Dare to Play (Dare Nation 3)

Macy stifled a laugh at her joke, and Jaxon narrowed his gaze at his sister. This was their usual dynamic, Bri calling him out, Jaxon getting not seriously annoyed but letting her know he didn’t appreciate the jab.

“Come on, Macy. Let me introduce you to a few people from work. I think you’ll like Adam Martsoff,” Bri said in an obvious attempt to pull her away from Jaxon.

“He’s too boring for her,” Jaxon said in what actually sounded like an annoyed tone.

Ignoring him, Bri ushered Macy away from her brother, and Macy told herself she didn’t mind. That it couldn’t hurt to meet a nice guy who would stop her from thinking about what it would feel like to have Jaxon’s solid body rubbing against hers.

Unfortunately, her hopes were dashed as she spent the next few minutes talking to a pleasant, if boring, like Jaxon had predicted, agent from Dare Nation. She couldn’t stop comparing this poor staid guy to the more exciting Jaxon Prescott, but she had no legitimate reason to leave until the sound of yelling from across the room caught her attention and she excused herself to see what was going on.

She approached to see Bri and Jaxon mid-argument, family encircling them from all sides.

“What’s wrong?” Damon asked.

“Ask Jaxon.” Bri folded her arms across her chest, her glare one she used when in business mode.

A glance at Jaxon showed his face was flushed, and Macy wondered what he’d done wrong.

“Come on, let’s go have a talk,” Damon said to his sibling but Bri shook her head.

“You’re not leaving me out of this. I’m his publicist and he’s damn well going to need one,” she insisted.

“Why?” Damon asked.

Jaxon opened his mouth to explain, when Bri chimed in first. “He neglected to mention he got into a brawl at a lowbrow bar downtown.”

“Dude!” Damon shook his head in disbelief.

“I was backing up a teammate! I didn’t start the damned thing.”

“But as usual, someone caught it on video.” Bri’s frown wasn’t one Macy would want to face.

Austin came up beside them. Grabbing Bri’s cell, he watched the screen with a wince. “God dammit. Don’t you know what behave yourself means?” he asked, and as his brother’s agent, he had every right to know the answer.

Still, Macy felt sorry for Jaxon if he’d been backing up a friend as he claimed.

“And to say the video has gone viral is an understatement. I’m getting notifications like crazy.” Bri continued to shoot daggers at her bad-boy brother.

“Dammit, Jax, when are you going to get your shit together?” Austin asked.

“Some asshole in the bar was throwing shit at Dale Macaffrey for his missed catch in the playoffs. And he swung first. His friends jumped on and Mac needed reinforcements.” Jaxon folded his arms across his chest defensively.

“Come on, guys. You never know where the paparazzi or asshole fans are going to be,” Damon said in an attempt to help his brother out.

“My point exactly!” Bri poked her finger at her brother.

“Not my point. I was saying cut him some slack. A decent teammate helps out his buddies.” Damon tried again to stand up for Jaxon.

Austin groaned. “Regardless, it looks bad, and management is going to be pissed. But we are not doing this here. Not today. Today is Damon and Evie’s celebration.” Always the head of the family, he took the lead, and his siblings usually listened.

Glancing at Jaxon, he said, “I hope you’re prepared for a meeting with ownership, because once they see this video, you’re going to be in for it. So will Mac but I don’t represent him.”

Everyone, including Macy, grimaced at Austin’s furious tone, but Jaxon just looked pissed off.

After some more family discussion and murmuring quietly, Damon and Evie said their goodbyes, leaving for their honeymoon to celebrate their happiness, while Jaxon headed for the bar and asked for a drink.

Macy waited until Bri was alone and walked over to her friend. “Hey, are you okay?”

“If I kill my brother, will you bail me out of jail?” she asked, a wry smile on her face.

“If I can afford it, you know I will.” Macy laughed. “Is he in that much trouble? Because it sounded like he was just helping out a friend.”

Austin joined them. “Doesn’t matter. A brawl reflects badly on him.”

Bri grasped the drink out of Austin’s hand and downed it all in one gulp. “And Jaxon tends to find trouble.”

“He needs to mature and settle down,” Austin said, as if that were the answer to Jaxon’s reputation and problems.

“As if any sane woman would marry him,” Bri muttered.

Macy strongly disagreed. “Come on. I know you can’t see him this way, but he is easy on the eyes.”

Bri made a gagging sound. “I’m going to make some calls,” she said and walked away.

Macy kept an eye on Jaxon, who, looking pissed at the world, made his way outside to the patio, where the chairs were still set up, and sat alone on a cushioned chair.