Page 11 of Hockey Boy

Shifting on my stool, I lift a shoulder and let it fall. “Thought it was time, I guess. You all were relentless about Lennox, and I wanted to get you off my back.”

I look from one brother to the next. They’re all watching me, but not one of them looks the least bit ashamed.

“It’s only because we care. Jill was bad news,” Gavin says.

“You don’t know the half of it,” I mutter.

“Tell us,” Beckett implores.

So I do. I give them all the embarrassing details. The shameful ones. How Jill used me, how Vincent Lukov made a fool out of me. Despite the rotten feeling that settles in my stomach, the anvil on my chest lifts, and a lightness I haven’t felt in years trickles into me. Fuck, it feels good to no longer live in this darkness alone.

With every word, my brothers’ faces turn angrier. War’s jaw clenches, and Daniel scowls. These men have my back. These men have me. Knowing that only eases my trepidation further.

“I’m going to lay Lukov out every fucking game,” Daniel mutters, straightening and gripping the edge of the bar.

“He won’t make it past game one,” War promises. “His career is over.”

Gavin’s silence is its own support. As our coach, I’d expect him to tell his star wingers to stand down. Instead, he drops a hand to my shoulder and gives it a squeeze.

I roll my neck, then take another sip of my drink. “I can fight him myself.”

“But you shouldn’t have to,” Brooks fumes. “He was coming after our family, not just you. Fuck, I hate them.”

I stare at the brother I’ve always been closest with. He’s the biggest of us all, but he’s also the most gentle. That all went out the window last year when he found out that our former coach, Sebastian Lukov — who was not only our uncle by marriage, but is Vincent’s uncle too— was secretly dating Sara. He failed to tell her he was still married to our aunt though. At the time, Brooks and Sara were nothing more than friends, though Brooks had been pining for her for years. The fallout from it all was a shit show and it still remains a sore spot for Brooks. The guy isn’t rational when it comes to protecting the woman he loves. I get it. I’d be the same way. But I don’t want my brother to end up in jail for protecting me.

“What I need more than your muscles,” I tell him, “is your silence.”

Brooks frowns, his brows pulled low. “What?”

“I don’t want to answer questions. And I don’t want your women trying to ‘fix’ me.” With a sigh, I drop my elbows to the bar. I can already imagine how awful it’ll be when they find out about Jill. Sara might be worse than Brooks when it comes to protecting those she loves. “Just give me the summer to figure this out. To lick my wounds.”

“I don’t lie to Sara,” Brooks says on one side of me, spinning his beer bottle on the bar.

Gavin’s already shaking his head. “Not lying to Millie.”

“Come on.” I hang my head. “I’m calling team confidentiality.”

War snorts. “Oh, like Brooks kept our last team secret so well.”

Brooks adjusts himself and grimaces. Yeah, after we were all sworn to secrecy, he told Sara about how the group of us ended up with blinged-out dicks.

Gavin shakes his head. “Nuh-uh. I don’t have a glitter dick. This doesn’t apply to me.”

Huffing, Ithrow my head back.

Beckett takes a step closer and studies me. “This means a lot to you?”

“Yeah.” I sigh, running my hand through my hair. “She didn’t only cheat on me—I was a goddamn mark. Give me a few weeks to come to terms with that before you tell all your girls, and they’re all over me. It’s embarrassing.”

Beckett nods. “Fine.”

“Hey, you don’t speak for us,” Gavin tosses back.

Beckett merely glares at him, his green eyes hard. “I said fine. Get on board. Every one of you has had secrets in the past, and I’ve kept them. We’ll do the same for Aiden. That’s what we do.”

Brooks’s shoulders droop, but he nods. “Yeah, okay.”

Lips pursed, Gavin looks from brother to brother, then finally focuses on me. “This is a bad idea, you know. They’re going to find out, and then they’re gonna be all over this.”

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