Sacked (The New York Nighthawks Book 1) Read online

  His question was deflating since he sounded more like a protective big brother than a guy who might be interested in me. The last thing I needed was another sibling…and certainly not the only man who’d been able to bring my libido to life.

  “Nope.” My brother let the P at the end pop as he grinned, dropping his arm from my shoulders. “But you know they’ll let her in if she’s with me. They’re not going to turn us away after a win at home. Or even a loss. Having players show up and get photographed is too good for business.”

  Prentice sighed, his gaze scanning my face before he asked, “Do you really want to go to the club? I could take you home instead.”

  His offer was sweet, and I really wished I could take him up on it. Especially since that would mean I’d have him all to myself for the entire ride to Nixon’s house. But I had already agreed to be my brother’s designated driver, so I couldn’t just bail on our plans. “Yeah, when Nixon was telling me about how he and some of the guys go out to celebrate after a win, it sounded like fun. Plus, I’ve never…you know…been to a real club before.”

  I hadn’t meant to remind him of my age since the last thing I wanted was for him to see me as a little girl, but the words came tumbling out of my mouth anyway. Between having his gorgeous brown eyes locked on me and the awkwardness of standing next to my big brother while my panties were drenched because of my reaction to his teammate, I was way out of my element.

  “I’ll come with you, then.” His attention shifted back to my brother as butterflies swirled in my belly. “You’re going to The End Zone?”

  “Of course.” Nixon nodded. “Where else would we go?”

  “Good,” Prentice grunted. “Nobody will hassle Naomi if she walks in with me.”

  The ups and downs of this conversation were giving me emotional whiplash. I’d been so excited by the possibility that he’d agreed to join us because he wanted to spend more time with me. Right up until he casually mentioned how easy it would be for him to get me into the club. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was talking from experience. If he was so confident of the outcome because he brought underage girls to the club on a regular basis. If I was just another in a long line for him.

  The thought shouldn’t have hurt me since we’d only just met, but my stomach roiled while the guys hammered out the plan for our trip to The End Zone. The last thing I needed to do was be mopey when we got there, so I wasn’t paying much attention to what they said as I gave myself a mental pep talk.

  “You cool with that, Mims?”

  Nixon’s question pulled me out of my thoughts. “What?”

  “Are you okay with riding over to The End Zone with me and then meeting up with Prentice in the parking lot so he can walk you inside the club?” he repeated.

  Slanting a glance at Prentice, I nodded. “Yeah, that’s fine with me.”

  “You gotta pay attention if you’re coming to the club with us.” Nixon rolled his eyes and gently tapped my forehead. “No getting wrapped up in those daydreams of yours when we’ll be around guys I don’t know.”

  “Especially when they’ll be drinking,” Prentice growled, crossing his muscular arms over his broad chest.

  My brother beamed a smile at him. “It’s a good thing you’ll be with us. You can help keep an eye on my baby sis. I love the guys, but you know how they can sometimes get when we’re out partying. It’ll be good to have your level head there in case some dude decides to hit on Naomi. You can keep me from killing anyone.”

  “No worries there,” Prentice assured him with a grim smile. “I promise that you won’t need to kill someone for getting too close to your sister.”

  Beyond irritated, I planted my fists on my hips and glared at both men. “First of all, stop talking about me when I’m right here.”

  Nixon quirked a brow. “That’s not fair, considering you weren’t even paying attention to what we said before. You totally missed what I was asking you just a couple of minutes ago.”

  He kind of had a point, but I was too annoyed to give him credit for it. Instead, I narrowed my eyes and continued, “Secondly, I’m the one who gets to decide if some guy deserves to get his face smashed in for hitting on me. Not you.”

  “Like that’s ever stopped me before.” Nixon snorted and shook his head.

  “And I’ll be the one to do the smashing, thank you very much.”

  Prentice’s dark gaze drifted down my body, sending goose bumps along my skin in its wake. “I don’t want to get on your bad side, but I think you should let us handle anyone who’s bothering you.”

  “Nah, she was right about that, at least.” Nixon flung his arm around my shoulders again. “I made sure my sister knows how to defend herself. Naomi might be small, but she’s tough.”

  Sliding out from his hold, I huffed, “I had to be, growing up with you.”

  He shrugged as he flashed me a sheepish grin. “Hey, someone had to help me practice in the backyard if I was going to make it to the pros someday.”

  “And look where you are today,” I murmured, pressing my lips together to stop myself from smiling at him. “The least you can do is give me a little credit.”

  “Don’t be silly.” He tweaked my nose. “If I didn’t, you wouldn’t be coming to the club even though you’re underage.”

  “If we’re doing this, we’d better get going,” Prentice grumbled, sounding about as happy with my brother as I was.

  I had a feeling it was going to be a long night. I just hoped I’d get to spend most of it with Prentice.

  4

  Prentice

  When we arrived at The End Zone, the line to get in stretched around the block. But when Racer, the bouncer on duty, saw me, he grinned and waved us over.

  “Great game tonight!” We shook hands, and he detached the velvet rope, gesturing for us to enter.

  The other players and their girls entered first, with Nixon and Naomi behind them, and me taking up the rear. I wanted to make sure that Naomi was as protected as possible.

  “And who’s this sexy pussy?” a man to my right asked, eyeing Naomi in a way that made me want to smash his face in.

  “I can make you purr all night.”

  “Hey, baby,” another man leered. “Why don’t you show me your moves on the dance floor?”

  Naomi glanced back at me, and when she saw my face, worry filled her pretty blue eyes.

  Concerned that she was afraid of me, I closed the gap between us, anxious to reassure her that she was safe with me. “You know I’d never hurt you, right?”

  Naomi snorted and rolled her eyes. “Of course.”

  Her immediate response filled me with relief and warmth.

  “I’m worried you’re going to hurt them and get yourself into trouble,” she added.

  I chuckled and put my arm around her, pulling her close against my side. “Nah, I have enough connections around here to keep me out of trouble. Especially if I kicked their ass for disrespecting a woman.”

  Nixon had slowed his pace at the slimy comments from the drunk patrons. When he turned slightly to check on his sister, I imagined that his expression was similar to the one Naomi had seen on mine.

  “Take it easy, rookie,” I said, just loud enough for him to hear me.

  He pressed his lips into a straight line, but as his eyes swept around again, he noticed how the men were now avoiding Naomi.

  No one who came to this club would mess with my woman. I wasn’t quick to lose my temper, and I rarely resorted to physical violence, but I was still a big, scary motherfucker.

  The tension in Nixon’s shoulders eased, and he tossed me a grateful smile before looking at Naomi. “You good, Mims?”

  She nodded, and he turned around, continuing his path to the VIP area.

  When we entered the much quieter space, he gave me a chin lift and murmured, “Thanks,” before heading toward the other guys congregating at the bar.

  I led my girl over to a corner where there were intimate seating areas, claiming on
e of the half-moon couches with a small table in the middle. Naomi sat near the center, and I dropped down beside her, close enough that our thighs touched when I relaxed back into my seat. Then I put my arm behind her and leaned in as though it were too loud to hear each other without our heads being close together.

  “Tell me about yourself,” I encouraged.

  Naomi shrugged. “There isn’t much to tell. Nixon and I grew up in a small town in Connecticut. My brother was the golden boy, but he never let it go to his head. He’s a really great big brother, even though I’m the mature one between us.”

  She giggled and shook her head, moving her silky hair under the lights so it shimmered a golden brown. “I didn’t want to go to college yet, but my best friend is attending NYU, and Nixon suggested I come stay with him while I figure things out.”

  “You didn’t want to stay in your hometown?”

  Naomi gestured toward the rowdy boys near the bar. “Not especially. But my brother was the one who wanted to leave and see the world, to be a star.”

  “And what did you want?”

  She blushed adorably and looked away. “I like the idea of traveling. And I had no problem leaving our small town. But I…um…”

  Even in the darkness of the club, I could see her cheeks darken to crimson.

  “You can be honest with me, Naomi. I want you to be able to tell me anything.”

  Her eyes turned soft, and she smiled sweetly. “I’ve really just wanted to be a mom and a wife. Though, I would like to pursue my degree. I’d just rather do it online while I live my life.”

  Her answer was music to my ears, and I was tempted to pick her up and make a run for Vegas. However, I didn’t want to scare her off, and the situation was tricky, what with her older brother being my teammate.

  “There’s nothing wrong with your ambitions, baby.” The endearment rolled off my tongue without thought, and I was damn glad it had when I saw her pink cheeks and the pleased sparkle in her eyes. “Everyone dreams of something different. It’s what makes us unique.” I winked. “Special.”

  Naomi beamed at me, and I fell a little further under her spell. She was so fucking perfect. I had no clue that she was everything I ever wanted until I met her.

  “What about you?” She cocked her head to the side and studied me with a sweet smile. “I can’t imagine your story is as boring as mine.”

  “Baby, I guarantee there isn’t a person out there who would think you’re boring.” My hand absently played with the ends of her hair, and I couldn’t help imagining what it would feel like to have those tresses wrapped around my fist while she took me deep down her throat.

  I shifted in my seat and put one ankle on the opposite knee, trying to give myself more room in my pants without making my condition obvious.

  “Perhaps,” she replied, her blue eyes sparkling.

  “My story isn’t as exciting as I think you’re imagining. Pretty typical childhood. I have an older brother, a younger brother, and twin baby sisters.”

  “Big family,” she murmured.

  I shrugged. “It never seemed that way. Our house was always loud and crazy, and still is. Maybe that’s why I’d like a big family.”

  “You want a big family?” Naomi asked, her voice colored with surprise.

  I smiled and nodded. “I can’t imagine my children growing up any other way.”

  Naomi’s head dipped, and her hair fell forward. I pushed a lock behind her ear and bit back a grin when she shivered as my fingers whispered down her neck. When she looked up at me again, her smile was a little shy. “I want a big family, too.”

  “Good to know.” I said under my breath. I intended to get started on that family as soon as possible.

  “Pardon?” Naomi leaned in even closer, and I was about to give in to my desire to kiss her when we were interrupted.

  “Miss?”

  We both looked around to see a server standing on the other side of the small table holding a tray. She held out a martini glass toward Naomi but halted when she glanced at me and saw the expression on my face. I knew what she was about to say, and I was already pissed as fuck about it.

  Her words tumbled out nervously. “Um…this—this is from, um, the gentleman at the bar.” Since she was still holding the glass, she used her elbow to gesture behind her. A guy who barely looked old enough to drink was watching Naomi with a cocky smile. Clearly, the kid was too young to know that he shouldn’t be messing with a woman who was here with the team. Making it into the VIP section must have gone to his head.

  Before Naomi could say a word, I grabbed the glass and downed the contents in one swallow. Then I handed it back to the server. “Tell him ‘thanks’ from me.” The kid frowned at me, and I scowled. It was enough to get the point across because he turned in his seat, suddenly absorbed in a conversation with the guy next to him.

  The server nodded and spun around, scurrying out of the VIP area.

  “Do my eyes deceive me?”

  Fuck.

  My friend Axton, the owner of the club, came strolling over to us with a shit-eating grin. It was an unusual expression for him. We’d played high school ball together, then a couple of years in college. Eventually, he decided he didn’t have an interest in going pro and joined the military. He was recruited into the CIA, but that was all I knew about that because he wasn’t allowed to talk about whatever it was that he’d done for them. Then three years ago, he moved back to town permanently and opened this club. He’d given me some hints on what had happened, but we’d never had a real conversation about it. I didn’t push it because I didn’t want him to be forced to kill me.

  “Is that Prentice Wright I just saw drinking?” he crowed. “In my club? What happened to the guy who always tells me I should treat my body like a temple?”

  “Nice to see you too, Axton,” I grunted.

  He stopped next to me, and his eyes strayed to my companion. They widened right along with his smile. “And here with a woman? Did Hell freeze over, and I missed it?”

  5

  Naomi

  Prentice didn’t look happy with his friend, but I was tempted to jump up and give the guy a hug. I had felt a huge surge of relief when he’d shared that Prentice didn’t normally drink and never dated. All of my worries about him walking into the club with a different woman on his arm every night had been put to rest. And I felt as though maybe I really wasn’t imagining the interest in his dark eyes.

  Jerking my chin toward the man the server had pointed out, I explained, “Prentice was just helping me out. I’m not much of a drinker, either, but that guy sent me over a drink.”

  Axton slanted a knowing look at his friend. “Uh-huh, I’m sure he was more than happy to help you take care of that.”

  “Don’t you have stuff to do?” Prentice glared up at him. “One of your employees probably needs you for something. This place is packed.”

  “That it is.” Axton slapped him on the back. “Good talking to you, man. So glad you came in tonight so we could chat.”

  “Mm-hmm,” Prentice murmured, unbothered by his friend’s teasing.

  After Axton walked away, I leaned forward. “You didn’t have to scare him off. Contrary to what my brother thinks, I’d be okay here on my own while you talk to your friend.”

  “I’m here with you because it’s exactly where I want to be,” he assured me, reaching out to rest his hand over mine.

  Butterflies swirled in my belly at his words, leaving me breathless. “Oh.”

  “You gonna stop trying to get rid of me?”

  “That’s not what—” I caught the teasing gleam in his dark orbs and sighed. “Yeah, I guess you can stay here. If you really want to.”

  “I do.”

  Holy moly. Hearing those two words from his mouth did crazy things to my ovaries.

  “What are your plans now that you’re living with your brother? Do you have a job lined up already?”

  “Sort of.” When he did a little circle in the air with h
is hand, I added, “I’m taking over Nixon’s social media accounts for him. The usual stuff like coming up with a strategy to grow his audience, taking photos of him at practice and on the field so he has good content, and responding to his followers. That kind of thing.”

  “That’s a hell of a coincidence.”

  My brows drew together. “What is?”

  “I had to let my social media guy go recently,” he explained. “Any chance you’d be interested in taking on another client?”

  “You?” I squeaked. It was one thing to help Nixon out with his accounts. As a rookie, he didn’t have a ridiculous number of followers yet, so I couldn’t really mess up too badly. But I was sure that if I pulled Prentice’s accounts up on my cell phone, I’d find he had millions of them. “Shouldn’t you use an agency or something?”

  He shook his head. “Nah, I have a publicist who handles the big stuff, but I prefer to have someone who can put a more personal touch on my social media. With you already doing Nixon’s accounts and us being teammates, you’d be perfect. You’ll already be around to take photos of him, so it shouldn’t be a lot of extra work for you to snap some of me too, right?”

  “It wouldn’t be hard at all.” In fact, the most difficult part would be forcing my lens toward my brother since I’d have free rein to stare at Prentice all day.

  “Plus, having another client would be great for your résumé.” He beamed a confident grin at me. “And being able to use me as a reference couldn’t hurt. My name tends to open doors in certain places.”

  I snorted at the understatement. “Yeah, like anywhere in the United States.”

  “Some other countries too since I’ve done my fair share of international ads as well.”

  That was putting it mildly. Considering I’d saved the Italian Vogue spread he did last year, I should know. “I can’t argue with that logic.”

  “Good, then it’s settled.”

  “What’s settled?” Nixon asked, flopping down onto the chair next to me.