Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 109903 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109903 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
"You have thirty seconds."
Kevin waited only another twenty before setting off with Andrew and Neil behind him. He made a slow circuit of the court, seeking out every team save the Ravens. It didn't matter what athletes honestly thought of the Foxes; Kevin could bring almost any conversation to a grinding halt when he walked up. Kevin didn't go out of his way to be polite, but he kept most of his condescension in check. Neil ended up shaking more hands than he wanted to. Only a couple people tried to shake Andrew's hand. Andrew stared them down with a smile until they gave up.
It wasn't fun, but it was interesting, and with Kevin in the mix some of the athletes got worked up. Neil didn't realize how much time they'd spent talking about past games and some of the better professional leagues until he turned and saw Allison in his peripheral vision. A glance at his watch showed they'd been making rounds for almost two hours now. The event would close in an hour in preparation for a long day tomorrow.
Neil looked up at Allison again. She stood frozen on the edge of the dance floor, hands limp at her side and half-turned toward the court. Not completely frozen, Neil noticed a second later, because her head was moving as she followed something's progress. He turned and scanned the crowd in search of whatever had caught her interest.
It took him only a few seconds to realize the Ravens were coming. The entire team was crossing the court toward Kevin, walking in V formation like a flock of birds going south.
"Andrew," Neil said.
"Oh, finally," Andrew said, stepping up alongside Neil. "Kevin, look. We have company."
"Excuse me," Kevin said to the Breckenridge Jackals they'd been chatting up.
Neil heard the strain in his voice and hoped the Jackals hadn't. Kevin moved up on Andrew's other side. Neil buried his hands in his pockets to hide his white-knuckled fists. Riko stopped further away than Neil thought he would, but Neil understood a moment later. The rest of the Ravens kept going, flipping their V until they'd trapped the three Foxes between them. Neil looked at faces down the line and waited for someone to make a move.
It came from the least expected corner. Renee appeared out of nowhere on Kevin's other side. She looped one arm through Kevin's and held her free hand out to Jean. "Jean, wasn't it? My name is Renee Walker. We didn't really get a chance to talk earlier."
Confusion eased Jean's stoic mask into something more than a little uncomfortable, but he accepted her handshake. "Jean Moreau."
"Neil Josten," someone said. Neil trusted Kevin to Renee and turned to face the man who'd spoken. Two men and a woman stood in a tight clump to his left. The man offered a sneer instead of a hand. "We are the Ravens' starting strikers. We wanted you to see us so you know what an offense team really looks like."
"Offense, or offensive?" Matt sidled up alongside Neil. Renee's arrival might have been coincidence, but Matt's wasn't. Neil guessed Allison alerted the upperclassmen to the Ravens' approach. "Matt Boyd, starting backliner for the Foxes. I'm the one who's going to be wrecking your goals this October. Nice to meet you." He held out his hand but didn't look surprised when no one took it. "Guess the pleasure's all mine."
"We're sure it is," the Raven striker said, "seeing how you're dating a prostitute."
"Stripper," Dan corrected as she showed up and wound an arm around Matt's waist. Her stilettos hung off her fingers by their thin straps and she jiggled them as she spoke. "Hopefully you're smart enough to distinguish between the two professions. If you're not, I have serious concerns about your academic standings."
Neil tried not to stare at her. He would have dismissed the Raven's insult as an outright lie if not for Dan's easy response. Too late he remembered her telling him she'd worked an overnight job during high school to make ends meet. He'd assumed she was a night stocker at a grocery store or maybe a front desk clerk at a motel. She didn't seem the type of person who would tolerate being objectified. Neil didn't make a habit of prying into people's pasts but there had to be an interesting story there.
"Hennessey, right?" one of the strikers said. "Such a good name for such a fierce spirit."
"We were a little disappointed you didn't sign up as part of the entertainment tonight," one of the others said. "We were looking forward to the show."
The once-over he gave her was syrupy slow. Matt gave a violent twitch as he forcibly restrained himself from breaking the man's neck. Neil was amazed by his self-control until he saw Dan's fingers digging into Matt's hip in warning. Dan didn't want anyone fighting her battles for her. She slid around Matt to get in the Raven's personal space. The striker grinned at Matt over her shoulder, then tilted forward and sucked in a deep breath against her neck.
Dan brought her stilettos up between his legs in a vicious punch. The Raven recoiled with an inhuman yelp. The teammates to either side of him grimaced and cringed away. They were quick to avert their eyes from their half-crumpled colleague.
"Yeah, Hennessey," Dan said, sounding calmer than Neil thought she should in the face of such treatment. "Treats you right if you're willing to pay and will fuck you over the morning after if you're not nice enough to her. Sorry, but this bottle's got a name on it. Hope you feel that one for a while, you lowlife asshole."
She didn't wait for a response but turned back and folded herself against Matt's side. Neil didn't know if Dan's tight grip was apology for leaving Matt out of it or gratitude for letting her handle it. Either way her embrace did nothing to ease the rigid set of Matt's shoulders.
Neil couldn't help it. "What happened to being polite, Dan?"