Chapter 32

The doorbell rings through the house, with a constant repeating chime. They won’t stop pressing the buzzer. I roll my eyes, making no effort to rush to invite them in. Whoever it is, I know they’re a Valentino-approved guest. If they weren’t, the men Lili’s father has surrounding my place would have prevented them from even making it to the front door.

At first, I wanted to refuse his help. Tell Mr. Valentino they all had to go. That I don’t need his protection. The only reason I didn’t is because he’s Lili’s father, and for once, the guy isn’t threatening to kill me. Instead, he’s my only real form of contact with her, the only one who answers when I ask how she’s doing a million times a day.

I pull the door open and frown. “What the fuck are you all doing here?” I ask Grayson, who is the first one to barge past me and help himself into my house. He’s closely followed by Liam King and Luke Jameson, my new teammates. Then Lili’s brother and one of her numerous cousins—Enzo, I think.

“Drinking our sorrows away,” Liam replies with a smirk while holding up a six-pack.

“You’re going to need more than that to drink your sorrows away, King. You’re about to have Monroe for a brother-in-law.” I laugh, even though I don’t feel like laughing. And I sure as shit don’t feel like entertaining these assholes right now either.

“Fuck off. Have you seen the family you’re marrying into, fucker?” Grayson throws out an arm towards Alessandro and Enzo.

My heart fucking aches at the thought of Lili. I couldn’t give a shit who her family is. I would marry that girl tomorrow if she’d let me. That thought has me frozen to the spot.

Wouldshe let me? Would she say no if I asked her?

“Who the fuck says they’re getting married? I didn’t see no ring on my sister’s finger,” Alessandro grunts.

“Yet,” I tell him. “But there will be.”

“Good luck with that. She won’t even talk to you right now.” Enzo laughs. I glare at him, which only causes him to laugh harder.

“Again, why the fuck are you all here?” I look at each of the guys currently filling my otherwise empty foyer.

“Drinking,” Luke says. “It’s our day off and we won last night. So we’re drinking.”

I don’t tell him that I didn’t even play. That I didn’t win shit. The team did great, sure, but when you did fuck all to contribute to that game, you can’t really claim the glory.

“I’m not in the mood,” I huff.

“Too bad. We’re drinking. His little sister just arrived in town, which means sometime within the next twelve hours, we’re going to have to bail her out of some fucked-up shit she managed to get herself into. And I, for one, need a shit-ton of alcohol for that,” Alessandro says, pointing at Enzo.

“Fuck you. My sister is an angel.” Enzo defends, although you can tell he doesn’t believe a word of it.

“No, my sister is an angel. Yours is the devil in female form.” Alessandro laughs.

“Your sister really is a fucking angel,” I agree. Because I’m certain Lili fell from heaven and I was the one lucky enough to catch her. “Come on. If we’re drinking, I want the good stuff.” I walk through the house and into the kitchen, where I have a few bottles of whiskey lined up on the counter.

I scoop them up, along with glasses my mom went out and bought. She stocked the kitchen with supplies, saying that I couldn’t live in a completely empty house. I disagree. I could live this way forever if I had to. Without Lili, I don’t see the point of having anything else.

After pouring a glass for each of us, I pull my phone out of my pocket and check my messages. I don’t know why I keep doing this. She hasn’t messaged back. She won’t. My fingers start tapping on the screen anyway and I press send before I can stop myself.

Me:

How likely are your brother and cousin to fuck up our house if their asses get drunk here?

She reads my text and then my phone lights up with her picture. She’s calling me. I smile. I had a feeling that would finally get a response from her.

“I’ll be back. Don’t break anything,” I say to my… friends? Teammates? Future in-laws? Whoever the fuck they are. Then I click the answer button on my phone. “Hey.”

“Why are Alessandro and Enzo at your house?” Lili asks me.

“Our house, babe. They’re at our house,” I correct her. “And I have no idea. They just showed up with Grayson, Liam, and Luke. Apparently, they’re here to drink my sorrows away.”

“Is that wise? For you to be drinking?”

“Well, it sure as shit ain’t going to help my sorrows. The only thing that could do that is you coming home,” I tell her.

“Travis, I…”

“I know… You can’t.” I sigh into the phone. I’m trying really fucking hard to be patient with her. I’m doing my best not to lose my shit. But, fuck, I just want to scream. Barge into that rental house and force her to come home.

“I’ll tell Alessandro to leave,” she says. “I’m sorry. They shouldn’t be bothering you.”

“Don’t do that. They’re fine. Besides, what better time to get to know my future in-laws?”

I hear the hitch in her breath. Then she goes deadly silent.

“Lili?”

“I’m so sorry. I know I’m messing everything up. I’m trying to do the right thing here, Travis.”

“The right thing for you to do is to come home, Lili. We can work out the rest later,” I tell her. “Please, just come home.”

“I have to go,” she says and the line goes dead.

“Fuck!” I throw my phone at the wall.

“Didn’t you just tell us not to break shit?”

I turn at the sound of Alessandro’s voice. He’s leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets. “It’s my house. I’ll break whatever the fuck I want,” I grit out. My fists open and close at my sides.

“Sure, go ahead and trash the joint. Just make sure I’m here when Lili sees what you’ve done to it. I want to hear the lecture she gives you.” He chuckles.

“Well, she’s not fucking here. And I really don’t know if she ever will be.” I toss my hands in the air.

“She will,” he says.

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I know my sister, and I know that she loves you. She will come around.”

“When? Is there like some kind of manual I missed? Because I’d really like to fucking know when I can expect my girlfriend back.”

“A manual? That would have made growing up with the girl a lot fucking easier. Especially during her teenage years—man, was she moody.” He laughs. “Come on. Let’s get a drink. There isn’t anything you can do right now except give her the space she’s asking for.”

“That’s a lot easier said than done.”

“She’s still here, isn’t she? Ma wanted her to fly back to New York and Lil refused. The only thing keeping her in Vancouver is you.”

“Any news on the shooter?” I ask him.

“Not yet. The guy’s a fucking ghost. But that’s fine. ?Cause we happen to be the best fucking ghost hunters there are.”

When we walk back into the kitchen, Grayson is on the phone. He has the call on speaker and he’s laughing. Like something’s funny. I freeze to the spot when whoever’s on the other end starts talking again.

I reach out and grab Alessandro’s hand. “That’s him,” I say, keeping my voice low.

“Who?”

“That guy, on the phone. That’s the fucker who shot me.” I take a step forward, ready to pick up the phone and read the name or number on the screen, when Alessandro’s hand lands on my chest. Stopping my movements.

“Don’t say a fucking word.” He glances over his shoulder and then turns back to me. “How sure are you?”

“Fucking certain.”

“Fuck.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Okay. I need you to stay here. Act like you don’t know shit. Do not let Monroe in on a single fucking thing. You got me?”

“Who is it?”

“Doesn’t matter. We’ll handle it. My pops and I,” Alessandro assures me. “I need you to stay here and keep up appearances. We cannot let this fucker know we’re on to him.”

“Okay.” I nod my head. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to protect Lili. Whoever this asshole is, he wants something from her. That I’m sure of.

“Enzo, we gotta go. It took less than thirty minutes for that sister of yours to fuck up.” Alessandro calls out to his cousin.

Enzo straightens. “What’d she do?”

“I’ll tell you in the car. Let’s go.” Alessandro doesn’t wait for a response before he makes his way back to the front door.

“Guess the party just got smaller,” I say while reaching out and swiping up the bottle of whiskey. I refill the empty glasses. I’d much rather be out there hunting the fucker down. But if this is what I have to do to get the guy, so be it.