Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 83216 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83216 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Fuck.
Across the room, Steele shakes his head as he raises one brow. “You better be careful, man. Evelyn will roast your ass if she catches wind of this.”
I swallow hard, but that’s not what has adrenaline spiking through me. I’m more afraid of what Rina will do when she finds out. I can still hear the edge in her voice when she said this could ruin her. The fear in her eyes is burned into me. The possibility of her shutting down and pretending that our relationship doesn’t matter hits harder than any check on the ice.
River drops onto the bench, rolling his shoulders back in an easy, unhurried way. “Well, that’s an interesting turn of events.”
Knox smirks as he yanks his shirt over his head, sweat glistening under the lights. “Come on, man. For months, he’s been acting like a second grader pulling the pigtails of the girl he has a crush on.”
“Know a little something about that, do you?” Jax fires back, smirk widening.
Their laughter bounces around the room, too loud and too easy. None of them have a clue what’s actually on the line.
I snatch the phone out of Jax’s hand and stare at the picture as my heart sinks.
“Appreciate the warning,” I say, tossing it back at him.
Their laughter fades into background static as my head spins. Any satisfaction I’d found on the ice is now long gone.
I bend over my skates, tugging at the laces until they’re loose enough to kick free. Pads follow, the Velcro ripping loud in the humid space. I strip off the rest of my gear in quick, practiced motions, every piece landing in a heap at my feet.
The only thought pounding through my head is that I need to get to Rina before this photo does.
If I’ve got to take the heat, so be it. If I’ve got to stand in front of her and take the hit, I will.
Maybe this is the turning point. The moment I stop letting the headlines define me and start writing my own story. Because protecting her and the life we’re creating together isn’t optional.
It’s the only thing that matters.
I shove my gear into my locker, grab my phone, and head for the door. Whatever’s waiting out there, I’ll tackle it head-on.
What other choice is there?
35
Rina
Kia’s perched in the chair across from my desk, scrolling through her phone while I finish the last of my emails. For a moment, everything feels normal. The work stacked neatly in front of me, hockey schedules spread across the desk, the drone of productivity filling the space. It’s a slice of stability I’m desperate to cling to.
For the first time all morning, I let myself believe that maybe things are finally settling. The steady routine of work feels more like safety.
Control.
That fragile calm shatters the instant Oliver strides into my office and shuts the door behind him with quiet finality. His presence swallows the room whole. He’s too big, too forceful to ignore. By the solemn expression on his face, something’s wrong.
“What?” The question scrapes out of me.
His gaze slices toward his sister before returning to mine. “There’s a picture of us on the Railers Rumors site.”
The air vanishes from the room, leaving me to feel hollow and weightless, as if I’ve been yanked out of myself. I grip the edge of the desk to keep from swaying in my chair.
My stomach drops as the walls close in on me.
“Is it the one from yesterday?” Barely do I manage to push the question out.
His jaw flexes, the muscle ticking. “Yeah. And before you spiral—”
“Oliver—” My voice fractures, splintering under the heavy weight pressing down on my chest. This is the nightmare scenario I’ve been bracing for in the quiet moments, the one I prayed would never come.
My job.
My reputation.
Everything I’ve worked so hard for will now crumble because I allowed myself to indulge in something I shouldn’t have.
Oliver closes the gap between us, his tone dropping as his gaze stays steady. “If this costs you your job, I’ll take care of you. Both of you. I promise.”
Kia’s head snaps up before she clears her throat and pops to her feet. “Uh… I’m going to step out and give you two some privacy.”
I blink hard, fighting to rein in the emotions that threaten to spill out. “Kia, you don’t—”
“Nope.” She cuts me off with a wave of her hand, already moving toward the door. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back.”
A few seconds later, the door closes behind her, leaving the two of us alone together with the mess we’ve made.
“I don’t want to rely on you.” The confession escapes on a strangled whisper, because saying it louder feels like it might crack me open. “I can’t be in a position where you decide you’ve had enough and then I’m left with a child and no job. I watched Callie fight through hell when Zane walked away. I need to be able to take care of myself. And my baby.”