Page 27 of Set Play

A few of the guys turn at my outburst, but I’m too focused on the texts from the unknown number, fighting a smile. Esa maldita pasión que tiene.1 “What’s going on, Teo?” Cillian asks from across the table.

Smothering another smile, I slide my phone over, unfortunately catching my brother’s eye.

Lukas turns toward the phone, effectively dismissing the blonde waitress he’s been flirting with for twenty minutes. She runs her hand down his arm and tries to lean in over his shoulder, pressing her breasts against him in the process. I’m about to tell her to go elsewhere because I don’t need her seeing the messages, but one look from Cillian accomplishes the task before I can.

After slapping Lukas in the back of the head, Cillian turns back to finally read the messages. He, at least, has the decency to stifle his laughter. My twin, however, does not.

Lukas’s cackle echoes across the bar, drawing the attention of the rest of the team and several patrons. I swiftly kick his shin, satisfied when the laugh turns into a shrill yelp.

El menso.2

When I look at Cillian again, he’s fixated on peeling off his beer label and refuses to meet my eyes. “Something to share with the team, Cill?” I tease, knowing exactly how she got my number without him saying anything. “Perhaps an explanation on how a certain fiery woman came to possess my phone number?”

“Um,” he grimaces, “yeah…about that. I might…have forgotten to tell you that I ran into her and passed on your message. I guess she ignored the ‘ASAP’ part.”

“Wait, hold on,” Theo interjects, suddenly more interested in this discussion than the sticky menu he and Soren were scouring. “Where the hell did you find her? I have been looking for her in literally every woman I’ve seen. I’m pretty sure Flynn thought I wanted to add a woman to our relationship. I had to work extra hard to convince him otherwise.”

If Theo notices the nasty look Benji sends him at the mention of Flynn, he ignores it, but it just adds to my hatred of the prick. Theo has come so far in embracing himself since joining the team, and I will kick Benji’s ass if he hurts that progress. When the fucker finally drops his gaze from mine, I turn to see that Lukas is also glaring at him, clearly not willing to ignore his bullshit either.

It’s not until Cillian starts talking again that my brother snaps his attention back to our group. “So, remember how Croía broke her wrist?”

He might have asked a question, but he doesn’t wait for us to respond.

“Well, she works at the orthopedic clinic that we visited and was our nurse. She was amazing with mo stóirín. I’ve never seen Croía warm up to a complete stranger, especially a nurse or doctor, so quickly.”

If it were anyone else, I might be jealous of the way he’s talking about Élise, but I know Cillian’s heart is locked on a girl from his past.

“Fuck, I was hoping to talk to her before HR,” I grumble. “What the hell am I supposed to say?”

Useless as ever, the three of them just shrug and murmur about saying ‘sorry.’ But then Lukas clears his throat, that damned smirk already plastered on his face. “Sounds like you’ve already dug your grave, mano. Might as well flirt some before she hunts you down to put you in it. You have to convince her to play along, so it’s not like it can hurt to give her a sample of the goods.” He childishly thrusts his hips towards the table with an exaggerated wink.

I’m pretty sure the waitress swoons from where she’s watching him by the bar and I roll my eyes. “Are you kidding? Dude, I know she’s a firecracker, but she hates my guts. And I don’t even know why! Shit, shouldn’t I be the one who hates her? I mean, look at everything her brother’s done. If she was anyone else, I’d likely be halfway in love by now, but the best case scenario here is us as friendly acquaintances. That’s it.”

Leaning over to deliver an unnecessarily brutal smack to the back of my head, Lukas levels me with a glare, “Eh, cabrón, are you and I the same fucking person?”

He pauses, but I’m too busy nursing the ache in my skull to respond. “No, so quit grouping her in with her brother. You’re better than that, mano. You’re not quick to make judgements; that’s the shit Henri does. Just talk to her, pendejo. I bet she doesn’t even know the whole story.”

When the fuck did he become the reasonable one of us?

Shit. He’s right, though…I am acting like Henri and judging Élise too quickly. And solely due to who her brother is. It doesn’t even have anything to do with her.

Fuck.

As Lukas’s words settle in, I go to ask the guys how to apologize for the way I spoke to her just in time to hear Benji slur, “Hell, I wouldn’t care if she was my rival’s sister, I’d still do her fine ass. Actually, that might make it even more enticing. Forbidden pussy and all that, ya know?”

How fucking dare he talk about my Chispita that way?

Red clouds my vision and in an instant, I’m out of my chair. Some of the team is laughing with him, but as I scan the group, taking note of each one who thinks this shit is funny, the sound dies. Baxter tries to tell Benji to stop and turn around, but Benji keeps going. “I mean, shit, if Reyes doesn’t want her, I’ll do it. It’d be worth the beating from Hen—”

Someone must finally get through to Benji because he stumbles around to face me, reeking of beer and sweat, muddy eyes wide and glazed. He tries to raise his hands in a placating gesture but I’m already grabbing his shirt collar.

For fuck’s sake. We’ve been here for an hour. How is he already so drunk? It doesn’t matter; he’s cut off. I haul him away from the group by his collar. Baxter follows without a word.

“For once in your life, Sterling, shut the fuck up. Don’t ever talk about my girl like that!” My words are quiet but laced with menace.

Even in his drunken state, Benji must sense the threat in front of him, because he stops struggling and nods. “Go sleep off the fucking alcohol.” I give him one last shove toward the door before turning to Baxter. “Make sure he makes it to his room and stays there. And maybe find new friends.”

I watch them leave, suddenly feeling ten times as exhausted. Okay, time to call it a night.