The Ninth Inning (The Boys of Baseball #1) - J. Sterling Page 0,40

God—or whoever he believed in—that I didn’t rip his fucking arm off and feed it to him.

“Then, it’s working,” I growled.

“What is?”

“My plan.”

Chance laughed. “What plan? The one where you stand here, staring at the two of them like some sort of psycho? ’Cause that’s what you look like. Not to mention, bitter, jealous, and rageful. All things that are making Logan so happy that he looks like he might shit a rainbow.”

I choked on my beer, the liquid going down the wrong pipe as I looked at Chance. “So, you’re saying we should move over there then?”

“I think it might be a good idea,” he said matter-of-factly.

“Fine,” I grunted like the caveman Lauren had called me earlier. “Where’s Mac?” I was getting used to his bodyguard tendencies.

Chance pointed, and I saw him making out with some redhead.

“Seriously, how does he do it?”

“I have no idea,” he said as he walked with me into the living room.

I sat down on the couch, noticing that it still gave me a perfect view of where Christina was, just like Chance had said it would.

“Want to tell me what’s going on?”

“Not particularly.”

“I’m going to guess then. And you can tell me if I’m right or wrong.”

Chance wasn’t going to quit anytime soon, and he was clearly trying to distract me from the shitshow I couldn’t stop watching.

“Fine. Guess away.” I waved my hand toward him but kept my eyes focused on her.

“You realized she’s worth it,” he said in a serious tone.

I waited for whatever else he planned on adding to the end of that statement, but nothing came. That was it. Five words.

I turned my head to look at him and almost let myself feel defeated before I swallowed it down. “I’m not even going to try to argue.”

“Good,” Chance said with a laugh. “ ’Cause you’re a piss-poor liar.”

In that moment, I watched as Logan tried to talk Christina into taking a shot of something, shoving the small glass in front of her. She shook her head, but he asked again, a giant smile covering his face so he appeared harmless.

He had to know she didn’t drink that shit. Christina only drank beer. That was what she had always said to me. I was certain she would have told Logan the same thing. It was one of her hard rules. At least, I’d always thought it was.

I watched curiously, wondering what she would do, as her eyes shot over to mine. She liked that I was watching her every move, got off on it maybe. It made her feel like she was in control, and I realized that for so long, I’d probably made her feel powerless. I mentally added that to the list of things I had fucked up and needed to make right when it came to her.

Christina cocked an eyebrow in my direction, and I wondered what the hell she was thinking behind those mischievous blue eyes.

Don’t do it, baby, I silently pleaded, hoping she wouldn’t drink it.

Her lips formed a wicked half-grin as she reached for the shot glass and downed the contents in one swig, her eyes on me the entire time. Immediately, I pushed off the couch, the sound of Chance calling my name from behind me as I stalked into the kitchen.

Grabbing her by the arm, I pulled her a few feet away from the crowd of shot takers. “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing? Get off me,” she said, shaking my hand from her arm.

I released her, but she didn’t move away from me.

“I thought you didn’t drink hard liquor,” I whispered, trying not to create any more of a scene.

“What I do or don’t drink is none of your business.” Her words were meant as a warning, but they were laughable at best. Everything she did was my damn business, and we both knew it.

“You plan on accosting my date all night, or can I have her back?” Logan asked, and I turned my head so fast to look at him that I gave myself whiplash.

I grabbed Christina by the shoulders and deposited her in front of Logan but not without a final warning to him. “Stop giving her shots. Only feed her beer.”

“I think I’ll give her whatever she wants,” Logan sneered.

I stormed away before I did something I’d regret. Like break his damn face and get thrown off the team for it.

I thought I was strong enough to watch her with him all night, but this