by Anya Nowlan
Then he turned it over to Lily, letting her introduce herself.
“I’ll let our new addition tell you guys a couple of things about herself,” Ben said, gesturing at her.
Taking a step forward, she let her eyes sweep over the line-up in front of her. She already knew all their names, along with a brief summary of their careers and other bits and pieces of information the Predators’ management had gathered up for her.
None of the information had made any one player more suspicious than the next, but that was why they had turned to her in the first place. Everyone had secrets.
“Hi, guys. I’m Lily. I’m here to make sure you all get to make the most of this training camp and help make everything run as smoothly as possible. Don’t hesitate to come to me if you have any questions or requests. My job isn’t just helping out the coaches, I’m here for you, as well,” she said, putting on a neutral smile.
“You could say I already know all of you. I’m a big fan of the team,” she lied smoothly. “If you want to know something about me, feel free to ask.”
She had to make them feel as comfortable around her as possible. If they came to her for mundane things like car rentals or schedule updates, that might lead to more personal interactions. People let all sorts of things slip when they were busy chatting away.
“Alright, meeting over,” Ben exclaimed when no questions were forthcoming, retreating to an adjoining room to discuss something with Wyatt.
Eddie was the first the first one to approach her as she was left to stand there alone, reaching out to shake her hand.
“Welcome aboard, Miss,” he said warmly, making Lily feel extra small as he towered over her.
“Thank you,” she replied, as the other men gathered around them.
“Do you skate yourself?” Aiden asked.
“She doesn’t need to skate to be an assistant,” Graham interjected.
“I was just asking,” Aiden replied, crossing his arms.
“I can make it from one end of the rink to the other without falling on my face, but that’s about it,” Lily answered, momentarily taken aback by their seemingly genuine interest and friendliness towards her.
“That’s more than can be said for a few of these guys,” Sal chuckled.
Lily couldn’t help but notice Crash and Connor were hanging back, not engaging with their teammates or her. Maybe they were embarrassed about what happened earlier? From what she’d learned about them before coming to Shifter Grove didn’t really speak to that theory.
Crash was supposed to be the wild one, but Connor wasn’t far behind. They were known to work hard, then party hard and no one had characterized them as quiet. Whatever the reason for their reserve now, she had to work past it. Investigating them would be difficult if the brothers were actively avoiding her.
Yet she couldn’t single them out and show any special interest, either. That might come off wrong, and the last thing she wanted was either Connor and Crash, or anyone else for that matter, to confuse her curiosity for flirting.
Luckily, it seemed she wouldn’t have to do a thing. Connor and Crash’s teammates were already dragging the twins into the conversation, blissfully ignorant of their reticence to speak to her.
“Can you put this man’s mind at ease?” Graham asked, throwing an arm around Crash’s shoulders and all but dragging the man forward. “He’s convinced Shifter Grove is some sort of deserted ghost town without a decent steak or beer to be found.”
Crash looked up at her, a hint of a smile on his lips.
“I might have misjudged this place. It’s not so bad here, after all,” he said, throwing Lily a heated look.
“You’re right about that. From what I heard, people come from counties over to eat at the Sunrise Diner. And since this is shifter territory, I don’t think finding a nice steak is going to be a problem,” Lily replied, keeping her tone light even as she struggled to look away from Crash.
“Is that where we’re going for dinner tonight?” Crash asked, stepping closer.
“It’s kind of the only place to go to,” Lily admitted, turning from one pair of emerald eyes to another.
The similarities between the brothers were striking, but it was easy to tell them apart. Crash being an inch taller was the most obvious tell, but there were plenty of others. Connor had a more pronounced cupid’s bow, for example. And Crash’s eyes were a little more deep-set.
Suddenly aware she had been staring at the brothers long enough to notice such details, she quickly turned her attention to the others.
“There’s also a bar in town, called Austin’s Texas. But I don’t think you’ll be seeing much of that place. I know what Ben and Wyatt have in store for you,” she joked, waggling a finger at them, hoping her laugh sounded less nervous than it did in her head.
Stuck between wanting to engage Connor and Crash, while also trying to ignore the attraction she felt towards them, she was feeling somewhat flustered. She had no idea why she was focusing on them, of all people. Having them barge into her bedroom certainly hadn’t been a bonding experience, and the other guys on the team were definitely not bad to look at.
What is it about these two in particular?
She answered a few more questions, mostly with lies about her qualifications and how she came to be an assistant. After that, the men started to disperse. Studying them all as closely as she could, she noticed that Connor and Crash were talking in hushed tones among themselves, with Connor’s brow furrowing.
Her interest piqued, she watched as they walked up the stairs together, giving them a moment’s head start before following. Listening to their footsteps and the murmur of their voices, she kept her distance as the brothers made their way to the third floor.
By now she knew they had already been shown to their bedrooms, so they had no business up there. She was the only one sleeping on the last floor, and all the other rooms were either empty or full of old furniture and other junk.
What are you guys up to? she wondered, sneaking up the steps after them.
Seven
Crash
“Graham said he got two bars in one of the corners in the kitchen, but that’s bound to be one of the most crowded rooms in the house, so…” Crash trailed off, holding his phone out in front of him.
“We have to find somewhere more private,” Connor finished.
“Like maybe Lily’s bedroom?”
“Come on, man,” Connor sighed.
“I was kidding,” Crash said, rolling his eyes.
“I saw the way you were looking at her downstairs, you’re not fooling me.”
“And you weren’t gawking at her? Please, you’re just as interested in her as I am,” Crash protested.
Leave it to Connor to ruin all the fun.
“We talked about this,” Connor warned. “Keep your head in the game.”
With his brother on one side of the hallway and Crash on the other, they were both walking slowly, eyes glued to their screens.
“I think I got something,” Crash said, waving his brother over.
“Great, now…” Connor started to say. “What was that?”
Crash’s animal instincts kicked in as soon as he saw his brother on guard. Listening intently, he could hear the floorboards creak behind them. Being a shifter had its perks, and being able to hear a pin drop was one of them.
“Someone’s there,” he whispered, just as footsteps landed on the stairs leading to the hall.
Lily rounded the corner, raising a brow at them.
“You again,” she remarked. “Hoping to walk in on me a second time?”
“About that…” Connor said, his face scrunching up.
“Relax, I was just kidding,” Lily interjected with a dismissive wave. “I was actually hoping to catch you two alone. I think we should start fresh. Obviously you weren’t trying to spy on me, and obviously I didn’t mean to throw my bra at your face,” she explained with a wry smile.
She didn’t even blush. This woma
n was made of sturdy stuff, even though Crash couldn’t help but picture the soft curves she was hiding underneath her boring outfit.
“That’s a shame,” Crash couldn’t help but say.
There was a glimmer of something, amusement maybe, in Lily’s eyes before she fixed him with a cheeky glare.
“Why, thinking of keeping it?” she shot back. “I don’t think it’s your size.”
“I bet I’d still look great in it, though,” Crash countered.
Her smart mouth caught him momentarily off guard. There was definitely more to Lily than the sweet, helpful side she had shown downstairs, and it only served to make him more intrigued by her.
“Sorry, my brother doesn’t know when to shut up,” Connor cut in, giving him a loaded look.
Right, we’re not supposed to get distracted by the sexy assistant. That’ll be extremely easy, Crash thought, trying to stifle his growing frustration.
“We’d like a fresh start, thank you,” Connor continued, clapping Crash on the back, just a tad too forcefully.
“Great,” she replied brightly. “What are you guys doing up here, anyway?” she asked, her eyes noting the phones in their hands.
“Just looking for cell service. We promised our mom we’d call her, you know how parents can get,” Connor said with a congenial smile.
He had always been better than Crash at putting on a façade. Even Crash believed it when he said they were here to call their mom.
Usually, Connor didn’t bother pretending. When he was in a sour mood, you’d know about it. But it was a useful skill to have, nonetheless. Crash didn’t have that kind of finesse. He had trouble not broadcasting whatever he was feeling at the moment on his face, and more often than not, he would let you know exactly how he felt.
With this talk of a fresh start, lying to Lily seemed especially distasteful. But it wasn’t like they were about to tell her the truth. She might act like she was here for the team, but she really worked for the owners. And the higher-ups were exactly the last people Crash and Connor wanted involved in this.
“Yeah, I was thinking about calling my dad, myself. Did you find a good spot?” Lily asked, slightly cocking her head to the side as she studied them.
“Nah, looks like a hopeless endeavor. Someone said the kitchen might work, so we’ll head there next,” Connor replied smoothly.
“Okay, well, good luck. I’m going to get some rest before dinner. You can return my unmentionables later,” Lily said, walking past them to her room.
“Will do,” Connor promised, nudging Crash towards the staircase.
“That was pretty much a failure,” Crash whispered as they descended the stairs. “At least Lily doesn’t think we’re creepers.”
“No thanks to you. That’s a shame? Really?”
“It just slipped out,” Crash shrugged. “And don’t tell me you weren’t thinking the same thing.”
“Not the point,” Connor mumbled under his breath.
“It doesn’t matter, anyway. That girl can handle her own,” Crash grinned. “And we have bigger problems. Alison demanded we get in touch, today.”
“We’ll have to go back later. When everyone, including Lily, is asleep.”
“It might be a while until that happens,” Crash commented. “And Alison is not the patient type.”
“She’s going to have to be,” was all that Connor said in response.
They walked in silence towards their bedrooms on the second floor, almost bumping into Graham when the man came running at them.
“Oh, hey. We found a pool table in the basement, you in for a game?” he asked, skidding to a stop at the last moment.
“Not right now, thanks,” Crash replied, with Connor nodding at his side.
“Yeah, pass.”
“Suit yourselves. But we’re planning on putting some money down, and Sal is playing,” Graham said with a nudge and a wink.
That got Crash reconsidering in an instant.
“Wow. Has he forgotten he absolutely sucks at pool?” Crash asked, seeing dollar signs as he thought of how easy it usually was to sucker Sal out of some cash.
“I think it’s called selective amnesia? Anyway, who am I to say no if a man wants to hand over his money,” Graham answered.
“Now this I have to see,” Crash replied, glancing over at Connor.
His brother still looked sullen, probably thinking about what Alison was planning to do with the photos and video she had, and cooking up all sorts of worst-case scenarios. It’s not like Crash could blame him. The situation was serious and warranted concern, but there wasn’t anything they could do about it now.
Worrying isn’t going to help. Might as well enjoy ourselves before all hell breaks loose, Crash thought lightly.
But he knew he wouldn’t be able to convince Connor of that, and even if he could, he couldn’t do it in front of Graham.
“So you’re coming?” Graham asked.
“Lead the way,” he replied.
“I’m going to rest up. I’ll see you later,” Connor said, already walking towards his door.
Letting out a small sigh, Crash let his brother be and joined Graham down the hall. Connor always did act like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. It was a fine mess they had gotten themselves into this time, but Crash had faith they’d get out of it, one way or another.
It was the only option they had.
Eight
Lily
Coach Landon held the door open for her as Lily stepped into the Sunrise Diner. They had called ahead, warning that they were bringing over a team of hungry shifters. A waitress greeted them at the door, guiding them towards a long table that looked to be made up of smaller, pushed together tables.
The diner looked just as Lily had envisioned it, full-on retro with a jukebox in one corner. There were a couple of patrons seated at the booths, throwing her and the team curious looks, but everyone seemed friendly enough.
Pulling out their chairs, everyone got seated at the table. Lily ended up sitting at the edge of the table, looking up to see Connor and Crash hovering at her side. The only seats still free were next to her, and the brothers looked hesitant to take them.
“Everything alright?” she asked, unsure of what exactly was going on.
Connor shot his brother a look she couldn’t quite decipher before sitting down next to her.
“Of course,” he smiled. “I got the best seat in the house, after all.”
Lily couldn’t help but smile back. His voice was deep and smooth, and the warmth in his eyes genuine. When his broad shoulders bumped against hers at the crowded table, she could feel excitement start to build in her veins.
Just being so close to him made her giddy, which was not like her at all. She was a professional, and he was someone she was investigating, and the fact she was thinking about how he might look like shirtless was entirely inappropriate.
Regardless, she made a mental note to google if the internet had an answer for that when she got the chance.
“You can tell me if my brother starts to bore you. I’ll be happy to switch seats with him,” Crash said, leaning over. “Or you can sit between us instead,” he added with a wink, earning a glare from Connor.
“I think I’ll be fine, thanks,” she replied, the corners of her mouth tugging upwards.
These boys were fun to be around, she had to at least admit that. In fact, the whole team was like a happy, boisterous family, or so it seemed. It was too early to make any real judgments, but from her first impressions, she found herself liking these guys a lot.
There wasn’t anything wrong with that, really. But it made her job somewhat harder. She had to stay objective, and making friends wasn’t conducive to that. Neither was feeling butterflies flying around in her stomach whenever Connor or Crash looked at her, but there wasn’t much she could do about that.
Her body seemed to have a mind of her own when it came to the brothers. She was still in control of her brain, though, and there
was no way she was even going to consider giving in to her foolishly lustful side.
The twins’ partying, womanizing reputation aside, they were the subjects of her investigation, and she was already slightly suspicious of them. She had developed a nose for secrets over the years, and Connor and Crash were definitely hiding something. Why else would they keep lurking around on the third floor, where they had no business being?
Whether their secret had anything to do with what she was tasked to find out, she didn’t know yet. But she was sure as hell going to find out.
It’s what Fiona is paying me the big bucks for, after all.
Everyone was busy making conversation and deciding on what to order, the men’s voices filling up the diner. Ben was sitting at the head of the table, with everyone else on the two sides. Wyatt was in the seat opposite her, and she could feel his eyes on her whenever she wasn’t looking.
He was slightly younger than Coach Landon, with bushy brows and a head of sandy, closely cropped hair. Lily wondered if he was just curious about her, or if Ben had let something slip. Wyatt wasn’t supposed to know about her real job here, but she didn’t know how close he and Ben were. Either way, she had to carry on as usual and be friendly to everyone.
The waitress returned to take their orders, seemingly not the least intimidated by their rowdy table. Living in Shifter Grove, this was probably the norm for her. Lily kept an eye on the interactions around her, seeing who talked to whom the most and getting a beat on the group dynamics.
She listened to as many conversations as she could, looking for any information she could use. There were many indicators that could point her in the direction of one person or a group of people in particular. New expensive purchases, or a sudden change in lifestyle, were one of the more obvious signs that something was up.
These men were all doing well for themselves, and things were only looking up for the Denver Predators. But she knew it had been a tough road to get to this point, and people tended to get impatient.
So who here could have gotten impatient enough to decide to make some extra money selling inside information to the competition? she wondered, letting her gaze sweep over the men around her.
