Page 91 of Revenge Puck

“Told you!” Maya says with a smug grin. “You’re Preston’s lucky charm!”

“He is definitely getting lucky tonight!” I say before slapping my palm over my mouth. “I meant, with the game and party, he’s so lucky tonight.”

Maya leans over to whisper, “Nice save.”

“Almost as good as your light soles, right?”

“Right,” she laughs with a shake of her head. She throws her arm around my shoulders and Finley’s in a group hug. “Well, kids, it looks like we’ve got a party to host!”

31

Preston

“Yo, Lawrence,” Saul calls out from the group of our teammates huddled around the sofa. Finley’s been taking them on, one by one, and beating them handily in the hockey pro video game while Maya supervises like a mama hen.

“What’s up?” I ask when I join the group.

“Why didn’t you tell us you had a little hockey genius nephew or a smoking hot sister?”

“Why do you think?” Vincent responds with a slap upside the back of Saul’s head, saving me the effort. “He was right to hide them from the likes of you.”

“How is he so good at this game?” Maya comes up and asks me. “He’s only allowed to play half an hour on weekdays and an hour on weekends!”

Holding up my palms defensively, I tell her, “Don’t look at me. I know better than to break any of your rules.”

“Joey has this game, too,” Finley informs us. “We played for four hours straight one day while he tried to beat me.”

“That is…I’m going to have a talk with Joey’s mothers tonight,” Maya huffs. “Which reminds me, it’s way past the little hockey genius’s bedtime.” She rolls her eyes at Saul, but there’s still a smile on her face at his nickname.

I wonder what the guys would say if they knew his genius was possibly skills inherited by his hockey pro father they beat earlier tonight.

“Just one more game, Mom. Please?” Finley begs when he finishes whooping Darrell’s ass. “This is the only time I’ll ever be able to beat these guys.”

“Yeah, Mom,” Nick echoes. “One more game with the champ. I haven’t had my turn.”

“Fine,” Maya huffs. “But this is the last game, so make it count.” To me she says, “You’ve created a monster. He’ll be bragging about tonight for years to come.”

“Just wait another few days when he can brag about beating half the players who won the championship trophy.”

“Damn, right,” Saul agrees proudly with a smirk before he sees Maya glaring at him. “I mean, heck yeah. Warhawks! Warhawks!”

The whole room chants the word while I go in search of my girlfriend. Now that I have proof that indulging before a game makes me play better, not worse, I intend to indulge the hell out of Elle multiple times tonight.

Tonight was the first score I’ve ever had in a playoff or championship game, and it feels fucking fantastic.

My good mood quickly deflates, however, when I find Elle just outside the front door, talking to three pricks who sure as shit weren’t invited to our little shindig.

“What are you doing here? How did you get this address?” I hear Elle hiss at Riley.

“Oh, I saw some pics of players celebrating. Did a little digging. It wasn’t that hard to figure out.”

His eyes lift from her to over her shoulder on my approach. “What do you want? Elle is done with you.”

“I came to hear it straight from her mouth,” he replies. “Damn, I miss that mouth of yours, babe,” he says to my girlfriend. Then to me, “She’s got an amazing one, doesn’t she? Unless…maybe you don’t know.”

“I’m about to hit you so hard your mouth will have to be wired shut for months,” I warn him, my fists clenching at my sides, ready to haul back and knock his ass out. The only thing standing in my way is Elle.

“Ah. So, maybe you haven’t gotten the full salon experience yet. Too bad. Guess Ellie doesn’t get all cute and horny whenever she sees you like she did for me.”

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