Page 102 of Cold Carnage

Jared’s jaw ticked at the mention of his brother’s girlfriend. I had him now.

“And I'm sure you want to spend more time with them,” I continued. “Before they get serious. Before they get married and have children. Maybe even see her more too.”

“Who?” His voice was sharp, eyes narrowing.

“I think you know,” I replied evenly.

“And what would you know about it?”

I caught his eyes and leaned in further. “Let's cut the shit,” I said firmly. “You only arranged this meeting after photos leaked of me and Ryker Kane. At first, I thought you wanted to goad me, maybe even strong-arm me into a deal. But you don't, do you? You want to sign with the team because everything I'm saying is true. But more than that… you want to be closer to her. And you want to see how we handle a scandal because if you and her got together… well, Mr. Crowder, that’d be a scandal, wouldn’t it?”

His expression faltered just slightly before he masked it again.

“You know I used to date Ryker's brother, don't you?”

"I do my research," Jared said.

"I know you do," I replied, matching his gaze. "So do I. You're not the tallest or the broadest, but you're the smartest. The Southern Serpent, Serpent Tongue—that's what they call you. But the truth is, you're in love with someone you can never have. And you only want to talk to me because you see me as some sort of... idea, something you might be going through yourself."

"Caught between two brothers, I can't help but be curious," he drawled, eyes narrowing with interest.

"Ryker and I spent one night together in college," I began. "Just one. Of course, I wanted more, but he was a big NHL star, and I was a college student. I met his brother later but didn’t know it at the time. We dated for a bit—it was serious for a while."

"And Kane?" His eyes bore into mine, searching for something.

"He made it seem like he didn't remember me," I said, my voice steady.

"But he did, didn't he?" he asked.

"Something like that," I agreed.

"You always remember the ones who leave you unfulfilled," he mused. "And now?"

"Now?" I echoed.

"You risked everything just to be with him again," he said pointedly.

I remained silent, letting his words hang in the air between us. He stared at me, his eyes probing for answers I wasn’t ready to give.

"What are you looking for?" I asked finally. "You know Weston Cole is on the team. I know there's history there between you and him."

Jared's jaw tightened, his teeth clenched together in barely restrained anger.

"But it doesn't matter, does it?" I pressed on. "Because you want to be closer to her."

His face twisted with a mix of frustration and longing that he couldn’t quite hide. He leaned back again, breaking eye contact as if needing a moment to regain control over his emotions.

"This isn't just about the game for you," I repeated softly. "It's about something deeper—something personal."

His eyes flicked back to mine, guarded but vulnerable for a fleeting second before he masked it again with his trademark smirk.

"You're perceptive," he said finally.

"Part of the job," I replied simply.

“Do you have a job?” he asked, his voice tinged with genuine curiosity. “After everything? The Serpents can’t really handle another scandal, can they? And two involving Ryker Kane?”

I shrugged, trying to maintain a nonchalant facade. “Honestly? I don’t know.”

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