Chapter 8 Emmett
EMMETT
Fish: Holy Shit. Are you guys seeing this?
Bouch: WTF.
Sully: No fucking way.
Nelly: Link???
Fish: *sends link*
Evan: BILL REEVES?!?!
Bouch: The owner.
Sully: That's who she was cheating with.
Fish: Old enough to be her grandfather.
Nelly: He's MARRIED.
Evan: Pierre's ex was screwing the OWNER.
Bouch: No wonder he left.
Sully: Holy shit. That's why they let him go.
Fish: They forced him out because the owner was fucking his fiancée.
Nelly: That's the most fucked up thing I've ever heard.
Evan: Fuck that's rough.
Bouch: How did he keep this quiet for so long?
Sully: Cap, you seeing this?
Istare at my phone. Bill Reeves. The owner of the South Dakota Devils. The photos are everywhere. He and Kitty at dinner in Capri. His hand up her skirt. Her laughing. As if she doesn't have a care in the world. Complete contrast to her social media statement. No wonder Pierre couldn't stay.
Who the hell would want to stay after that humiliation?
Emmett: Yeah, I'm seeing it.
Fish: This is insane.
Sully: Have you talked to Pierre?
Emmett: Not yet.
Bouch: Should we say something?
Nelly: Like what?
Bouch: I don't know. That we've got his back.
Evan: He knows that.
Fish: Does he though?
Sully: We should reach out.
I think about it.
Emmett: I'll talk to him.
Sully: Invite him to drinks at your place.
Emmett: My place?
Sully: Yeah. You're the Cap.
Emmett: Why would he come to drinks? Especially now. Don't you think he's a little busy?
Sully: Because you're the Cap.
Bouch: Great idea.
Evan: I'm in.
Fish: Let him know he's part of the team, and we've got his back.
Nelly: And invite Felix too.
Emmett: They won't come.
Sully: They won't if you don't invite them.
Emmett: Fine.
I open Pierre's and Felix's contacts and send them a group message.
Emmett: Hey. Look, I know shit has just gone down, and things are crazy, but me and the guys wanted to let you know that you're a Maverick now and we've got your back. If you're up for it, we'd love for you to come around to my place for drinks when you feel up to it.
There. Done.
Emmett: Message sent.
Sully: You're a good Cap.
Emmett: * Insert flip off emoji *
Pierre: Sounds like exactly what I fucking need. Thanks, Cap. Things have just gone south here, but I think I'm going to need that drink tomorrow night, if that's okay?
I stare at Pierre's words.
Fuck.
Emmett: Of course. Whenever suits. You have a lot of shit going on.
Felix: We'll be there tomorrow night. What time?
Emmett: 7 p.m. I'll send the address.
Pierre: Appreciate it.
I move to the other group chat.
Emmett: They’re in.
By six-thirty I'm ready. Why the hell am I nervous?
This isn't a fucking first date. Beer is in the fridge.
Whiskey on the counter. The apartment doesn't look like a complete disaster.
Everything looks good. Then why the hell are my palms sweaty?
I don't host. I hate hosting. And fucking Sully knows that.
But the guys were right, it's the nice thing to do for a fellow teammate.
They start arriving at six-forty-five, Sully first.
"Place looks good. Nice spread there, Cap," he teases.
"Fuck you." I punch him in the stomach as he passes by. "This is all your fault."
"My fault?"
"You know I hate this shit."
"What? Being around people?" he asks.
"Yes."
"Chill. It's just the guys. You know them."
"What about Pierre and Felix?"
"Aw, are you trying to impress them?" Sully teases.
"Fuck you."
"It will be fine." He grins, heads over to the fridge, and helps himself to a beer.
Next to arrive is Fish. Then right after him, the other three. Bouch, Nelly, and Evan.
The buzzer goes at seven sharp, it’s the doorman letting me know Pierre and Felix are here.
"These fuckers better be in the mood to party," Fish states.
"The man got publicly cheated on. Well, they both did. I don't think Pierre is ready to party," Bouch states.
"I'd want to tear the place up if a chick did that to me," Fish adds.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. These fuckers are going to be the death of me.
Moments later, there's a knock on the door.
I open it and see Pierre and Felix standing in the hallway, both looking exhausted. Pierre looks stressed, there are dark circles under his eyes. Which is totally understandable.
"Come in," I say.
They do. The team is scattered around my living room. Beers in hand. They all give a nod as they enter.
"Beer?" I offer.
"Please," Pierre says.
I grab two from the fridge and hand them over. Pierre takes a long drink, practically draining half the bottle.
"Rough day?" Sully jokes as he clamps a hand on his shoulder.
"You could say that." Pierre smirks.
"That's why you're here. This bunch may look like a group of dickheads, and you would be right. But you're not going to find a more loyal bunch of fuckers anywhere," Sully explains to the brothers. "Whatever you need, we've got you." I couldn't have said it better myself.
Pierre and Felix look taken aback for a moment as they glance around the room at my friends and now their teammates.
"Fuck, guys. I don't know what to say?" Pierre says, slightly overwhelmed.
"We know that our arrivals have not been smooth," Felix adds.
"It's made shit interesting, that's for sure," Fish adds. This makes the guys smile.
"Honestly, it's kind of bonded the team too," Bouch confesses.
This surprises them.
"What the two of you have gone through with your teams, Cap made it abundantly clear that shit will not fly at the Mavericks."
He's not wrong. "Guys, come sit," I say, moving us into the living room. They take a seat beside each other, and instantly, I notice their shoulders relax.
"Yesterday was a shit show," Nelly states the elephant in the room.
This has Pierre chuckling. "Totally."
"Are you okay? The stuff online is rather brutal," Evan asks.
Pierre nods. "It was worse when they thought I had cheated."
"Can't believe she did that post accusing you of cheating when she was the one," Bouch says, shaking his head.
"You don't have to talk about this. Just tell these nosey fuckers where to go," I tell the guys.
"Funnily enough, I want to explain myself," Pierre says.
"You don't owe us an explanation," I tell him.
"It might help if the media asks. So, you're not caught off-guard by anything," Felix adds.
I look around the room at my friends, and they all nod but don't say anything.
"Guess I should start from the beginning, where I caught Kitty and Bill fucking in the middle of our welcome dinner in Italy."
A couple of guys choke on their beers. I'm stunned. We all look at Pierre.
"I can laugh about it now. I think." He smiles.
"You caught them?" Fish repeats.
"I wish I could wipe that visual from my existence."
"That is fucking messed up," Evan states.
"Why him? Like you're not an ugly guy, and he's well ..." Fish adds.
"Money and influence. He was funding her lifestyle," Pierre explains.
"The messed-up thing was we would always go to family lunch on Sunday if it didn't interfere with a game.
At their house. We were part of their family.
Bill had brought me in to build this team into cup winners.
That was his biggest dream. To own a team that is cup champions. "
"And you guys would have done it too. Your team was young. But fuck, give it another year or two ..." I tell him.
"Yeah. They are good guys. I felt protective of them. I wanted to not only build a team but a community in South Dakota. Give the state something they've always wanted."
"And he fucked it all away," Sully adds. Pierre lifts his beer in his direction.
"Men can be simple creatures," Felix adds.
"What happened to you, too, Felix, was messed up. Your teammate. Best friend. Linesman," Evan says, shaking his head.
"That all feels like a lifetime ago." Felix shrugs.
"Saw you're already dating again," Bouch asks.
When did these fuckers become gossipers?
Felix smirks. "I am. Harper Rose."
"You're one lucky bastard. She's hot." Fish grins. Felix eyeballs him. "Respectfully," he quickly adds.
"Rose. As in our major sponsor's daughter?" Sully asks.
Felix rubs his neck. "Yeah."
Sully whistles. "You like to live on the edge."
"She's a family friend," Felix adds.
"Family friend?" Sully questions.
Felix nods. "Yeah. She's best friends with Isabelle Alessi."
"As in the Alessi Agency?" Sully quizzes.
"Yeah. Pierre and I grew up with them," Felix explains, giving his brother a look. "It's where my brother was hiding out after Italy."
"Those sisters are smoke shows," Nelly adds. This time, Pierre glares at him.
"Don't tell me there's history between you and them?" Sully asks, picking up the tension.
The brothers look at each other.
"Isabelle is my ex," Pierre confesses.
The room goes quiet.
"We dated when we were in high school and college."
"You two like complicated," Fish adds.
"Seems like it." Pierre smirks.
"It's why we are looking for somewhere to live. The media have been camped out in front of Issy's home, harassing her. She doesn't deserve it. I need a new place like stat. So, if you guys know any good places that have great security."
"Doesn't Dougie still have his apartment empty in the building?" Sully turns to me.
Dougie used to play for the Mavericks but was traded last season to Colorado so he could be closer to family.
"Yeah. He's about to put it on the market to sell," I say.
"Seems like you might have found a buyer for him." Sully smirks.
I still. He's right. But do I really want to be sharing the same level as these two? We'd be working and playing together. When I come home, I want my downtime.
"Really?" Pierre says, sounding hopeful.
"It's on this floor. I have a key if you want to check it out," I tell him. I know Dougie would love to have this apartment gone so he can start building his dream home for his family.
"Are you sure?" Pierre asks.
I nod, get up off my couch, and head toward my keys. "Come on."
Pierre and Felix follow.
"Thanks, man, for doing this," Felix states.