Mercy (Somerset University #3) - Ruby Vincent Page 0,16

howling. He threw up his fingers. “I’m six.”

“Six? Wow. If you’re six, then you’re plenty old enough to...” Aiden fished something out of his pocket. “Learn a magic trick.”

A coin wedged between Aiden’s pointer and middle fingers. Before his eyes, he flashed his hands and the coin disappeared. I couldn’t see Adam’s face but I sensed his mouth was hanging open. When Aiden reached over and pulled the coin out of Adam’s ear, his jaw was on the floor.

“Wow!” Adam bounced on my lap, clapping as Aiden bowed. “Teach me, teach me!”

“Is that okay, Val?” Aiden asked.

Val looked from Aiden to Adam, clearly torn. She had the fiercest protective streak I’d ever seen and my mother wouldn’t let me sleep over my friend’s house until she’d done background checks on the entire family.

“Alright,” she finally said. “That’s fine.”

Adam hopped off and went to Aiden. His eyes were big as saucers as Aiden showed him the trick again.

“Val,” Cydney spoke up. “I don’t think I ever got the story of how you guys met.”

“Maverick and I went to the same high school.” Valentina answered without taking her eyes off Adam and the Sams’ ever-smiling, always-deceitful president. “We were paired together for an art project.” She squeezed my thigh. “The painting he did of me was gorgeous. One of my man’s many talents.”

“Computer genius. Footballer and artist,” Davis said. “Tell me you composed a concerto when you were nine and I’ll just crawl under the table and die now.”

“No.” I shook my head. “I was ten.”

They laughed.

“I can back up his skills on the field,” Sawyer said. “Can’t stop Rick once he takes off.”

“Yeah?” Aiden chanced a look at us while Adam tried to get the quarter from his ear. “You should join us for a game sometime. Drop in on practice.”

“Your coach would be cool with that?”

“An unofficial practice, of course. When we’re having a friendly game. You free Friday at three?”

“No, I’m not,” I replied. “Thanks for the invite, though. Maybe some other time.”

“Tuesday. We can meet up after robotics. You too, Sawyer.”

“I can do Tuesday,” Sawyer said.

They both looked at me, waiting for my answer.

“Sure,” I heard myself say. “Tuesday is good.”

Aiden went back to Adam, slowing down the trick so he could try again. Val put her lips to my ear.

“Are you sure, baby? Don’t feel like you have to hang out with them for me.”

Grasping her hand, I dropped kisses on her knuckles. “I’d do anything for you. By now, we’re in this together.”

I didn’t say more than that. She knew what I meant.

The waiter returned carrying his notepad. Valentina called for Adam, looking much happier at holding him and putting distance between him and Aiden again.

“Tuesday,” Aiden said to me. “Better come to play, Beaumont. This isn’t flag football on the quad.”

I smirked. “Don’t worry about me. I always come to play.”

SAWYER BARRELED THROUGH his opponents like a freight train, coming for me head-on. I faked right as he dove, doubled back, and took off across the field.

Aiden’s breath was on my neck. The huffing and puffing of his fight to gain on me caused gale-force winds. I picked up speed. The touchdown was within my grasp as sure as the football digging into my rib cage.

There was coding. The heady knowledge that I could create something. Move something. Change something with my mind and a string of ones and zeros. There was chasing my dogs through the grass. Val’s smile when I woke her with a kiss and a steaming cup of tea. Playing no-stakes poker with the guys.

There was all of that... and then there was that moment as I flew over the field with hulking masses on my tail and the goal in my sights. That’s the moment when I knew I was untouchable. No one and nothing could hurt me again.

Aiden dove.

I sailed over his grasping arms and touched down in the end zone, howling my victory. I relished the feeling in the time it took for my new team to descend, grabbing me and hoisting me in the air.

“Holy shit, Aiden,” one of the guys said. “How is he not on the team?”

Aiden peeled off his helmet. Sweat plastered his hair to his face and flecks of dirt dotted his cheeks. He lost and had the mud on his face to prove it. Still, he grinned.

“I don’t know how we missed you, Maverick Beaumont, but you’re with us now.”

VALENTINA

“Whoo!”

Adam and I hollered and cheered our heads off from the stands. I