Page 22 of The Enemy Plot

But my sullen neighbor was never supposed to star in the dream! And my heart wasn’t supposed to breakdance either. But that’s what happened. Because Deacon Collier did something I didn’t think possible—hesmiled.Smiled.

And when he did, my whole world flipped upside down. Everything faded, and his smile was the only bright spot left in the room. Even if it was more of a cocky smirk than a smile, it was everything.

And I’m already craving the chance to see it again.

One smile I’d like to stop seeing right now? Mark’s, as he recounts the goal he scored last night. For the fifth time.

“I really thought the puck wasn’t in,” he says to me with the same intensity as the first four times. “But then the horn sounded, and I knew it made it.”

Yes, Mark Crain is a hockey player. And if I’d known, I wouldn’t have agreed to a date with him. Unlike most girls on this planet, I’m definitely not in my hockey romance era. When your brother is a player, it kind of loses the romantic appeal. What is this guy even doing on a dating app? I thought athletes had no shortage of girls to choose from. Scratch that, I know why.

The evening stretches on, and it’s more of the same. Him bragging about the goals he scored, and me pretending to care. He doesn’t seem like a bad person by any means. Just incredibly boring. My mind wanders to Deacon, and I try to imagine him on a date. The thought makes me smile. I’m sure even on a night out, he’s grumpy and barely says two words to his date, though right this second, that feels like a huge upgrade.

Finally, the evening comes to an end, and unfortunately, Mark insists on walking me home since we chose a restaurant close to my place.

As we stroll down Warlington Lane, music and cheers emanate from Deacon’s bar. And just when I begin to wonder if my brother and his teammates are here, I spot Marissa and Aaron Miles come out to chat in front of the bar.Great.

“Oh, hell no,” Mark growls. I glance at him to see what the problem is. His eyes are narrowed on Aaron.

Merde.Is he on my brother’s team? I didn’t even ask, because Ireallydidn’t care, but now that I think of it, that would have been prime information.

“Um, do you know him?”

Mark grits his teeth. “Yes. He’s aRaptor.”

Uh-oh. “Right, and you are . . .”

His head snaps toward me. “A Shark!”

“Right, right.” I swallow hard. Sharks and Raptors are the two New York teams, which also means they’re fierce rivals. Of course I had to wind up in a West Side Story situation. Why can’t a date go smoothly for once?

Aaron notices us, and his expression mirrors the one on Mark’s face. “What are you doing here, Crain? Are you lost?”

“Just came to see how the other—lower—half lives,” he says with a smirk that makes me wish I could disappear below the ground.

Marissa and Aaron both zero in on me, which only increases the feeling. The look on their faces is a mix of incomprehension and disgust. I instinctively take a step away from Mark.

“What’s going on here?” Aaron asks, crossing his arms. With his military haircut and large muscles, Aaron Miles is one of the scariest of my brother’s teammates.

“Walking my date home,” Mark says casually, as if we were going steady.

I open my mouth to defend myself, but the bar door opens, and Hayley, my brother, and some of my brother’s teammates file out. Perfect.

“What’s up?” Max asks, his face scrunching into a frown.

“Alice was on a date with Crain,” Aaron says, not helping one bit.

“Alice, ça va pas ou quoi? C’est notre adversaire! Je t’interdit de sortir avec lui!” Max yells.

I scoff. “You’reforbiddingme from dating him? Are you serious right now? I’ll date whoever I want,” I say, momentarily forgetting how much Idon’twant to date Mark.But that’s beside the point. My annoying, overprotective brother needs to be put in his place.

“Alice,” he growls, and Hayley places a hand on his arm to try to calm him. She offers a compassionate look, and I answer with a half-smile. It’s not her fault my brother is a caveman.

Mark takes a step forward, bringing him uncomfortably close to my brother, and I draw a short breath. “What’s wrong, Beaumont? Had your eyes set on her? Well, deal with it. She’s got it bad for me.”

My face twists in disgust, but it quickly shifts to fear as Max’s expression darkens, his large figure closing the gap between him and Mark.

“She’s my sister, you dumbass,” he says between gritted teeth. “Lay one finger on her, and I’ll break your face.”