Page 86 of Delayed Penalty

In hindsight, maybe Ishouldn’thave gotten out of my stall and tried to attack Keller. It makes me look awfully guilty, and though I am, that’s the last thing I want to seem like. I tear my eyes away from him, turning my attention back to Keller, who is still fucking grinning.

“Leave Quinn out of this.”

He shrugs. “Whatever, man.”

He goes back to lacing up his skates like what just happened was nothing. For him, it probably was. I swear he gets off on getting riled up before games. He lives for the thrill of the spar. Usually Lawson is his partner, but I guess tonight it’s me.

It’s all my own fault too. I’m fucking anxious and all keyed up, ready to go home. It’s been a long nine days, and I’m ready to be back in Quinn’s bed.

No. Wait.Mybed. I’m ready to be back inmybed.

Okay, fine, Quinn’s too. But that’s not the point. I just want to be home.

I blow out a breath, then return to my stall. Locke and Fox only sit down when I do. They don’t haveanything to worry about. I’m not going to jump Keller. Hell, just a few months ago, I would have said the same thing if the roles were reversed.

Man, what the fuck is up with me lately? Maybe Hutch is right. Maybe I am growing up.

Speaking of my captain…

He’s still staring at me. Still studying me. Waiting for me to slip up again. But I don’t. I stay on my best behavior the rest of the night, and we even win, beating Columbus 5–2, and that’swithme taking three penalties.

Guess I can’t change all my spots.

“Trick or treat!”

“Whoa!” I jump back, pretending to be scared of the little girl dressed in a black shirt and pants and a pink tutu that looks like it’s been dipped in mud. Her face has been painted green with little black lines made to look like whiskers that match the ears on her head. “And just what are you supposed to be?”

She huffs, rolling her eyes. “I told you, Uncle Adam. I’m a zombie cat.” She lifts her furry gloved hands like claws. “Rawr!”

If I thought the cat talk would die down after I toldFlora no, I was wrong. She’s just found more subtle ways to bring it up. I’ve been pretending to be annoyed by it even though I’ve secretly been in talks with Rory—Lawson did finally give me her number—about adopting one. What Flora doesn’t know is that one of her treats tonight is going to be delivered here in the form of the tiniest black kitten, and I can’t fucking wait.

“My bad. I totally forgot you’re obsessed with cats now.” I pat her head, careful not to mess with her cat ears. “Are you ready to go get some free candy from strangers?”

“I thought I wasn’t supposed to take candy from strangers?”

“You’re not.”

“Then why do I get to do it tonight?”

Fuck. She has me there.

“Because… Because…” I rack my brain, trying to come up with a good reason, but I have nothing.

“Because your uncle Adam will be there to fight off any bad guys,pluswe’ll be checking your candy to make sure nobody has poisoned it.”

“Poison?! Now I have to worry about poison too?!”

But I can’t worry about Flora’s questions. Not right now. Not when Quinn is walking into the kitchen wearing the most skintight one-piece I’ve ever seen in person. She’s decked out in black head to toe, lookinglike she just stepped out of a superhero movie or something. In addition to the black spandex suit and tall black boots, she’s wearing a black wig and black sparkly ears. She’s even painted whiskers on her face and colored the tip of her nose pink.

It’s hot.She’shot.

And fuck, I can’t wait to peel it all off her tonight.

Well, maybe not the boots. Or the ears. We’ll see.

“You don’t have to worry about poison,” she says as she messes with her ears. “Do you have your bucket?”

“Oh!”

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