Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 86105 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86105 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Now everything’s bigger and louder. The contracts, the crowds, the expectations. The city lights flash against the cab window, turning my reflection unrecognizable—the grown-up version of a kid who used to spend hours taping his sticks just like the pros and dreamed about making it out.
The cab stops at a red light near a row of sleek sports cars parked outside a rooftop club.
The driver glances at us in the mirror. “This the spot?”
Tanner’s head pops up from his phone and he looks at the building. “Looks like,” he says, exiting with a crooked smile. “And this guy will pay for the ride.”
Shaking my head, I pay with a generous tip and get out, stepping back into the Dallas heat.
The bouncer lifts the velvet rope, knowing who we are as we bypass the line and I follow Tanner inside the club. The bass is seismic, vibrating up through the soles of my boots. Strobe lights flash in manic bursts, slicing through fog and perfume and sweat.
I quickly tag several Vipers and it looks like our crew has taken over the VIP section, roped off with a velvet cord that’s doing a terrible job of keeping anyone out. They’re standing on couches, fists pumping to whatever remix is shaking the walls. Girls in dresses that could pass as suggestions more than clothing are draped over them, laughing too loud and looking a little too desperate for the attention.
Deacon’s in the corner, sleeves rolled up, leaning against a banquette with a couple brunettes locked in on him. He’s the sun and they’re orbiting satellites. He’s doing that quiet-smile thing that works very well for him—confident, amused, dangerous in a slow-burn way.
I peel off to hit the bar for a beer and by the time I join the VIP section, Tanner’s already shirtless and dancing with a hot blond. No clue where they came from but he’s wearing a pair of aviator sunglasses, and he has half a bottle of tequila in his hand from which he takes several long pulls.
Christ, he’s going to puke tonight… I just know it.
Tanner spots me walking toward them and beckons me over with a furious wave. “Grizz! The myth! The menace! Come join us.”
The sunglasses slip down his nose and his eyes are wild and unmoored.
“Nice of you to dress up,” I shout over the music.
“Fewer clothes, more fun!” he yells back, grabbing a shot glass and filling it up. He hands it to one of the blonds and yells, “Come on! Drink with me! Celebrate, baby!”
I take the bottle from his hand before he drops it. The room tilts in color, pink, electric blue, ultraviolet white. The beat is relentless. I don’t party quite as hard as Tanner does, but when in Rome…
I lift the bottle, intent on drinking it straight from the source.
Then I see her.
Daisy.
At first, I think I’m imagining it—the way she moves through the crowd, unhurried and composed. She’s different from the other women, forsaking ass-bearing minidresses and opting for a halter top paired with sleek black pants. She has delicate gold hoops in her ears and a thin chain at her throat—subtle and understated, except for the sky-high heels. She walks with an aura that makes people look twice.
Especially me.
Daisy notices me noticing her and I refuse to look away. She angles in on me, weaving through the mass of bodies with graceful ease.
I brace for a lecture because I know it’s coming. Nothing good ever comes from professional athletes partying after a win.
“Relax,” she says when she reaches me, raising her voice over the music. “I’m not here to kill your night.”
“Could’ve fooled me.”
Her mouth twitches. “Langley wanted me to check in, that’s all. He said you’d probably go out here afterwards. You win a big game, you celebrate. I get it.” She hesitates, eyes scanning the chaos behind me. “I just need to make sure you don’t end up trending for the wrong reasons by sunrise.”
I smirk. “So you are here to ruin my fun.”
“I’m here to make sure you get to keep having it.”
I grab an empty shot glass off the table and prepare to pour. “Fine,” I say. “If you’re gonna babysit, you might as well do it while I drink.”
Tanner cheers from behind, wrapping his arm around my neck. I nearly fall over and push him back with a laugh while Daisy watches with a smirk.
Tanner grabs the bottle from me. “That’s my boy!” He pours until the glass overflows and some spills onto my hand. “To fuckin’ wins and to—shit, what rhymes with wins?”
“Sins?” I offer.
He squints. “Never heard of it.” He laughs, leans in close, his breath reeking of Patrón. “You know what, Grizz? I’m gettin’ blasted tonight, man.”
“You’re already blasted,” I reply dryly. “You got a head start at the hotel.”
“Right… like I said… blasted. Like, nuclear. I won’t even remember tomorrow.”