“You make me happy, and it’s not like I have much of a plan for after graduation.” I still had no idea what I wanted to do with my life.
He cut the engine and turned to me. “I’m going to give you everything. You know that, right?”
“I know.” I did. Maverick loved basketball, but he loved me more. He’d proved that time and time again. But this was his dream, and he deserved it. God, he deserved it so much.
“You’re acting a little strange tonight.” I studied him. “Are you sure everything’s okay?”
“Everything is great. Now come on, I want to get you drunk on cocktails and then take advantage of you on the ride home.”
I grinned back at him. “That sounds pretty damn perfect to me.”
Maverick
“Declan, good to see you, my man.”
He stood up and pulled me in for a guy hug. “How was the wedding?”
“Does it make me a pussy if I say perfect?”
“I’ll keep it between the two of us.” He winked. “Oh hey, you remember my brother, Zach?”
“I remember.” I gave the quiet guy beside him the once over. “I hear you’re making waves over at San Diego?”
“I do okay.” He smirked, taking a long pull on his beer.
“You old enough to be drinking that?”
Zach scowled and I exploded with laughter. “Relax, I’m just busting your balls. Any brother of Declan is a brother of mine, you got it?”
Something flashed in his eyes, but he quickly schooled his expression and nodded. “Yeah, thanks, man.”
“This is Lo, my girl.” I pulled her into my side.
“It’s nice to meet you.” She gave Zach a small wave then Declan pounced on her, enveloping her into a hug.
“It’s good to see you.”
“You too.” She let out a strained laugh. “Rick, a little help.”
“Okay, asshole, remove yourself from my girl before I rip off your arms and feed them to you.”
Zach snorted. “When Declan said you were a hard ass, I didn’t expect... this.”
“A hard ass, huh?” I leaned over and punched Declan’s arm. “I still have one year left before I hand over the captaincy to you.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I reckon I could sweet talk Coach Baxter into letting me have a shot.”
“You fucking wish. That team is mine for another season. When we finally lift the championship, then and only then can you have your shot.”
“Yeah, yeah, keep your panties on.” He flipped me off. “I’ll get the drinks in. What are you having?”
“Just a soda, I’m driving.”
“Lo?”
“I’ll take a strawberry daiquiri please.”
He left us to it. The family resemblance was obvious between the Messiah brothers. Same dark hair and brooding expression. But there was a shadow hanging over Zach, and I couldn’t shake the feeling there was a story there.
“So, Zach, did your brother teach you everything you know?”
Declan was going places. He’d made a huge mark on the team since his freshman year, and I knew Coach Baxter had him in mind to take the baton from me when I graduated. But to have two star players in one family, that was something special.
“Something like that.” He pursed his lips.
“Knew a Zac once, a real piece of work. Thought he could rule the team through fear and power.”
“What happened to him?”
“Me.” It was my turn to smirk. “Listen, I meant what I said earlier. Any brother of Declan is a brother of mine. If you need anything—”
“I’m good, man.” He waved me off and stared out at nothing.
Lo slid her hand over my knee and squeezed, probably wondering what the hell had gotten into me. But I couldn’t help see myself in Zach. A young kid struggling to find his place in the world.
“Excuse me, I need to take a piss.” Zach slid out of the booth and disappeared toward the back of the bar.
“What was all that?” Lo asked me.
“I don’t know. He seem a little off to you?”
“Maverick...” She let out a small sigh. “You can’t fix everyone.”
“That’s not... yeah,” I scrubbed my jaw, “you’re right.” My eyes flicked to the restrooms.
“You see yourself in him, don’t you?”
“How did you—”
Lo gripped my jaw and pulled my face down to hers. “Because I know you, Rick. But you’re not that kid anymore. You figured it out, and I’m sure Zach will too.”
I dropped a kiss on the end of her nose. “How did I get so lucky?”
“It wasn’t a case of luck, Maverick.” She beamed. “It was fate.”
Chapter Four
Lo
“You missed the turning.” I frowned over at Maverick. After one round of drinks with Declan and his brother Zach turned into two and then three, Maverick had finally made our excuses and dragged me to the car.
He was restless. On edge. And I knew it was probably something to do with the weird tension between Declan and Zach at the bar. We’d both felt it. In fact, as the night wore on, it became impossible not to notice it.
“There’s something I want to show you,” he said, keeping his eyes ahead.
I didn’t argue. Knowing Maverick, he probably wanted to pull over at a rest stop and have drunken car sex.
“I think you were right about Zach,” I said.
“Yeah, I’m going to press Declan for the details. He doesn’t really talk about Zach. I hadn’t thought much of it until tonight.”
“You think that’s wise, sticking your nose into their business?”
“Has that ever stopped me before?” He reached for my hand, threading our fingers together. “You know, I love that you accept the team so easily.”
“They’re a huge part of your life, Maverick.”
“I know, but a lot of girls wouldn’t be so understanding.”
“Good thing I’m not most girls then.”
“Damn right it is.” He brought my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles.
“Where did you say we were going again?”
“One quick stop, I promise. And then we’ll go home and celebrate.”
“We’re celebrating?” Butterflies fluttered wildly in my stomach. He wouldn’t... not tonight.
Would he?
“What are you up to, Mr. Prince?” Soft laughter bubbled up in my chest.
“I guess you’ll just have to wait and—”
“Maverick, LOOK OUT!”
The beam of headlights was almost blinding, and I threw up my arm.
“Fuck,” he grunted, the screech of tires on asphalt deafening.
“Maverick!” I yelled, watching as the truck barreled toward us.
It happened in slow motion.
The crunch of the truck hitting the front end of Maverick’s car. The force of the impact ricocheting through us as I slammed back against the seat. Then everything sped up. The lights… the noise… the smell of burning rubber and gasoline. The car spun, whipping us around like we were riding a Tilt-A-Whirl. The seatbelt cut into my skin, pain zipping through me.