moment to hug me and say it was time to open presents. By the time we finished and arrived at the restaurant, courtesy of the SUV limo I’d hired, I’d regained some semblance of control.

I did, however, make sure I sat as far from Brooklyn as possible. I couldn’t afford to slip up at a group dinner with my sister and closest friends.

As a result, I was quieter than usual, but Adil made up for it with his chatter.

“Quick! Check your texts before he gets back,” he said when Samson left to use the toilet. “I have another gift for you, but I don’t want to make Samson feel bad because he’s not included.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Your gift is a text?”

“No. Just open the message I sent,” he said impatiently. “You’re gonnaloveit.”

Somehow, I doubted it. Nevertheless, I did as he asked and found a new text from him that read, “Open me!”

I clicked into it, confused, until I saw the name at the top. It was a group chat called Blackcastle Baddies. Besides Adil, the only other members were Asher and Noah.

“You’ve been added to the club’s elite chat!” Adil beamed. “We took a group vote, and we’ve decided to initiate you as a Blackcastle Baddie! Congratulations!”