Page 42 of Off the Ice

Darren shook his head. “I couldn’t. They said they’d go after my family if I told anyone.”

“Damn it, Darren,” I muttered, pacing a few steps away before turning back to him. “This isn’t just about you anymore. This is about the team. You’re dragging us down with you.”

“I know,” he said, his voice breaking. “I know I screwed up. I just... I don’t know what to do.”

Neither did I.

Twenty Three

Logan

Thearenawasemptynow, the ice freshly cut and gleaming beneath the harsh overhead lights. I sat alone in the locker room, staring down at my skates, turning over, for what had to be the tenth time, how I was going to tell Ava about Darren. I wasn’t exactly known for spilling my guts. Most days, I barely scratched the surface. But Darren’s barely there confession had been echoing in my head since the second he said the words, clinging to me like static. There had to be more.

And Ava? She had this uncanny way of seeing right through me. Like she could read all the things I didn’t say, all the cracks I tried to hide. It was disarming. Distracting. Dangerous, if I was being honest. And asking her to keep this off the record? Yeah, that was a fantasy. There was no way she’d agree to bury something like this—and I couldn’t blame her. Her side of our arrangement depended on getting real stories. And this? This was her best one yet.

I caught myself smiling, thinking about her sharp little jabs and how she always seemed two steps ahead. The thought lingered a second too long, and I realized with an uncomfortable jolt that I was sitting in the lounge, half a chub, like some lovesick idiot.

“Get it together, Bennett,” I muttered, shaking my head. I wasn’t about to let myself spiral into whatever this thing with Ava was turning into. Not now, with everything else going on.

I shoved my hands into my hair, exhaling hard as the door creaked open.

“Bennett,” she said, her voice cutting through the silence. “Why do you look like someone just stole your favorite stick?”

I glanced up to see Ava standing there, sharp and polished as ever, her blazer tailored to perfection. She was holding a notebook in one hand, her phone in the other, and her eyebrows were already arched in challenge.

“Funny,” I said, leaning back against the wall. “I was just thinking you’d look great with a Hellblades logo tattooed on your forehead.”

She snorted. “Dream on. What’s so urgent that you dragged me into your smelly lair of socks and sweat?”

“First off, this lair is sacred,” I shot back, smirking. “Second, I need to talk to you about Darren.”

Her humor faded instantly, replaced by the sharp, focused expression that always made me feel like she could cut through steel with a glance. “What about Darren?”

I motioned for her to follow me toward the quieter corner where there was a tiny lounge, away from where anyone passing by may catch an earfull.

“He came to me a couple nights ago,” I said, lowering my voice. “Told me he’s being blackmailed. Someone’s threatening his family, forcing him to bet against us.”

Her jaw dropped into nearly a perfect O.

“What?”

“Yeah,” I said, my voice rough. “And he’s terrified, Ava. He doesn’t know who’s behind it, just that they’ve got leverage on him, and he’s stuck.”

She stared at me, her hazel eyes narrowing as she processed the information. “So, let me get this straight. A kid barely out of juniors is caught up in a gambling syndicate, and you waited until now to tell me?”

I held up a hand. “It’s not like I’m sitting on this for fun. He’s scared out of his mind, and he didn’t want anyone else to know. I’m only telling you because you’re the only one who might actually figure out who’s behind this. You have to keep this off the record until we can find more, He needs your help. I need your help.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line. “Logan, this isn’t just bad PR. This is criminal.”

“No shit,” I said, crossing my arms. “That’s why I’m telling you to and trying to tread carefully. Darren’s barely holding it together. If this gets out, it’ll crush him—and probably tear the team apart while it’s at it.”

Ava exhaled sharply, muttering something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like, “Why me?”

I smirked. “Because you’re the only person I trust outside of my grandad. And you care, even though you pretend not to.”

She rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. “Fine. Where is he?”

I gestured toward the weight room. “Follow me.”

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