Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 85585 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85585 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
The locker room is already buzzing as I step inside. Music blasts as the guys tease one another, giving each other shit. The moment someone notices me, the entire room quiets.
Steele breaks the silence. “Everything good, Lennox?”
“Yeah,” I say. “It’s fine.”
Knox nods once. “You did what any of us would’ve in the same situation.”
River’s gaze holds steady. “Damn right. We’ve got your back.”
Oliver doesn’t speak right away. Instead, he studies me before stepping closer, his voice low. “Thanks for protecting my sister.”
The last of my tension drains with those words.
Jax snorts. “Next time, how about we try using words first. You know, lots of ‘I’ statements. ‘I feel—fill in the blank—when you do this.’ See how easy that is?”
A few chuckles ripple throughout the room, and the atmosphere lightens, returning to normal.
I suit up, muscle memory carrying me through when my thoughts continue to lag behind. The gear goes on piece by piece. First pads, then skates, and finally gloves.
When I step onto the ice, the cold cuts through some of the haze. It bites at my lungs, forcing me into the present whether I’m ready or not. Between drills, I skate slow circles near the crease, letting the rhythm and routine do what it’s always done and hold me upright when everything else threatens to tilt.
It doesn’t take long before my mind drifts to Kia and the way she looked at me last night, like I was solid ground beneath her feet.
In the end, I protected her the only way I knew how. I didn’t think or hesitate. I just acted.
And I’d do it all over again.
I’ve never been the kind of man who stands by while someone I care about gets hurt. I’m not wired to watch and wait, hoping it works out in the end. I shield what’s mine, protecting the people who trust me.
No matter what the cost.
A puck rockets toward me and I square my shoulders, dropping into position on instinct. The shot slams into my pads, the impact rattling up my legs, sharp enough to sting.
Good.
I welcome it. I want something I can absorb. Something I can stop.
Because there are too many things I can’t control.
Today, we’re still standing.
But tomorrow?
That remains a question mark.
43
Kia
A pit the size of Rhode Island settles at the bottom of my belly. Any moment, I’m going to be sick, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the pregnancy.
I’m curled up on the couch with my knees tucked to my chest, arms banded around my legs, as if it’s possible to hold myself together through sheer willpower. The fabric of the throw blanket scratches faintly against my cheek where I’ve pressed my face into it. I breathe slowly, trying to convince my body that panic isn’t necessary.
It’s just a conversation.
Just words that happen to be with my brother.
Except the conversation is so much more. Once I say it out loud, the secret stops being mine and it becomes something that exists out in the open.
My mouth turns cottony at the thought.
From down the hall, Elody’s giggles drift through the penthouse. She’s probably lining up her stuffed animals for a tea party or having a conversation with Penny about whether dessert should come before dinner. The sound of her laughter feels like a reminder of everything that’s fragile and worth protecting.
There’s the familiar pad of footsteps before Laiken appears in the living room. He’s wearing a fitted Henley and dark-wash jeans that look ridiculously good on him. His hair is still damp from his earlier shower.
He looks so damn handsome.
More than that, he looks like a man who’s already decided how this situation is going to play out and isn’t wasting energy on it. I just want to soak up his certainty and believe it really can be that easy.
As soon as his gaze lands on me, his expression softens. It’s like he can see my panic and unease before I even say a word. It’s amazing to find a person who’s so in tune with your thoughts and feelings. As much as I love it, I’m still getting used to his ability to read me.
After crossing the room, he settles beside me on the couch before wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me in until my forehead can rest against his chest.
“Are you all right?” he asks quietly.
“Yup,” I say, wishing it were the truth. “Totally fine.”
His chest is solid beneath my cheek, his heartbeat slow and steady. The tension in my shoulders gradually eases.
He presses his lips to the top of my head. “Are you lying to me, Kitten? Because you look like you’re bracing for the other shoe to drop.”
A weak huff of laughter escapes from me. “Maybe I am.”
His arm tightens. Instead of feeling trapped, I feel connected to him. I shift closer without thinking, letting myself sink into his strength. I’ve never known a man who felt this unmovable. Like no matter how hard the ground shakes, he’ll remain standing.