Kane (Arizona Vengeance 8)

We get in line, chatting with those in front of and behind us. There’s so much food to choose from that I don’t even know what to take. I opt for a burger and a dog, beans, corn, and two chocolate chip cookies, which I squeezed onto the edge of my plate. Mollie takes a few ribs, pasta salad, and a serving of a strawberry gelatin cheesecake-looking thing.

By the time we return to the table, Jim Steele and Legend Bay, our goalie, have both claimed seats and are digging into the mountains of food before them.

“Where’s Pepper?” I ask Legend, glancing around.

“Charlie’s fussy with a slight fever,” he explains. “We think she’s just teething, but Pepper felt better staying home with her.”

Mollie and I settle in, but before she can even take a bite, Nora urges her to recount what happened with Matthew.

I’ve heard this story a few times already—and I didn’t like it the first few times. I don’t like the fact she intentionally went off-script in order to piss him off…essentially baited him. She’d gotten the confession she wanted, but she could have just as easily gotten a bullet to the head if he’d had a gun.

But I’m past it. It’s over. I let Mollie revel in her moment of glory because it’s empowering as fuck for her that in the battle between her and her attacker, she’s the one left standing.

Mollie recounts everything as we listen attentively, but she doesn’t embellish. Just the matter-of-fact details about the whole thing. That’s Mollie. She’s humble—not an attention grabber.

“What happens now?” Jim asks.

“He’s been extradited to North Carolina,” Mollie explains. “He’ll have some type of hearing on Monday to request bail.”

“Will he get it?” Nora asks, her expression concerned.

“The district attorney doesn’t think so. They’ve added attempted murder to the charges, as well as stalking. The attorney doubts the judge will grant him bail.”

“And it will be several months until there’s a trial, so he’s going to be stuck in jail for a long time,” I add.

“What a relief,” Nora breathes out.

“What kind of prison time is he looking at?” Tacker asks, holding a stripped rib bone in hand.

“Minimum twenty years if he’s convicted of everything,” Mollie says. “Could be more, or he could work out a plea deal for less. But it’s going to be a long time before I have to worry about him again.”

“Well, as someone who has a little bit of experience dealing with crazy stalker people,” Legend drawls, holding his beer up in salute to Mollie. “Let me just say you did a fantastic job of bringing that shit bag down.”

Yeah, Legend knows a bit about crazy stalker exes. That’s for sure.

“It’s behind me now,” Mollie chirps, holding up her beer in a return salute. “So now it’s all about enjoying life to the fullest.”

“And what does that mean for you?” Nora asks.

I settle my gaze on Mollie, curious as to what she’ll say. We haven’t talked about any firm plans since Matthew has been taken off our worry list.

Mollie shrugs in a carefree way. “No agenda. I’ll take my time figuring stuff out. I told Kane about an idea I had to work on a travel guidebook. And, of course, doing some traveling to the Vengeance away games as their newest and most fervent fan.”

Everyone around the table laughs, mainly because I wanted to bail on the game two days ago and Mollie made me go. That made her le héros du jour—the man, or woman as it was, of the hour—to the rest of the team that day.

“But,” she drawls, peering over at Jim. “Not too much away travel. I’d miss Samson, and I don’t want him to wear out his welcome.”

Jim grins, shaking his head. “Lucy loves taking care of him. In fact, all I hear about now is getting her a dog of her own.”

“You’d score major bonus points with your kid if you got her a dog, dude,” I say, pointing out the obvious. And Jim could use a leg up with the moody teenager.

“Oh, I know it,” he replies with a grimace. “She’s already trying to manipulate me, using the separation to tug at my heartstrings.”

In a petulant, girly voice, Jim mimics his thirteen-year-old daughter. “I’ve just been so sad since you and Mom separated. A dog would be just the thing to make me happy again.”

I snort at his dramatization, chuckling at Lucy’s attempt to get what she wants by using their situation.

Mollie laughs. “Just get her a dog. Then Samson will have someone to play with when he stays over.”

“Maybe,” Jim says thoughtfully. “I’ll need to think on it some more.”

I’m dying to ask Jim if he’s made any headway with his wife, but I don’t bring it up now. That’s just been between him and me—and, of course, I told Mollie about our escapades the night we tailed his wife on her date. That stunt wasn’t shared with the rest of the team.