Page 24 of North

The bus pulls away from the curb and Rafferty looks out the window, clearly not wanting to talk about it. I shoot Atlas a glance and he lifts one shoulder as if to say,What the fuck do we do?

I shake my head, not having a damn clue.

The entire ride to the hotel is silent and tense. Everyone on the team heard what happened and the last thing Callum said to Rafferty, after promising to help him figure things out, was that he’d be suspended from the team until then.

When the bus stops at our hotel, I wait until everyone leaves, including Atlas. Rafferty stays rooted in hisseat, staring out the window.

“What can I do, man?” I ask gently.

His head swivels slowly my way and he sighs. “Nothing.” He starts to rise and then says, “Wait, can you call Farren and let her know what’s going on? This will hit the news any moment.”

“Of course, man,” I say, following him out onto the sidewalk. “What about Tempe?”

“I’ll call her.” He sounds utterly defeated and I don’t know how to help him.

“I got you covered” is all I can think to say.

“Thanks,” he murmurs and then heads over to Callum standing a few feet away.

The team loiters in the hotel lobby while one of the service staff gets our room keys to hand out. We’re all hypothesizing about what’s going to happen but when Callum comes in moments later, I don’t hesitate to find out for myself.

I intercept him quickly. “What will happen to Rafferty?”

“I don’t know,” he grouses, raking his fingers through his hair. “I just sent him off to get a drug test and—”

“He’s clean,” I growl.

“I believe you, and him,” he says in a censuring tone. “It’s to help build his defense. But until we can talk to the attorneys, he can’t play tonight.”

“That’s bullshit.” Anger flushes through me. “What happened to innocent until proven guilty?”

“This isn’t a court of law,” Callum retorts and then takes a calming breath. “Look, I get you’re worried about him, but we’ll handle this in Rafferty’s best interests. I promise.”

I can do nothing but accept his word.

I push through to the front and get my key as quickly as possible. I brush off Atlas’s request to grab lunch and hightail it to my room.

I toss my bag onto the bed and sit heavily on the edge, my phone in hand. Rafferty’s words echo in my mind. The press ambush, the doping accusations—it’s a mess. He did a great job in maintaining his composure, especially in the face of something so inflammatory, but I know it’s eating at him underneath.

And now, I have to call Farren. She’s not going to take this well.

I scroll to her name and hit dial before I can second-guess myself. The phone rings twice before her voice comes through, warm and lilting. “What’s up, stud?” I can’t think of what to say and my silence causes her distress. “Is Rafferty okay?”

Because why else would I be calling?

“He’s fine,” I say, resting my elbows on my knees. “But something’s happened.”

“What?” she asks sharply, the easy warmth gone.

I hesitate for half a second before diving in. “There was an incident at the airport earlier. Some reporters cornered him, making false claims—”

“What claims?” Farren asks, her voice rising with alarm.

I rub the back of my neck, wishing I could soften the blow. “Someone’s accused him of doping.”

A sharp intake of breath crackles through the line. “What? That’s… That’s insane! Raff would never—”

“I know,” I cut in firmly. “We all know. The team knows. But you know how these things work. It’s already out there, and now he’s got to deal with the fallout. Callum sent him to get a drug test and the team will handle it, but…”

---