Page 34

My bedroom door creaks open, and a red bun appears before Hannah’s sheepish face.

“What’s wrong?” I ask as I put my book down on the bedside table.

She takes a few steps into my room, playing with the skin on her thumbnail, her nervous tell that Greyson’s been trying, unsuccessfully, to get her to stop.

She exhales harsher than normal before sitting down on the edge of my bed. “Grey comes home today.”

“I’m aware. Why are you nervous about that?” Color me confused, because one, I work for the team. I know their travel schedule. And two, she’s usually jumping up and down with excitement hours before the plane lands. “Did you guys get in a fight? Is he having a hard time?”

Her eyes widen, and she quickly shakes her head. “It’s you I’m worried about.”

My head tilts to the side as I study her. Have I given her signals that I’m not okay? Have I done something to make her think that? “I want to go see him, spend the night.”

“Han, you do that after every away game. I’m lost here, so if you could help me out, that’d be great.” Her hand gently comes to rest on my ankle as she looks up at me through her lashes. Her eyes welling with tears, as she takes a deep breath.

“I move in with him in a few days. I don’t want you to feel like I’m trying to leave you early,” she sniffles as she wipes the tears from her face. “I just miss him. But I know the second I leave here, I’ll miss you, too.”

Moving to sit next to her, I wrap my arms around her shoulders.

Her head falls to mine as her breathing steadies.

“He litera lly lives five minutes from here. You’ll always have a key.

You can come over anytime you want.” She doesn’t know that his apartment won't be where they’re living when they get back from their honeymoon, but I’m not about to ruin that surprise for her.

“Look, you know I’m not big on change. But if anyone deserves this, it’s you.

” Leaning my cheek against the top of her head, I continue.

“Please don’t think I’m here plotting your death for leaving me.

I’ll go to the gym, grab some dinner, and read until I pass out.

It’ll be great.” I pat her back before pushing her off my bed.

She stumbles a bit, looking at me through narrowed eyes, her finger points in my direction, and she smiles. “Love you, sister.”

“Love you too! Now, go get your man,” I call as she saunters out of the room, ready to do just that.

Since I was already planning on her leaving, my gym clothes were stacked neatly on my desk.

As soon as I hear the front door close, I get dressed and head out.

No sense in hanging here by myself where my thoughts wander to not so nice places.

Maybe I’ll see if a certain storm cloud wants to come over after I’m done.

Wiping the sweat off my brow, I grab my protein shake from the smoothie place attached to the gym.

It was leg day today: squats, deadlifts, sled pushes, and my least favorite, lunges.

They’re good for the booty, so I do them anyway.

Plus, I punch harder when my legs are strong, considering that's where you get most of your power from.

I take a sip as I pull out my phone and open my text thread with Tate.

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Abby: Hannah’s at your brother's. Wanna have dinner?

Tate: Be there in twenty. Need anything?

Abby: Hmm, we might be out of ice cream. And butt rubs, definitely, butt rubs.

Tate: Anything for you, Tink. See you in a bit.

I smile at my phone, re-reading our brief conversation like it’s going to change.

It doesn’t, but it does make me all warm and fuzzy inside.

I start to pull my keys out of my bag when I’m knocked to the ground.

“Oh my gosh, I am so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention!

Are you okay?” A woman’s voice calls from above.

Looking up at her, I immediately notice how pretty she is.

She has long black hair pulled into a sleek ponytail, a black and gray pinstripe pencil skirt, and a long-sleeved black blouse.

Her oversized bag and tortoise cat-eye glasses round out a look that screams “lawyer.” She offers me her hand, helping me off the ground. “I’m sorry again. I’m Maria.”

I brush my hands down the back of my legs to get the dirt off.

Straightening, I smile, “Abby, nice to meet you. And don’t worry about it.

” I look at her face, and something about it is off.

There’s a tiny bit of sweat beading between her brows.

Her eyes rapidly dart all over the place, never focusing on anything for too long.

“Are you okay? Are you running from someone?”

Immediately, she straightens, pushing her glasses further up her nose. “No, I’m okay. Thank you, just running a bit late.” Uh-huh, very believable. But I don’t know this woman, and I have a date with ice cream, a massage, and a hotshot soccer player to get to.

I nod, “Okay, then. Have a good night.” Turning on my heel, I walk back to my car, the hair on my neck standing on end the entire time. When the door shuts behind me, I immediately lock it.

Picking up my phone, I call Tate. After what feels like forever and a day of ringing, he finally picks up. “Did you forget you needed something?” His gruff voice comes in barely audible over the rumble of his motorcycle.

“No, I just had a weird run-in with someone outside the gym.” My hand runs up and down my thigh, trying to ground myself to anything but where my mind wants to take this.

The tension in his voice comes through the phone loud and clear. “Are they gone?”

I look up to where I was previously to see Maria standing there, head lifting to me, then dropping to her phone. Like she’s trying to update whoever is on the receiving end of her texts, of my every move. So much for running late.

A pathetic sound leaves my throat, not out of fear, but out of annoyance. I thought this whole letter thing was just a one-off. This is starting to feel like maybe it’s not. “No, she’s still standing on the sidewalk watching me.”

“I’ll be there in five. Lock the doors if you haven’t already.” And then the line goes dead. I take a few deep breaths before I make my next phone call. Why Elliot wasn’t the first one I called, I don’t know. But I don’t have time to examine that right now.

One and a half rings before he answers, “Hey, sis. You okay?”

I run him through what just happened, telling him I hope it’s nothing, but just wanted to put it on his radar in case it isn’ t.

Of course, the man pulls up the cameras and watches the whole interaction.

“I don’t see anything malicious. She didn’t pickpocket you or anything.

But you can tell she was waiting for you.

She definitely ran into you on purpose.”

His fingers fly across the keyboard in the background before a sharp inhale and an ‘oh shit’ is muttered under his breath. “What?” I ask, immediately on high alert.

“Can you turn your camera on?” I immediately turn on the video call, and the very pair of light blue eyes that’ll be staring into mine any minute stare back at me. Except he’s got his arms wrapped around the woman who just knocked me over. What the hell?

My confusion is short-lived when my brother starts reading her background. “Maria Nicole Bevetti, age twenty-seven, convicted of possession of an illegal substance, and one active restraining order placed on her by none other than Tatum Wilder.”

Nikki? Freaking Nikki? What is her angle here? Get to me to get to him? Over my dead body will I let this woman attempt to ruin his life again.

I hear the rumble of Tate’s Harley, the woman in question startles, and runs in the opposite direction.

“Are you going to tell him?” I shake my head.

What good would that do? It’d undo everything.

He’d retreat into his jerkish self. And selfishly, I like this version of him.

I don’t want him to go back to the man she turned him into.

“No. They’re doing so great this season. I want him to focus on that. At least until I can figure out what her motive is. I won’t let her hurt him again. But he’s here, I may have called him before you. So, I’ll call you later.” My brother narrows his eyes at me through the phone.

“Tell my future brother-in-law I said hi. And for the record, I think you keeping this from him is a horrible idea.” I wave him off as I hit the little red X that ends the call. I unlock my door seconds before his hand is on the handle.

The door flies open, and his arms come around my shoulders. “Are you okay? Did you get a good look? Could you pick her out of a lineup?” I chuckle at his rapid fire questions, my cheeks heating at the fact that he cares enough to ask.

I tilt my head back and press a kiss to the bottom of his chin, “Yes, and I called El. He’s pulling camera footage. He’ll figure it out.” His face angles down, his eyes full of concern, concern for me. God, this man is going to make it impossible not to fall in love with him, isn’t he?

He brushes his thumb across my cheek. “Can I take you home then?” He leans in and nips my bottom lip, “I was promised ice cream and butt rubs.” he whispers before taking a step back and walking back to his rumbly ride.

“Hey! Wait a minute!” I yell, “ I was promised those things.” He throws a wink over his shoulder as he straddles his bike. Using his left foot to push up the kickstand, he nods his head in the direction of my apartment. I nod, silently agreeing to let him follow me. Ugh, my heart.

Unlocking the front door, I expect to be hit with puppy paws, then remember Harley went with Hannah to Grey’s.

Sigh. Yet another thing I’m going to have to get used to.

Before I can get too far in my head, a pint of Mint Chocolate chip ice cream is dangled in front of me.

I grab it and run to the couch to settle in the corner.

My usual spot for movie nights it’s like a cocoon.

Our couch is fluffy and U-shaped, so there are two of these corners, but this one is mine.

Tate’s low chuckle pulls my attention from picking the movie.

He hands me a spoon, a little spoon because he somehow knows I don’t like the big ones in the drawer.

I grab the corner of the blanket lying on the back of the cushion, pulling it just enough to wrap it around both of us.

His arm comes around my shoulder, pulling me into his chest. A satisfied sigh leaves me as I inhale the scent that has become my favorite.

Very light Versace Eros, and the manly smell that is Tatum Wilder.