Page 197 of Wicked Minds
“I offered Royce a spot on the circuit as one of my fighters,” Dax states with zero apology.
“Dude!” Logan’s eyes go wide. “That’s awesome! Are you gonna take it?”
“I dunno.” I swipe a hand through my hair, giving myself time to think. It’s a great offer, and with football off the table, I’d probably have jumped at the opportunity a couple of months ago, but I’m not the same lost, angry guy I was then. Now, I have more to think about than just myself. And the truth is, I don’t want to leave Riley.
That sort of lifestyle… I’d be traveling all the time for competitions, while Riley will be here for the next three years. She’ll already have to deal with Logan flying all the time for games, even if he does manage to get a spot with the Timberwolves next year. I don’t want her to be alone if I’m always away.
Lord knows she can’t be left with Grayson. I don’t trust him not to blow everything up if he’s left alone with her for more than a day or two. Or for her to kill him. The two of them are dynamite together, and while it can be entertaining to watch at times, it’s too explosive for them to be left to their own devices.
Hell, if they made it through today without some sort of catastrophe, it would be a miracle.
Plus, now we’re bringing Aurora home, and I want time to settle into this new dynamic, to see where it goes, and to discuss it with Riley before making any decisions.
Logan smirks, knowing damn well my hesitation.
“It’s cool.” Dax waves a lazy hand. “The offer stands. There’s no rush. You’ll wanna graduate, anyway. I’m thinking I might bearound a bit more anyway, so you can just let me know what you decide in the summer.”
“You’re gonna hang around Halston?”
“I’ll be in Springview, mostly. Wanna keep an eye onRogue, but I have some unfinished business in Halston, too.”
We chat for a bit longer, and as the clock rolls into a quarter past the hour, Logan growls, “Where the hell is she?”
“Maybe you should try ringing her,” Dax suggests.
I’m already pulling my phone from my pocket and navigating to her number before pressing call.
The sound of her phone ringing echoes in the cab as we wait anxiously.
“What the fuck, why isn’t she answering?” Logan asks, a tinge of panic in his voice.
Hanging up, I redial, refusing to give in to the fear starting to seep in.
It rings out again.
“Shit.” The phone creaks from clenching it so hard. “What do we do?” I ask Dax.
He taps his finger against the steering wheel, staring out into the darkness as he thinks.
“Let’s sit tight for a bit longer. She might be driving.” Pulling out his phone, he says, “I’ll check in with my guys, see if anyone has spotted her,” as he fires off a message.
A moment later, his phone pings and his expression flattens. “No sign of her.”
“Fuck,” I snarl, slamming my hand down on the dashboard.
“I don’t understand, what happened? I thought she was on board?”
“She was,” I argue, frustrated. “Or, fuck, I thought she was. That’s what she led me to believe.”
“So why wouldn’t she come, then?”
I shake my head, not having a fucking answer.
Shit. This can’t be happening. There is no fucking way we can go home to Riley without Aurora. Just the thought of it has my stomach nearly emptying.
Not knowing what else to do, I call the bitch again.
It rings and rings and just as I’m about to hang up, she answers.
