Page 48 of Unmasking Love (D.C. Renegades #1)

Felix Fornier

Someone Call Keith Morrison

This is not good. Aiden isn’t at his locker when I shove into the room. Bryson and Crosby are in the corner talking with Luke the equipment assistant and Boda Tea shakes his head at me.

We are going to be on fucking Dateline .

Duncan crashes into the room out of breath.

“Dude, did you run here?” Crosby jokes.

“No, I saw him tho!” Duncan gasps.

“Where?” I demand and I pull him up by his shoulders. He’s a professional hockey player for shit’s sake. He should be able to run into a building and not be totally winded.

“He’s locking up his bike outside.”

I leave Duncan and rush out of the room and down the hall. When Aiden steps through the door and takes off his bike helmet I feel tears push against my eyes. I stride towards him with purpose and I wrap my arms around his body.

“Don’t ever do that to me again.” I scold as the tears make my voice thick.

“Do what?” Aiden asks.

“Disappear. I thought I was going to have to sit down with Keith Morrison.”

“From Dateline ?” Aiden asks.

“Yes from Dateline . Where the hell were you? I said I was going to pick you up.” I can hear my worry overriding my squadron commander persona. I pull myself together b ecause as captain of this crew it is my job to look after them and bring out their best.

“I couldn’t find Harper.” He says as he hangs his head.

“What?” Because, first Aiden disappeared and that caused my heart to shoot out of my pants but now Harper is missing too?

“She’s at work. I biked over there and saw her car. I went in and tried to talk to her, because she wasn’t answering my calls.” I can see the heartbreak crack across his face. I had no idea when I asked Harper to get him a home that I’d be plugging in the string lights of a beautiful relationship.

Harper has helped Aiden soften up. And as a result he’s opened up to us too.

The fact that we could have a Big Guns meeting last night with him was monumental.

When he first walked into my locker room I knew he was a flight risk.

Now I’m worried he’ll jump ship again, if things with Harper go south.

Time to work my relationship magic.

“Did you get to talk to her?” I ask.

“At first, no. She told the receptionist she didn’t want to talk to me.

But then she looked over from her desk and I spotted her and I charged into the office.

” Aiden says and then he runs his hand through his hair.

The first time I’ve seen any sort of nervous tick out of this man.

“She rushed towards me and ushered me outside. She was standing there without a coat and shivering but she wouldn’t take my coat or go back inside. ”

“What did she say?” I ask to keep him from dwelling on seeing his woman in need.

“That she needed some space. That she’d call me.”

“And what did you say?”

“That I broke my phone.”

“When did you break your phone?” I ask because it was working perfectly when I dropped him off.

“When I threw it at the wall when she wouldn’t pick up earlier.” He admits sheepishly.

Good.

My boy has the fight in him. His reaction tells me that he’s going to stay put and work to win her back.

“Okay. Go tell coach that you’ll need to miss the post game meeting to get a new phone. You’ll need one up and running before we leave tonight.” He nods. “And, then you’re going to go home, pack for the trip, and I’ll pick you up for the airport.”

“What about Harper?” He asks. His blue eyes searching for reassurance that he hasn’t lost the love of his life.

“You’re one of the Big Guns and we’ll win her back.”