Page 129 of Pucking Revenge

Running the Bolts organization was his destiny, and playing for them was mine.

Yet, as I step into the building, I know that if he tells me he’s firing Sara, I will not be returning to the team I love.

And I doubt I’ll walk these halls again.

It’s Sunday, so the building is quiet. Good. The fewer people around for this shit show, especially those who don’t share our last name, the better.

My heart gallops, and my breathing goes shallow as I stand outside the conference room.

When I’ve finally garnered all the courage left inside me after last night’s nightmare and the dozen phone calls I’ve dealt with in the last twelve hours, I open the door and force myself to cross the threshold. The first person I lay eyes on is my aunt, and my stomach sinks at the cold, hurt look on her face.

She and I have always been close. She made it to every one of my games when I was in high school, traveling with Seb all over New England to make sure I could always look into the stands and find a familiar face. No matter the weather conditions, the long car rides, or the early ice times, she never complained. She sat in the stands and cheered. She showed up.

Frozen, I simply stare, unsure of what I can even say to her. I didn’t cheat. I didn’t lie. Not intentionally, at least. My only fault was that I tried to protect her. Though, in the end, all I did was hurt her.

She looks away first, turning her chair so she’s facing the window. Her back is to me, but she swipes at her face, and her shoulders shake when she pulls in a harsh breath.

Gavin is here too. His face is gaunt and his eyes are sunken. Like he’s aged years in the last sixteen hours. He clears his throat. “Thanks for coming.”

Beckett nods at me from the chair beside Gavin. His contemplative expression gives me a modicum of relief. When he’s angry, the whole world knows it. He looks more tired than anything. Between his newborn twins and the shitstorm I created, he was probably up all night.

My father motions to the seat beside him. His expression is unreadable.

“Aiden coming?” I ask.

He furrows his brows and picks up his coffee cup. “Why would Aiden be involved?”

“From the look of things, this seems like a family meeting. Shouldn’t he be here?”

My aunt whips around, her face a mask of fury. “His girlfriend didn’t sleep with my husband.”

The heartache I felt for her when I arrived is suddenly overshadowed by frustration. “Mine didn’t either.”

Her eyes go wide, but she purses her lips and pulls her shoulders back. “If that’s the case, then how do you explain what happened yesterday?” She raises her brows. “And why did my husband admit to it last night? He told me everything. How he was trying to protect you from her. How she seduced him.”

“Hold up.” Gavin sits straight in his chair and holds up a hand. “Seb is a grown man, and Sara isn’t here to defend herself.”

“Did she or did she not sleep with my husband?” My aunt’s green eyes, so much like mine, darken as she glowers.

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I let my shoulders sag. I can’t sugarcoat this part. “She did.”

She stands, sending her leather chair rolling back and hitting the wall with a loud thwack. “I want her gone.” With that, she strides for the door. When she reaches me, she pauses and lays a hand on my shoulder. “I love you, Brooks. I’ve always considered you mine.” She swallows thickly and lowers her face so she’s looking me in the eye. “But asking me to deal with a woman who slept with my husband is too much. Dump her.” Based on her comments thus far, I expected her to be angry or vindictive, but her tone is desperate, and every line on her face is etched in pain.

It breaks my heart. I reach for her hand and squeeze. “She didn’t know he was married.”

“I don’t care.” Another tear slides down her face. “I can’t be anywhere near her. She needs to go.” Pulling her shoulders back once more, she clears her throat, and then she walks out of the room, taking the last vestiges of hope I’ve been clinging to with her.

I turn to my father. “You can’t fire her.”

He looks just as helpless as I feel. “She owns half the company, Brooks.”

I scoff. “Of course this is about business.”

It’s always about business with my father. Never has he put us kids first. He threatened to revoke Beckett’s title if he didn’t find a wife. He was able to spin it in his favor when he chose Liv and they actually fell in love. But even so, Beckett’s best interests weren’t even on my father’s radar. All he cared about was Langfield Corp. How Beckett’s reputation affected profits. How the media portrayed our family. That’s all that matters to him.

“Seb is her husband,” Gavin grits out. “It’s not about the fucking game. I could give two shits about any of that. We have so much goddamn money that every one of us could retire today and never spend it all.” He steeples his fingers in front of him. “This is about family. Your family. The people you kept in the dark. I can’t count how many times I asked you what was going on with you and Seb. You refused to admit there was a problem until you blew up on national television and broke Aunt Zoe’s heart in the process. It was selfish.”

“Yes, I was selfish.” I pound against my chest. “Me.” I swallow down the urge to smash a fist into the table. My hands are damaged enough. “Not Sara. Me. So if you want to punish someone, then fire me. But she keeps her job. I promised her.”

---