Juicy Rebound (IceCats 1)

I would have laughed if Shelli’s loud cackle hadn’t filled the space. Everyone is standing around, the Wild players and the IceCats. Oh, look, the state police are here too. Wonderful. “Um, no. I’ll go to jail before she puts herself anywhere near you.”

“Shelli,” Amelia pleads with her, but Shelli holds her wrists out toward security. “Please be quiet.”

She shrugs so defiantly that I have no choice but to think Shelli Adler must be the baddest chick I know. “Send someone to bail me out because you left him for a reason. He won’t ever be near you alone again.”

Amelia sighs loudly while tears stream down her face as she looks at Drew. “I have nothing to say to you.”

“You haven’t cashed any checks, and you won’t return my calls. We need to talk.”

“No, we don’t.” Her voice is so meek, it hurts me. “I have nothing to say to you. Stay away from me.” When she turns, I don’t move until she pulls me along. “Chandler, please come on.”

I meet the asshole’s gaze with my own, and I glare. “Stay away from her.”

“Who the hell are you?”

“The man who will kill for her, so watch it.”

“Chandler,” Amelia begs, and finally I follow her to where Shelli is being arrested. “I can’t believe you, Shelli.”

Shelli shrugs. “Eh, like he said, I’d kill for you too. Apparently, since I’m not sleeping with you, it isn’t as romantic.”

I can’t help but laugh.

Amelia shakes her head. “You’re insane, but I love you so much.”

“I love you,” Shelli says simply. “And I won’t let you go back to any situation where Drew has a chance to manipulate you. I won’t allow it to happen, especially not when you have him now.”

She nods her head toward me, and Amelia’s gaze meets mine. There is such love and appreciation in her eyes. I know she’s trying to ignore Drew, who is running off at the mouth to the cops, but I can see his presence is bothering her. Her lip starts to quiver, so I wrap my arm around her neck and kiss her temple. “It’s okay,” I whisper against her head. Then I look to Shelli, “We’ll get you out.”

“Cool. But hey, do me a solid,” she says as they start to escort her away. God bless Nico, he’s still trying to convince them to let her go. “Let’s try not to let my parents find out. They’ll be pretty upset.”

“Baby, I’m coming to get you out!” Nico calls once the cop tells Nico to get out of his face.

Shelli rolls her eyes. “I've done told you not to get attached. We’re just screwing.”

It’s hard not to laugh at the expression on Nico’s face. It’s somewhere between shocked and pleased. “But I love you.”

Shelli laughs. “You love yourself too much to love anyone else.”

Nico shrugs as he looks back at us. “I’m gonna get her to marry me.”

I want to tell him he’s an idiot, but then Drew’s words catch my attention. “She’s insane, always has been. She’s the reason my ex-wife left me.”

I feel Amelia tense up beside me as she buries her nose in my chest. “Can we leave?”

“Yeah.” I kiss the top of her head. I know I promised not to tear that fucker limb from limb, but it’s really hard to keep my hands off him.

Especially when I’m pretty sure he put his hands on my future.

Amelia hasn’t said a word since we arrived at the Molten police station. She sits beside me, her head on my shoulder and her hands in mine on my lap. I’m trying to give her the chance to explain to me what the hell happened, but I don’t think she will. I think she’s worried about Shelli, and I understand that. Her phone and Shelli’s have been ringing off the hook since we got here. Pretty sure word got back to their family. Stupid Twitter.

Nico walks away from the window with some paperwork and falls into the seat beside me. “It’s gonna be about an hour before she is released.”

“They’re charging her?” Amelia asks, and Nico nods.

“Assault. But her lawyer thinks it won’t go to court. We’ll see.”

Amelia bites into her lip, nerves visible on her gorgeous face. “My uncle is gonna flip his shit.” And just like that, her phone starts ringing again. She shakes her head. “I can’t even explain to them what happened.”

“Yeah, I’d shut my phone off until she’s out, and then she can call them,” Nico says as he leans back in the chair. “I’m gonna take a nap. Wake me when my love is out.”

I roll my eyes. “I think this love of yours is one-way.”

Nico grins. “She’ll fall for me. Don’t you worry.”

Amelia lets go of my hands and leans forward on her knees, cupping her face. “I can’t believe she did this.”