Page 24 of No Promises, No Lies

Before long, Liam appears in the doorway. He looks from the broken glass and back at me with a frown. “It’s four a.m.”

I nod absently. One thing I love about Liam—he knows when to keep his mouth shut. “Call Ryan.”

I haven’t been involved with the family business for a few years. Both Liam and I have an early morning practice at the Edge. There are a lot of new and unfamiliar faces, and right now, I need someone Itrust.

Alex Ryan and I go back—way back. He might not have the O’Rourke name, but he’s as much my brother as Liam and Koen are.

Koen talks a big talk, but he won’t interfere in my business. But I wouldn’t put it past Jimmy and his crew to come here and take care of things themselves.

If Liam wasn’t on the Breakers alongside me, I would’ve preferred to leave him in charge. But Ryan will do.

We make it to the rink just in time, after I made sure Ryan had explicit instructions not to go anywhere near the lockers or the girl.

Rory.

Leave it to Coach to call an early morning practice the day after an Irish raid.I’ve been lucky so far in that my associations haven’t impeded my hockey career. While I’ve done my best to keep it quiet, the few guys in the league who hail from Boston knowexactlywho I am.

And what I’m capable of.

Only my reputation has kept them from running their mouths to the press, although there has always been speculation. The media may have taken a turn for the negative after last season, and if I can’t turn it around, I’m facing a trade deal or worse—no deal at all.

While I trust Alex with my life, I put the fear of God into him before we left. No one gets in the warehouse, and no one goes out without my say-so.He doesn’t even have to know why, or whom, I’ve got back there.Ryan—being Ryan—doesn’t even ask.

The locker door is well and truly barred shut. Stronger men thanRoryhave tried, and failed, to escape the Irish lockers. She isn’t going anywhere.I try to push the girl out of my head.

It’s only a matter of time before Jimmy figures out exactly where I stashed the girl and takes matters into his own hands. He blew up Liam’s phone until five a.m., presumably because he passed out. But I know he won’t let it go. The Russians don’t know who hit them, and they’re pissed the fuck off about it. We can’t afford any loose ends;Ican’t afford any loose ends.

Coach homes in on my distracted ass like he has a radar for these kinds of things.

“O’Rourke! Get your shit together or get off the ice!” Coach shouts as I hit the post on what should’ve been an easy pick up. “Run it again.”

I circle back into the lineup and wait my turn to run the drill again.

“Try not to fuck it up this time, hotshot.”

I don’t turn around; I know exactly whose smug ass voice is in my ear. Dex Lewandroski, the Breakers’ second line defenseman, has every reason to get in my head. He’s been after my first line spot since he signed with the team last spring.Not today, Dex.

I launch forward, my blades cutting hard into the ice as I round the turn. I surge down the ice, deke past the defenders, fake out Brooks, and sink the puck top shelf, upper right corner.

Skating back past Lewandroski, I can’t help but give him a little chin lift.Fuck you, asshole.

Through no small miracle, I hold my own for the rest of practice. I’m a mess of sweat by the time we hit the showers. I linger in the hot water, letting it pour over my head as I play back the events of the last 24 hours.Eyes heavy; I really need some fucking sleep.

I’d thought I was free of this shit, having left the familybusinessbehind to pursue hockey instead. But just as soon as I thought I was clear, they dragged me right back.

No one expected the hit that took out our father—and Alex’s uncle—Declan O’Rourke. And no one was talking about who had done it. Nothing in this world would’ve stopped Liam and me from returning to support Koen and to make those responsible bleed.

No one touches family.

The hot water soothes my aching muscles, the new bruises a small price to pay. Trying to balance the family with hockey was never part of the plan, and I was already on thin ice. I need to stay focused. There are grave consequences on both sides if I don’t.

Stay distracted in hockey and lose the league—everything I worked for. Get distracted in the mob—andlose my life.

I just need to keep my head on straight. First things first, figure out what the fuck to do with my littlecomplication.

I throw open the locker door with a clang. After catching a few hours of sleep on a couch at the warehouse, I’m itching to force some answers out of Rory. I’m hoping several hours alone in the lockers have loosened her tongue. I need to know who she is and what the fuck she was doing with the Russians.

She’s on the floor, knees curled to her chest. At the sight of me, she presses her back against the wall. Her eyes snap to the gun in my hand.Dark circles ring her pretty blue eyes.

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