So Over You (Chicago Rebels #2)(85)

“I’ll fix this with Moretti. You won’t lose your job—”

Her expression was all pity for him. “Vadim, stop trying to protect me. Stop trying to fix my life. In fact, just quit while you’re behind.”

And then she left him, with him feeling lower than a dog.



What a dumbass she’d been. She had assumed that when Vad and Shay had clashed previously, it was all innuendo and trash talking, but apparently it was her own big mouth that had set this in motion. Now her inability to keep her greedy mitts off a player she was coaching had washed her up, once and for all.

Dante stood at the door to the locker room. On catching her eye, he pushed it open and jerked his chin. “Let’s talk.”

Kelly placed a hand on her arm. “Isobel, are you okay?”

She smiled at him, this kind man who had always been far too nice for her. “I’m fine, Kelly. Thanks, and—I’m sorry.”

He didn’t pretend to misunderstand, his nod speaking his thoughts. They weren’t a couple, but she had intimated that they might be one day, which was less than classy of her.

She walked into the locker room, her heart in her stomach. She respected Dante and she didn’t want to disappoint him.

“If it’s any consolation,” she started, “we’re not together anymore.” It was certainly no consolation to her.

“You want a full-time coaching position, Isobel,” he said as he paced the locker room with hands on hips. “You want the men to respect you. But how the hell can you get that if you’re playing favorites? It’s bad enough Harper’s with DuPre.”

“Oh really?” Harper walked in, twitching her nose at the aroma unique to locker rooms. “We really don’t need your judgmental commentary, Dante. I think you’ll agree that my relationship with Remy has brought a lot of positive media attention to the team.”

Dante rubbed his chin. “This isn’t a soap opera, Harper. This is a professional sports franchise that’s in danger of collapsing under the weight of its owners’ egos.”

Harper caught Isobel’s eye. “Did he just call us fat?”

Isobel battled a smile. She had never loved Harper more than she did right this minute, but she couldn’t let big sis fight her battles.

“Dante,” Isobel said. “Believe me when I say I didn’t want this to happen. I made a mistake and I’m fully prepared to accept the consequences. Effective immediately, I’m resigning my consultant position and I won’t be throwing my hat into the ring for a coaching job.”

“Isobel, take a moment to think about this,” Harper said.

“I have. Dante’s right. I’ll never get the players’ respect after this. And once it gets out, which it will, I’ll have a hard time getting respect from any organization at the pro level.”

Dante looked uncomfortable, as if his wish had been granted, but the genie had a rotten case of BO.

“Dante, you don’t want to do this,” Harper said, unexpected steel in her voice. They stared at each other for a good five seconds, an entire conversation conducted under Isobel’s nose. And then the oddest thing occurred.

Dante blinked first.

“We don’t need to make the decision now,” he said quietly, but there was no missing the strain of anger in it.

Mind made up, Isobel held out her hand. “Thanks for giving me a chance.”

He stared at it for a second, then shook it. “You did great work with Petrov, Isobel. You’re the reason we have a shot at the play-offs.”

She knew that. She’d find comfort in it later.

With one last glare at Harper, he left to head up to the owners’ box. They still had a game to win for that wild card spot.

Harper fisted her hips and paced a few steps. “Iz, are you sure? We could force Dante’s hand here. Believe me, he’s got a few skeletons knocking around in the closet with those Armani suits.”

Isobel smiled grimly at her sister. “I’m not going to play dirty, Harper. That’s more your style. Dante is right. Hell, you warned me, and I still went ahead anyway. As for the coaching, I’ve been trying to force a square peg into a round hole. I don’t fit.”

Harper looked hurt, but then her expression softened. “You want to know my proudest moment?”

Oh, God. They were doing this now? “Acquiring Remy DuPre?”

Harper snorted. “No, it was the night my baby sister won silver at the Games.”

“You watched?”

“Of course I watched! Dad couldn’t go because he’d broken his ankle—”

“What the hell was he doing up on that roof anyway?”

She waved a hand. “There was no telling him what to do. So I went over to his place to watch the final with him. He’d just broken up with his latest girlfriend. Remember Cassie-Casey-Callie—”

“Caliope.”

“That’s right, Caliope! He was all by himself. And maybe I wanted to punish myself a little.”

Isobel grasped her sister’s hand. “I know it hurt.” No need to explain aloud what “it” was. She meant Clifford’s obvious preference for Isobel over Harper, his dismissal of Harper’s ambitions, his failure to support her after a Rebels player had punched her in this very locker room.