Page 66 of The Penalty

“What’s up, Lucy?” Beau turns to me at the same time Grant wanders up with a super sized bag of cheezies hugged to his chest.

“The elusive twin is coming to the party?” He asks around a mouthful of Cheetos.

JJ is trying to help, but his help already ended up in an extra round with the broom when he knocked over a bowl full of mixed nuts in the kitchen. He comes wandering back in after finishing his clean-up job. “Cece’s coming? The hot one with the curves and the angel hair? Man, I’d bend her over the couch any day. That ass?” He whistles.

I’ve never felt a rage as strong as the one gripping me right now. But before I can push off the wall to mess up his face, he pales. I settle back into my position, watching Beau as he tears across the room toward our goalie.

“What the fuck did you just say about my sister, asshole?”

He grabs JJ by the collar, yanking him off his feet.

JJ looks like he’s about to shit his pants as he dangles. Beau is extra intimidating in his Negan costume. Hopefully, he doesn’t actually have to use the bat, though. A goalie is kind of important to the team. It would be good if he had a couple of brain cells left, but I guess you can’t expect too much.

“I’m sorry, captain. I was just joking. I would never touch your sister. I swear.”

Cole catches the show, walking in with his arms weighed down by bins, his new girlfriend at his side.

Jazz wanders over to Grant and steals a handful of the popcorn he’s munching on. Where did he even get that?

JJ squeaks, scuttling backward like a threatened crab as soon as his feet touch carpet.

Beau swipes a shaky hand through his hair, walking back over to me. “I know he did that to wind me up, but I can’t help it. She got fucked over by one of my former teammates, and I can’t let it happen again. It tore our team up, and I can’t bear to see her hurt like that again.”

I nod at him. Right. I don’t know what I was thinking. There’s too much on the line right now. My career, our championship, and most important, his friendship.

Once things have settled a little, she steps in, taking control of the situation to assign us all tasks.

After she assigns me to kitchen duty, I grab the food bin and lug it in to start putting things away. See, they know I’m the best one in the kitchen here. Not like at Cece’s house.

I’m glad this was the chore I landed. I’ve got the room to myself. There might even be a smile on my face, still thinking of Cece. But then I think of JJ hanging from Beau’s hand. And what he said? Fuck.

This entire thing might be a terrible idea. Why did Beau tell his sister she could come? Not that she needs his permission. And why did I think it would be a good idea to have her here? Maybe dancing with other guys. Even if she’s not dancing with them, they’ll be ogling her, flirting with her. I’m getting all tense again.

My anger level rises again when JJ swaggers in.

“Did I do good?”

“What are you talking about, asshole?”

“I was taking the attention off you and Cece.” How is he back to smiling like a cheerleader from the football team? Does he have no sense of self preservation?

“It’s okay. I know, but I won’t tell anyone.”

“You know what, exactly?”

He takes a step backward when I advance on him again.

“About you and Cece.”

My heart picks up. He can’t. “You don’t know shit.”

“Yes, I do. I saw you with her after the game last week. But don’t worry, I won’t tell.”

I may be in panic mode, but my brain is still trying to rationalize. He saw us, but he has managed to keep his mouth hole shut for a week now. That’s a good sign, right? We might all make it through this.

“You’re right, you won’t. Because if you do, I’ll borrow that bat off Beau, and you won’t be telling anybody anything for the next few months.”

“That’s not funny. I actually had to have my jaw wired shut when I was in the eleventh grade,” he says. I have no clue if he’s telling the truth or if this is some wild story his chaotic brain made up.

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