Even the Score(50)

“Okay, okay.” She giggled, slipping out of Ellie’s grasp. “Just let me put this stuff in my car.” She opened her backseat and set the flowers that had come from her dad and the gift bag from me inside.

I zipped around to the passenger side of my car and opened the door, barely in time for Ellie, who hopped in first, heading straight to the backseat. Dani pressed her dark red lips together in a tight smile, her eyes fixated on mine, as she brushed past me, chest to chest, and slid into the passenger seat. As I closed the door, I looked up toward the ceiling and said a quick prayer asking to be able to contain myself for the whole night. I hadn’t been with a woman in a long time, and for a couple of months now, Dani and I had been sending each other weird vibes, things bubbling just under the surface. Between the seductive way she just looked up at me and the outfit she was wearing, I had a feeling they were about to boil over.

When we got to The Penalty Box, Dani’s requested hangout spot for the night, I told the girls to go on in ahead while I made a quick phone call.

“Hey, how’s it going?” I said when Gloria answered the phone.

“Good. The kids left for Blaire’s a little bit ago, and I’m just packing up to head over to Paul’s.”

A shiver of guilt swept through me when she mentioned the kids going to Blaire’s. That was the first night I’d ever sent them off to Blaire’s without being there to say good-bye. While I was happy to be out with Dani and Ellie, I definitely missed seeing my kids, even for a couple of minutes.

“All right, well, have a fun weekend. I’ll see you Sunday night.”

“You too.”

We hung up and I headed inside to find the girls. Earlier in the day I’d called to make sure that Brody and Viper were around and to see if they wanted to come and join us, so it was no surprise to find Ellie and Dani sitting back in the reserved booth behind the bar. What I didn’t expect to find was Louie, the backup goalie and resident scumbag, with his arm around Dani’s shoulder. I inhaled sharply through my nose and ran my tongue along my top teeth, instantly annoyed.

“What’s up, brother?” Brody extended his hand to me as I walked up to the group.

“Not much,” I answered him while staring straight at Louie, who was too busy talking to Viper to notice my glare.

Viper lifted his chin and nodded at me when he realized I’d walked up to the group. “Hey, man. Glad you guys called today.”

“Yeah, me too.” I reached out and bumped his fist, then purposely directed my hand toward Louie, who would have to let go of Dani in order to shake my hand back. I already hated the guy, but with him hanging all over her the way he was, I wanted to knock a few of his fake teeth back out.

“What’s up, Andy?” He gave me a wide smile as he shook my hand, immediately putting his back around Dani’s shoulders as she pinched her lips and rolled her eyes. Knowing she obviously wasn’t enjoying it made it just a hint less irritating, but I still wanted him away from her.

“Not much. I see you’ve met my new girl?” I questioned, knowing that I was making her sound more like a girlfriend than a partner, but at that point, I didn’t give a shit.

“Actually I’ve known Double D for a while.” Louie grinned down at her. “We go way back.” The slimy way he said it made my stomach flip as I tried not to let the shock show on my face that someone like Danicka would have dated someone like him.

“Calm the fuck down, Louie,” Dani said, rolling her eyes. “I let you buy me coffee one time.”

“Well, it was a pretty hot date,” he said close to her ear in his best creeper tone.

Dani rolled her shoulders to free herself from his grasp. “Oh, please. First of all, it wasn’t even a date. Second, the only thing hot going on between us was the coffee.” She turned her gaze from Louie to Ellie and nudged her shoulder. “Scootch in a little, would ya?”

“Oooooh!” Viper cupped his mouth with his hands and whooped as Ellie quickly slid deeper into the booth to make room for Danicka. “Bet that one stung, huh, Louie?”

“Whatever.” Louie swatted the air toward Dani. “That bitch thinks she’s tough shit, but she ain’t nothin’.”

Before Danicka or anyone else could say anything, I quickly grabbed his forearm out of the air and squeezed it tightly as I took a step closer to him. I lifted my chin and stared him straight in the eye. “Don’t ever call her a name again. Understand?”

“Jesus, man!” Louie grumbled, pulling his arm free. “You need to chill.”

“This is chill. If I wasn’t, you’d be trying to get up off the floor right now.” I glared at him until he finally backed down and looked away.