Page 31 of Hard Pass

Easy to say.

Hard to do.

My brain keeps replaying that room. Dublin standing there like she’d never seen me before . . . and then delivering bullshit garbage about someone betting on how I play. On me abetting it. Since last season. It just doesn’t make any fucking sense.

“And?” Jaxon arches a brow.

“And nothing,” I snap. “Just a fucking waste of my time. She asks questions and I have to stand by while she picks apart everything about my life. Fun times.”

“She hot?” Malachi asks.

I roll my eyes. “That’s what you took from all that?”

“I’m looking for a silver lining here,” Malachi says.

Tristan leans forward. “Wait. Was she?”

I hesitate for a brief moment—and that’s all it takes to flash back to that night. Too much booze. A woman with the sexy edge walking straight up to me like she didn’t care who was watching. Her mouth on mine. That laugh—soft, surprised, and nervous—as we waited for the elevator.

Trouble.

My jaw tightens.

“Doesn’t matter,” I say.

“Oh, it absolutely matters,” Jaxon says. “If you’re going to have your balls squeezed, there should at least be someone worth looking at in the process.”

I bark out a laugh despite myself. “You’re all idiots.”

“And yet you still haven’t answered the question,” Malachi says.

I take another drink, then shrug. “She’s . . . fine.” It’s a lie and we all know it.

They all stare at me, then burst out laughing.

“Fine?” Tristan repeats. “Is that a question or a deflection?”

“It’s whatever you want it to be.” I sigh.

Jaxon grins. “That means she’s not just fine—”

“That means she’s dangerous,” Malachi says with a knowing grin.

Yeah. Pretty much.

“She your type?” Tristan asks.

“Don’t be a dick.” I lift my middle finger. “And no, she’s the opposite. Brown hair. Gray eyes. Curves.”

They all look at me like I just proved their point.

“He noticed her eye color,” Tristan says with a smug nod of his head.

“Yeah, she’s definitely hot if he’s noticing her eye color,” Malachi adds.

“Whatever,” I say, waving it off. “Doesn’t matter anyway. Her job is to make my life miserable.”

“This’ll pass, bro.” Jaxon sighs. “Stuff like this always does.”