Page 99 of Cold Carnage

"It was your brother," Derek said.

I froze in place, the world tilting on its axis. My brother? How the hell?—

I couldn't process it all at once. My mind raced through memories and interactions, trying to piece together how he could be involved in this betrayal.

"Ryker?" Derek's voice pulled me back to the present.

"I'm here," I managed to say, though my throat felt tight. "Thanks."

I ended the call without waiting for a response and leaned against the wall for support. The anger that had been simmering beneath the surface now roared to life, threatening to consume me.

But there was no time to deal with that now. Paige was with Jared Crowder, a wildcard if ever there was one. And if signing him meant saving her job, then…

I wanted to be there, to make sure Crowder signed.

But I couldn't run after her. She had to do this. And I knew she could.

But.

I could find my brother.

I headed to the basement, where coaching offices and the ice entrance was located. Barrett's office stood silent, a hollow space filled with tension. The desk was a mess of papers, but Barrett himself was nowhere to be seen. His keys lay there, a tempting glint of metal. I grabbed them without a second thought, the cool metal biting into my palm as I stormed out.

I knew exactly where to find Brendan. He always ran to our father when things got tough, hiding like a scared child. The drive home was a blur, my mind consumed by anger and betrayal. My childhood home loomed ahead, a place I'd escaped from years ago but could never fully leave behind.

The car door slammed shut behind me, the sound echoing in the quiet street. I walked up the path, my steps heavy withpurpose. The front door opened before I could knock, and there stood Brendan, looking smug and unrepentant.

Without hesitation, I swung my fist, connecting squarely with his jaw. "That's for leaking those pictures," I growled as he staggered back.

Brendan's eyes widened in shock as he fell to the floor. I kicked him hard in the ribs, each blow fueled by my fury. "And if you ever touch her again," I snarled, "I'll break every bone in your body. We're done."

He coughed up blood, struggling to catch his breath as he tried to sit up. But before he could speak, our father rushed into the room.

"What the hell's going on here?" he demanded, his voice thunderous.

"Your son is a monster," I spat out.

"That's rich coming from you," my father retorted, his eyes narrowing with disdain.

"I'm finally done trying to be perfect," I said through gritted teeth. "Brendan beat Paige in their relationship. That's why she left him at the altar. And that’s not including the cheating.”

He managed to lift his head slightly, blood trickling from his mouth. "Because of you," he choked out. "I found out?—"

He couldn't finish the sentence before collapsing back down.

"We're family," our father insisted. "You don't do this to family."

"Well, Dad," I muttered darkly, "good thing you can choose your family because I'm done with both of you." I turned toward the door, throwing one last look over my shoulder. "And if any of you come near Paige again, I'll fucking kill you."

With that final warning hanging in the air like a storm cloud about to burst, I walked out of the house for the last time, and didn't look back.

Chapter 29

Paige

The drive to the outskirts of Detroit felt longer than usual. I pulled into the parking lot of a small cafe, squinting at the sign. This was where Jared Crowder wanted to meet. I checked the address on my phone one last time and sighed.

The Southern Serpent. Ryker's warning about him echoed in my mind, but I pushed it aside. I had a job to do, and I needed to get it right. Stepping out of the car could wait for just one more moment.

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