Page 62 of Captain's Claim

"Mhmm." Her voice is soft, sleepy. "Tell me about your childhood. Tell me about Eli. You seem close."

I sit back against the headboard, exhaling. "You really want to hear about that?"

"I want to knoweverythingabout you."

"Everything, huh?"

She flutters in the blankets, getting cozy and warm as her face rests way too close to my lap for me to be comfortable.

I start out telling her about school, slowly working my way up to the hardest part of my life.

“Iron Ridge was different back then,” I murmur, my voice low in the dim room. “Rougher. Mom worked three jobs just to keep the lights on. I spent most of my time at the rink because—well, because we didn’t have heat half the time, and at least the rink had hot water.”

Her fingers twitch, barely brushing against mine.

I glance down.

She’s still awake, barely, her eyes soft and heavy, her lips slightly parted in thatalmostkind of way.

I keep going.

“I started getting in fights. Acting out. All that shit that gets you labeled a problem kid.” I swallow hard. "Then one day, I’m out there with this piece-of-shit hockey stick I found in someone’s trash. Just hitting rocks across the ice, pretending they were pucks.”

Sophia hums, her breath warm against my arm.

Ishouldstop. She’s drifting. Fading.

But somehow, that only makes it easier to keep talking.

“Eli found me there. He watched me for a while. Then he made me a deal - I could join his youth program if I kept my grades up and helped maintain the rink every day after school.”

My voice drops lower. “He changed everything. He gave me somewhere to belong. He was someone who gave a damn.”

I glance at Sophia.

She’s asleep now, her face soft and peaceful, her breath slow and steady.

I exhale slowly, watching her. The way her hair spills across the pillow. How her lips part slightly with each breath. How her fingers are still tangled in mine.

With a smile, I let go, and slide out of bed, pulling the blankets back up over her. Stepping back towards the door, I flick the light out and take a deep breath.

An interview with one of the kids. Tomorrow.

I need to talk to her about that. Abouteverything.

But for now…

I flick the light off and step into the quiet hallway, exhaling hard.

Fuck.I'm in deep trouble with this woman.

Chapter Fifteen

Sophia

The moment my consciousness claws its way to the surface, I know one thing for certain.

I’m dying.

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