Page 28 of Triple Power Play 3
I take his elbow and give him my most charming smile. “Don’t worry, Blackwood. I have something in the works for you.”
“That scares me. Are you going to run it by me first?”
I shake my head. “Absolutely not.”
12
REECE
A year ago—hell, two months ago—I would’ve felt like an idiot falling for a woman who was devoted to someone else. I sure as fuck wouldn’t have been interested in sharing.
I knew men who were in triads, soldiers on opposite deployment shifts who shared a girl. It worked for them, but in my mind, it was only a convenient arrangement, not love.
Witnessing the dynamic between Aurora, Jackson, and Ethan changed my perspective. Commitment doesn’t align with our lifestyles. Relationships have responsibilities, and women have expectations. I considered dating a few times but knew it wouldn’t work, not in the military and certainly not while undercover.
If I’m being honest, I wasn’t interested in anyone for more than a night. Nobody sparked my fire, not even a flicker. No one awakened the emotions I’d lost during deployment. Before Aurora, I was dead inside, numb and cold, lifeless blue eyes staring back at me in the mirror.
I’ve struggled to adjust to civilian life. It’s disorienting not being in crisis mode, not having a gun at my side and theheavy weight of my gear on my chest. It feels…wrong, exposed, vulnerable.
I rarely sleep uninterrupted, or I sleep too much. To most people, I’m moody, closed off. My point is, I doubt I can function in a healthy, ‘normal’ relationship.
Jax and Ethan are the same. Without money and hockey, Jackson would likely be in prison. Aurora is the only woman who’d tolerate his erratic behavior and love him unconditionally.
Ethan is a workaholic, which means he’s always stressed the fuck out. He has to be in control, and modern women would consider him a chauvinist—except our girl, who seems to like a man who’s rough around the edges, who needs someone to take charge.
Even with their shortcomings, or maybe because of them, Jax and Ethan support one another. It’s not perfect, but that’s where I come in. I’m just foolish—or desperate—enough to believe I can make it work.
From my surveillance and texts with Aurora, they’re not a happy trio. As predicted, they can’t care for her during the season, no matter how hard they try. Their life is too chaotic.
I watch as Ethan and Aurora have a heated conversation in the hotel restaurant. He leans over the table, says a few words, and she hangs her head. Something is going on between them. He’s been staying with the team, and they no longer text or call each other.
I message her again—Answer me, princess—unable to resist the urge to soothe her.
Ethan slips a phone from his pocket, glares at it then at her, and I realize why she’s not answering: He’s taken her phone, which means he’s read my texts, and he’s not pleased.
He has to know how I feel—it’s been clear, even to Jax.
I need to get back to her, and since Ethan’s the more level-headed one, I text him directly.
It’s unsafe for her to go without a phone.
He returns her phone to his pocket and takes out his own. He reads my message, and his gaze darts across the restaurant, searching for me, but I remain hidden behind a security camera and a worthless firewall.
Ethan
You playing bodyguard or stalker?
Both.
Something like that.
Ethan
You in NYC? She wants you back.
Huh? Not at all what I expected.
What?
