Brutal Obsession (56)

I try not to stare at him too hard, convinced he’s going to feel my gaze on him. I force myself to sit back in my seat.

Jess and Amanda are craned around, chatting to Michelle and the girl beside her. Lucy, I think. She has teal hair, pulled back in a bun on top of her head, and wicked eyeliner. She smiles a lot. I don’t know her very well, but she seems genuinely nice.

Some of the players—skaters who don’t get a ton of ice time, I think—slip past us to sit in the way back. They barely acknowledge us.

More fill in the middle, and then Greyson, Knox, and Steele are coming down the aisle.

Greyson’s gaze fixes on me. He doesn’t have much of a reaction, except the corners of his lips tip up. Just for a second.

Fucking hell.

I don’t really know what I was thinking, subjecting myself to two hours of this. Well, not this. But whatever Greyson has in store for me, I know it’s not going to be pleasant.

Or it’s going to be really fucking pleasant… in a humiliating way.

I gulp, and my stomach knots.

Willow squeezes my hand. Knox has already probably made eyes at her—or she told him she was coming along. I miss his reaction as he slides into one of the seats toward the front.

Steele lifts his eyebrows and grins. “Hey, Violet.”

I suppress my cringe.

He drops into the seat behind me, then leans forward. “What a nice surprise.”

“Yep. Party bus was full.”

He smiles knowingly. “Uh-huh. Hey, you didn’t text me back.”

Willow chokes behind me.

“I’ve been busy.” I don’t bother looking to see that Amanda is glaring holes in my head, too. I can feel it from here. Also, I forgot about her crush on him.

Damn it. That means I take the cake for shittiest friend. I literally didn’t think of anything except using him when I put my number into his phone. But I can’t very well say that to her, can I?

Not right now.

Miles comes down the aisle and pauses beside Steele. “Hey, man. Greyson wanted to talk to you.”

Steele snickers. “Did he?” He leans back in his seat, kicking his legs out. That move shouldn’t be sexy, but it is. Every time. Especially on someone attractive like Steele, whose abs could probably have their own zip code.

I mean, Greyson’s could, too, but he’s not in front of me right now. And when have I paid attention to him shirtless? Never. See? Greyson isn’t on my mind. And he’s definitely not messing with my head at all. Not me.

“I’m comfortable here,” Steele continues. “Talking to my friend, Violet.”

Willow makes another noise in the back of her throat, and that’s the only warning I get before Greyson looms over us.

Miles scrambles out of the way.

Greyson grabs the front of Steele’s shirt and lifts him. He doesn’t so much as look at me as he drags his housemate toward the front of the bus. He throws him into a seat and marches back to me. His knee comes down on the edge of my seat, and he leans over me.

“Stop playing games,” he hisses.

I meet his gaze.

Somehow, that got under his skin worse than anything else. I shift forward, until we’re nearly nose to nose. “You don’t fucking own me.”

He smiles. “No?”

“No.”

“We’ll see about that.” He straightens and backs away.

Just in time for Coach to come barreling down the tight aisle, stopping just before he crashes into Greyson.

“Get back to your seat, Devereux,” he snaps. His attention sweeps over us, his face scrunching in disgust. “Fucking party bus. And you.” He glares at me. “You should know better.”

I’m so surprised, I can’t say anything. Not until he’s turned around and made his way back to the front. He sinks into his seat, and I let out a slow, shaky breath.

What the fuck was that?

Willow makes a face. “And here I thought we could ride under the radar.”

“Hate to break it to you, but that was never going to happen.”





25





GREYSON





I’m supposed to be preparing for the game. Mentally. The team we’re facing is undefeated, which is already a setback. They’re coming in confident. If their coach has done their job, the team won’t be arrogant. They won’t make shit plays. Of course, we’ll be on the lookout for weak spots.

We spent the week reviewing tapes, both of our previous games and theirs. Hunting for holes in their armor.

This game is important. Coach warned us at the start of the season that this point in our season, if we played smart, would make or break us. And he’s right. We’re two wins away from qualifying for the national tournament. Two games left to play. If we lose, we’re out.

Then the real battle would begin.

Even if we do make it into the tournament, we’ll have to face this team again. The Knights have more funding and a larger school than us. They’re monsters. Who knew this little Vermont town would be so crazy about hockey?

But instead of mentally preparing, I’m thinking about Violet.

And Steele.

It infuriates me that he thinks he can just slip in and take her away from me. If that’s what he’s doing, he’s going to lose some teeth. I’ll beat him bloody, and I don’t plan on playing fair. The asshole is two inches taller than me and packed with twenty-five pounds more muscle. It’s what makes him a good defenseman. He can check someone into the glass like no one’s business.