Hidden Play: The Return 《COMPLETE》

Chapter 5

And surprisingly, it does.

"Alright," I agree. "But Gig? It better not be one of my teammates."

She swats my ass and hops off my bed. Ignoring my comment entirely, she shouts over her shoulder. "You have half an hour to get ready. Love youuuu."

___________________

My stomach rolls when Gigi parks along the curb. The street is already lined with cars, and it's not even 10:00 p.m. She pulls a small flask of vodka from her purse and passes it to me. The taste is awful, but I force down a few throatfuls (that's what she said) and pass it back. Tears burn the corners of my eyes, and I shudder at the aftertaste.

"What kind of vodka is that?" I ask in between coughs. "It tastes like piss."

Gigi takes a shot and slips it back into her purse. She checks her makeup a final time and opens her door. "I wouldn't know. I don't drink piss."

Smart ass.

We walk up to Radik's house, and as much as I hate to admit it, I'm glad I'm showing up with her by my side instead of Casper. I'm sure Zion already has a few ideas of what went on last night. Arriving with Casper would have just made everything worse.

Gigi whistles under her breath as she takes in the entirety of Radik's family property. We're in the richest part of town. After seeing Radik's family cabin, this doesn't surprise me. Mike told me once that Radik's dad is a surgeon and his mom does 'something with drugs.' Of course, Casper swooped in and specified she's the director of a pharmaceutical company.

Unlike the cabin, the exterior of the house is glossy and modern. The walkway is white cobblestone, leading up to an intimidating archway decorated in black iron. This time it's my turn to whistle.

"Shit," I say. "If there's someone at the door enforcing a dress code, just show him your tits so I can sneak in."

Gigi swats my arm. "You're a pig."

I shrug. "Only when the situation calls for it."

We follow the sound of music to the backyard. Despite it being cold as balls, the inground pool is full of people. The hot tub beside it is packed, too. Did he invite the entire town?

Unlike some of the other guys on the team, Radik knows he's popular and thrives on it. He loves it. Where Zion prefers to keep the group of us exclusive and away from others, Radik enjoys living the life of an A-lister. He eats up the attention and uses any excuse he can find to bask in it. It has nothing to do with being nice to the other kids in our class. He simply wants to hear their praise and feed off the jealousy and envy that bleeds from their expressions.

"I'm going to find us a drink," I shout over the music.

Gigi bobs along to the music and scans the crowd. She spots Emma near the edge of the pool and gives me a thumbs up. I stuff my hands in my pockets and keep my head down as I search for more alcohol. So many people wish to be seen, to be the center of attention. Maybe if they could feel how I do right now, though, they wouldn't.

Sweat trickles down the muscular planes of my stomach. My hands tighten into fists. Where is he? Zion has to be near. I can feel eyes on me with every step I take. I'm a starter on the basketball team. Of course they're watching me. After sitting through more than a few 'social media sessions' with Emma and Gigi, I've come to learn that sharing the whereabouts of the basketball team is a common pastime amongst my peers.

Imagine the field day they'd have if they got their hands on the romance between Zion and me. Or hell, even what happened with Casper. Would they be outraged? Disgusted? Act like they knew all along? I force out an unsteady breath as I reach the alcohol table. A huge punch bowl is in the middle. Some red concoction is in it, and I grimace. Hard pass. I swipe up too beers instead.

"Hey, man!"

A masculine hand claps my shoulder, pulling me out of my near-panic attack. Mike slings his arm around my shoulders and takes a long pull from his beer. His blond hair is tucked beneath a backwards baseball cap. Loose riding jeans hug his hips, and his green and brown checkered flannel fits snugly around his muscular torso.

"What's going on, Broncs?" he asks with just a slight slur. Then he leans in. "Dude, these chicks are thirsty tonight."

I refrain from rolling my eyes. "Why not go quench their thirst then, Mikey?"

He laughs and shakes his head. "No can do, my man. I've got my eye on one in particular, and she's giving me one helluva chase."

"Mmm. And who's that?"

I'm only half listening, but then I see Mike unabashedly staring at someone near the pool, and curiosity gets the best of me. I follow his eyes...to Gigi. Oh, hell no. I shrug off his arm and bump his shoulder.

"Mike," I growl. "No. She's my sister. Not happening. I swear, I'll fuckin'– "

My threat gets stuck in my throat. I smell his cologne before I see him, and all thoughts of Radki's party, the pool, Gigi, Mike, and the weird red juice in the punchbowl leave my head. Zion's arm brushes against mine. I keep my gaze trained straight ahead, but I watch him from the corner of my eye. He's wearing a navy-blue t-shirt and jeans. Simple. Sexy.

A myriad of emotions flood through me. Guilt. Longing. Anger. Lust. Desire. Happiness. Excitement.

"What's up, man?" Mike asks. He must be not as drunk as I assumed, because he looks uncomfortable. Nervous, almost. His eyes flicker back to my sister.

"I need a word with Broncs," Zion responds smoothly. "Give us a minute."

Not a request, but a command. His voice sends a shiver down my spine, and my pulse quickens. Mike is all too happy to back away from us. He gives a two-finger salute and heads to the pool, no doubt to subject my sister to his vomit-worthy swag.

Zion remains quiet for a moment before humming in the base of his throat. "We need to talk, Broncs. Meet me upstairs in five."