I throw the phone at Jovi. It misses and hits Cookie, who looks like he’s about to start crying.
“I hope you’re not going to shoot with that kind of accuracy,” Carlsson chirps from a few rows in front of us.
Ellie bustles over to reset the therapy toys and give Cookie a bag of Goldfish crackers.
I am in hell.
Jovi raises his hand. “Coach Ellie, can I have some Play-Doh? I want some Play-Doh.”
Ellie pulls down his tray for him. “Fletcher, don’t let him get that over the seat.” She pulls out a wet towel and wipes Cookie’s face then reaches over like she’s about to wipe mine.
“The hell—”
“Sorry!” Ellie’s cheeks color. “Force of habit.”
The Finn is smirking.
I watch the gray clouds outside the window. Try to think about anything other than the fact that we’re about to lose worse than we did against the Direwolves. There’s also the small matter of repaying Hudson’s debt. “Maybe Emil Maynard will give us a mercy killing,” I muse.
Christmas carols blareover the sound system as we file into the hotel. Christmas trees and garland festoon the lobby. One of the staff has added hockey ornaments to an oversized tree in the lobby.
The rookies snap selfies in front of the decorations as Ellie hands out room assignments. “Put your things down. We have practice in an hour. Do not miss that bus.”
I’m rooming with Zayne Murphy. Kid me is currently having an aneurysm and writing his thank-you letter to Santa. Adult-ish me is wondering if he’s going to be kept awake by Zayne puking up his liquid dinner.
Zayne dumps his stuff by one of the beds. “Gonna grab ice.”
The door unlocks a few minutes later as I’m changing into my workout gear. “Yeah, I didn’t think those fancy hotels had ice—oh shit.” I stand up as one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever met saunters into the room.
She perches across from me on Zayne’s bed and crosses her long legs.
“Hudson send you here to kill me?”
“Was in town working on a job,” Skylar says, pulling up the delicate strap of her silk jumpsuit. “Seeing as it’s the season of giving and everything, your cousin says you’re striking out with a certain cougar.” She trails her fingers up my bare arm. “Your hot body’s not enough for her?”
“Does your wife know you’re talking to me like that?”
Skylar laughs—it’s musical, intoxicating. I shake off her spell.
She’s Hudson’s highest-paid employee and his secret weapon. She can get any man to give her anything she wants. Always. She never misses.
“Dana talked to me. She definitely checked me out. She’s interested,” I insist. “Though I’m not as pretty as you,” I joke.
She preens. “So then why are you so scared?”
“I have the game,” I say quickly.
“Dana’s in the city.” Skylar inspects her nails.
“I’m gonna try again after the game,” I say in response to her unspoken question.
“Hudson’s trying to make an actual profit off this job,” Skylar warns. “He doesn’t want to have to send in a team. Word to the wise—do you need to write this down?”
“I’ll remember.”
She sniffs. “Dana enjoys a challenge. She won’t respect you if you give up too easily. You want to be upfront. She doesn’t have time for back-and-forth. Just go up to her.”
Skylar approaches me.It’s fake, it’s fake, this is what she does, my mind screams as Skylar’s breath kisses my ear.
