Page 66 of On Her Team
“Why didn’t you let him off with a warning?” Addy asks Lucas.
“This is his first transgression. I want it to be his last.”
I see red. Transgression? The kid was bullying Penelope. “You have got to be fucking kidding me.”
Lucas scowls. “Being some famous football player doesn’t court you favors on Smuggler’s Hideaway.”
“Vincent was bullying Otis’s sister. He stood up for her and protected her. He shouldn’t be punished. The other kid should be punished for bullying.”
Lucas’s brow wrinkles. “Vincent was bullying Mila?”
“No, Penelope,” Addy corrects.
Lucas rubs a hand over his neck. “What did Vincent do?”
“Apparently, he’s been bullying Penelope since she entered high school last year.”
“He called her a stuck-up bitch yesterday,” I add.
Lucas growls. “If anyone calls Natalia a stuck-up bitch, I’ll do worse than throw fish bait on their porch.”
“I don’t care about Natalia,” I grumble. I don’t know who she is. “I care about Penelope.”
Addy pats my chest. “Natalia is his teenage daughter.”
“I’m sorry, Addy,” Lucas apologizes. “I didn’t realize the context.”
Her brow wrinkles. “Otis didn’t explain?”
“He was too busy shouting profanities at Vincent for me to make any sense of the situation.”
She blows out a breath. “Can you seriously wash someone’s mouth out with soap?”
“There are worse things than swearing,” I remind her.
“I know. It’s …” She trails off with a shrug.
“The one thing you can control now.”
I understand her need for control. I’m the same way. Especially when it comes to protecting the people I care about.
She nods. “Yeah. Exactly.”
“What happens now?” I ask Lucas. “Do we need to post bail?”
I’m at a loss. I’ve never gotten in trouble with the law before. Between football and surviving, I didn’t have time for screwing around as a kid. Tanner is the team member who’s always in trouble and knows how to handle these situations.
“Nah.” Lucas shakes his head. “I think he’s been punished enough.”
He marches toward the jail cell Otis is in and we follow him.
“About damn time,” Otis says when he walks out of the cell.
“Stop swearing,” Addy orders. “And be thankful and respectful to Lucas for letting you off with a warning.”
Otis’s cheeks darken. “Sorry, Addy. Thank you, Lucas, for understanding the situation.”
Lucas squeezes his shoulders. “Sorry, kid. I should have asked you sooner why you would suddenly pull a prank. You’ve never been in trouble before.”
