Rush the Edge: A Brother’s Best Friend Hockey Romance (Blue Devils Hockey Book 3)

I adjust my tie in the mirror and see my phone lighting up on the bed. I’m certain it’s another text from my little devil, telling me once again that she isn’t going to the charity function as my date, but she is.

She’s worried about River, and I should be too, but what he doesn’t know won’t kill him. If he questions it, I’ll feed him the same excuse I’m going to feed Daisy: She’s the Blue Devils’ mascot, and it’s required that she go with an escort. Sure, I had to talk Cindy into that bit, but it worked.

Hence the reason I purchased…with Reese’s help…three dresses the same shade of blue as her mascot costume.

I’m eager to see which one she picked out and even more eager to strip it off of her.

I’m so fucked.

River’s reaction wasn’t quite what I’d hoped for, and now I’m not only in a state of denial, but there’s a twinge of wrongdoing lingering in the back of my head too.

After running my hand through my hair and fixing the collar of my shirt, I shrug my suit jacket on and swipe my phone.

I don’t bother looking at her text, because regardless of her refusal, she’ll be by my side tonight.

The ride down to her floor takes longer than I’d like.

My hands itch to touch her. It’s only been forty-eight hours, but the way I crave her drives me insane. Games on the road were never a bother to me because I’d get to explore the city after and usually end up with someone in a bar bathroom, but now the thought of sleeping in a building that isn’t shared with Daisy makes me impatient and irritated.

I rap my knuckles on her door and glance at the camera in the corner of the hall. The red light blinks and calms me.

It’s not that I’m a stalker or creep, though it does feel sort of controlling in a sense. I’m possessive, yes, and there’s a jealous surge that winds through me when it comes to Daisy, but this is none of those things.

This is for protection.

River had one thing right: I am protective over Daisy.

When Miles was assaulted and moved in with me to hide—or recover, if you ask him—I installed cameras outside of my apartment door as a safety measure. It only felt right to install one on her floor too, especially with the increasing texts and calls from random numbers.

“Daisy,” I call out. “Open the door.”

I sigh impatiently when she doesn’t answer.

I could go back upstairs and grab the spare key that River gave me, but then I’d really be invading her privacy.

Right?

I knock again before pulling my phone out to call her.

My hand tightens on the thin device when I see that it wasn’t her who had texted me minutes ago.

Unknown

3966 N Roscoe St. 11pm, two days from now.

The address isn’t foreign to me.

I text Miles with anger brushing against my neck.

Me

How much do you owe this time and why are they texting me directly?

He gave them my fucking number? As if I’m his personal ATM?

You give Miles an inch, and he takes a fucking foot. Or in this case, you give him half a million dollars, and he wants a million more.

The door opens.

I’m still squeezing the life out of my phone when I lock onto her blue eyes lined with makeup. I trail my attention down her curvy frame, landing on a slit that hits mid-thigh. The heels she wears make her taller, and all I want to do is pull on the thin string tied around her ankle and throw them off to the side so I can strip the rest of that dress off her.

My heart beats out of my chest the longer I stare. Blood pools below my waist, and I reach my hand out to grip her around her hip so I can kiss her.

As soon as I go to do that, her palm touches my chest to keep me in place.

I scowl, not appreciating that she’s denying me.

“River,” she whispers.

I freeze, like I’m caught red-handed.

I want to go back to that state of denial, where I pretend he’ll be fine with the two of us.

“You got your brass knuckles ready?” River’s large hand grips the door to open it farther. I drop my outstretched hand and adjust the collar of my dress shirt.

Why the fuck is he wearing a suit?

I smooth my expression. “For?”

He glances at Daisy and sighs. “For the necks she’ll break wearing that scrap of a dress.”

“Scrap?” Daisy huffs. “This one has the most fabric out of the three.”

I’d like to see the others.

“You can practically see your underwear with how high it cuts,” River argues.

Daisy crosses her arms, and that enticing glint of defiance sparkles in her eye. “What underwear?”

I cough to hide my real reaction. River turns to me, and I quickly change the subject, all while forcing myself to stop looking at her. “Why are you dressed up? Feeling left out?” I joke.

He gives me a look. “I’m going to whatever the hell you two are going to. Daisy said she needed an escort, and it was too late for her to find a date.”

Slowly, I turn my attention to my date. “Is that so?”noveldrama

She won’t meet my eye, but that’s okay, because by the end of the evening, she absolutely will.

I stroll inside the apartment, passing them both, and head for her bedroom.

“What are you doing?” She follows me with her heels clicking against the floor, driving my annoyance up to its highest level.

“Grabbing a dress for my date,” I say nonchalantly.

A line of confusion digs in between her eyebrows. I glance through the crack in her door to see River still near the front door with his back to us, so I lean into her space, inhaling her warm earthy scent.

She jerks backward. “You’re bringing a date?”

“Well, you were my date,” I remind her quietly. “But since you’ve decided to bring a chaperone, I guess I’ll have to find another.”

Daisy blinks, her blue eyes filled with hurt. It’s like getting a puck to the face. “Well, we need a chaperone,” she says in a hushed voice. “You heard him the other day…” She glances away. “We need to stop before one of us gets too invested.”

“Too late.”

Daisy flicks her gaze back to me, but I don’t waste my time dissecting her thoughts. I pull out my phone and text a woman I’ve taken to functions before, knowing she’ll drop everything to be there, even if I preface it with a forewarning that she won’t be in my bed tonight.

Once River, Daisy, and I load up in my car, I zoom out of the parking garage and head to the freeway. I manage to keep my gaze away from my rearview, too pent up with irritation to give in to her.

It’s hard to be angry at Daisy.

I know what she’s doing and why she’s doing it.

It’s the same thing she did years ago when we crossed the line for the first time, but doesn’t she understand that things are different now? Doesn’t she understand that I love her more than I could ever love anyone else?

My foot slams on the brake.

Daisy’s palm hits the back of my seat, and I flick my gaze to the mirror. Our eyes catch, and I’m suddenly sweating.

I’m always cool, calm, and collected, but right now, I am in a state of chaos. Did I just admit I love her?

“You alright?” River stares at me with confusion. “Did you see a ghost or something?”

I force a chuckle out, because with his sister in the backseat with my heart in her hands, it feels like I’m in the presence of a ghost. The ghost of the fucking past.

I pull up in front of an apartment near the venue and beep the horn.

Paris comes bouncing out of the house with rollers in her hair, dressed in a bright-pink matching sweat outfit.

“I’m coming!” she shouts.

“Are you kidding me?” Daisy mumbles.

I unlock the door and catch her eye in the mirror. This is your fault, little devil.

I cock my eyebrow, and she smashes her lips together. I catch the roll of her eye, and it settles me because I know the look of jealousy when I see it.

“Hi!” Paris’s high-pitched voice makes my ears ring as she gets into the car.

Daisy gives her a tight-lipped smile, and I speed down the road, sending Paris flying farther onto the backseat.

“Here.” Daisy hands Paris a dress.

“Ah!” Paris exclaims. “I love it, Kaney!”

River snickers, and I squeeze the life out of my steering wheel.

I’m about to fake an illness.

One that will spread to Daisy so we can both leave together.

When we pull up to the venue, Paris is fully dressed and pulling the rollers out of her hair as we all climb out of the car.

One glance at Paris has me revolting against the idea of taking her arm instead of Daisy’s. Her fake boobs spill out of the top of the dress, and she looks like a hooker the longer I stare at her.

My phone vibrates, and I thank the universe for giving me a small distraction, even if it is a text from my brother.

Miles

I had to give them some point of contact in case I didn’t show with the money. I’m going to win it all back tonight, so don’t worry about it.

I grind my jaw back and forth and click my phone off.

The small brush of Daisy’s elbow against my arm as she walks beside River pulls me toward her. I expect to find her scowling at me, thanks to my choice of date, but instead, her lips are pulled into a frown as remorse slips onto her features. One slow shake of her head, and I know she’s read my text.

My chest grows tight.

We keep a hold of each other’s gaze for a few seconds. But then we’re being ushered into the venue, and she’s walking up ahead of me with River. Worry settles into my stomach, but I can’t decide if it’s because of Miles’s text or if it’s because Daisy isn’t hanging off my arm where she belongs.