Page 136 of Traded

When I take a step, a pebble crushes beneath my boot. I wipe white powder from my sole over the ground, looking down at the crushed remains of an oxy tablet.

It’s a prescription, I tell myself.Not a big deal.

They wouldn’t let him have it if there was any risk.

Chapter thirty-eight

Bubbles and Broken Glass

“Did you like your ragdoll?”

I find myself smiling down at the counter. Georgio glances between us warily, possibly remembering the last encounter I had with the Aces here. “Eh. Not as good as the real thing, but she’ll do.”

“Agreed. I tried my best, though.”

His ragdoll might be sitting on the empty shelf in my nest, though he’d have to waterboard me to admit it. “Did you want coffee, or did you just come to ruin my day?”

“I’m the highlight of your day, and both of us know it.” Boone leans on the counter beside me, making a show of studying Georgio’s menu. “Strong coffee, milky coffee, frothy coffee. Why are there only three drinks on this menu?”

Georgio gives him a heavy dose of stink-eye.

“Because we don’t mess with a good thing.” I tap my nails against the counter. “Congratulations on playoffs.”

He ducks his head, and I smirk at the sight of his neck turning red. A hint of his tattoos peek out from his jersey. “So youdohave a bit of humility. Deep, deep down. Where do you keep it? In your little toe?”

He nudges me, but he’s grinning. “How much did it hurt to say something nice to me?”

“Not as much as you’ll be hurting if Carter comes out and sees us talking.” I turn my face away at the reminder, but I can feel him watching me.

“Still hates me, then?”

“We keep a dartboard with your face on it in our bathroom.” I turn to look at him again, a question building in my mind.

He looks back, hazel eyes narrowing. “What?”

Bad idea. Bad, bad,badidea. Fucking terrible.Back up, Johnson.

“Come on, Ragdoll,” Boone says, tilting his head. “Out with whatever it is that’s putting that look on your face.”

I can’t talk to Liam or Jonas, not properly. I could talk to Benji, but he’d barrel straight into papa bear mode. Ryker’s too green. Ethan, maybe. But he’d probably try to talk to Carter.

But there’s only one person who might have advice, who Iknowwon’t go running to my alpha. I turn my nails over, studying them as Georgio deposits my latte in front of me. “Thanks, Gio.”

“Nothing for me.” Boone offers him an apologetic smile that Gio responds to by banging together everything he can as far away from us as he can get. “So?”

Inhaling, I turn to look down the hall.

They’re on the ice. Nobody’s coming. My eyes lower to my coffee. “Carter’s taking oxy for his shoulder.”

I amJezebel. Lilith. I am the Great Betrayer.

As soon as I spill the traitorous words from my serpent tongue, I want to shrivel up into a ball of shame. But Boone’s turned to stone beside me. “Hewhat?”

“You remember, right?” I face him, committing to my deception in full. But I need advice.

And Boone… he was ours, once. The third part of an unbreakable trio. “You know how pain schedules work, and I don’t. Should I be worried about this?”

He takes a deep breath. “His team doctor signed off on it?”