Page 44 of Off the Ice

Darren let out a shaky breath, his shoulders slumping as the fight seemed to drain out of him. “I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”

“No,” Logan said, his voice cutting through like a blade. “You don’t. But we’re going to get through this. You, me, and Ava. No one else needs to know right now, and no one else will. We’ll keep this quiet until we have enough to shut these bastards down for good.”

Darren nodded slowly, his expression a mix of exhaustion and fragile hope. Logan clapped him on the shoulder, his touch firm but reassuring.

“Go home, get some rest,” Logan said. “We’ll figure out the next steps soon.”

As Darren left, Logan turned to me, his eyes hard. “This stays between us for now, Ava. I’m trusting you with this.”

“You’ve got my word, I promise it's off the record until you so go.” I said, my voice steady despite the storm of emotions churning inside me.

Logan held my gaze for a moment before nodding. “Good. Let’s figure this out before it gets any worse.”

Twenty Four

Ava

TheelevatorridetoLogan’s penthouse felt endless, my thoughts swirling in an unrelenting loop of Darren’s confession, the anonymous email, and the crushing weight of what I had uncovered. By the time the doors slid open, I was brimming with questions I couldn’t yet voice. Questions Logan might not want to answer.

I knocked once, and Logan opened the door almost immediately. He still wore the sweatpants and hoodie he’d changed into after practice, his hair damp from a quick shower. His usual swagger was muted, replaced by a tension I hadn’t seen before.

“You didn’t have to come,” he said softly, stepping aside to let me in.

“I did,” I replied, walking past him into the sleek, modern living space. It was the kind of penthouse you’d expect from an NHL star—clean lines, expensive finishes, and a view of the city that made you feel like you were on top of the world. Yet there was a lived-in warmth to it: a worn throw blanket on the couch, scuffed hockey sticks propped against a wall, and a faint scent of cedar and soap that I now associated with Logan.

I turned to face him as he shut the door. “How’s Darren?”

Logan let out a low sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Shaken. Terrified, really. He’s a kid, Ava. And whoever’s behind this has him by the throat.”

“He’s lucky he has you,” I said, meaning it. “You’re sticking your neck out for him.”

Logan shook his head, his jaw tightening. “It’s not enough. He’s in over his head, and the league… they’ll throw him to the wolves if this gets out.”

I stepped closer, the frustration in his voice pulling me in. “We’ll figure it out. Together.”

For a moment, he just looked at me, his brown eyes searching mine like he was weighing something heavy. Then he stepped closer, his voice dropping. “You’re something else, you know that?”

“Logan…” I started, but he shook his head, cutting me off.

“No, let me finish,” he said, his voice low but steady, the weight behind it making me pause. “I know this whole thing started as a mess—a deal, an arrangement. But, Ava, you’ve got me all kinds of messed up in ways I didn’t see coming. Every time I’m with you, it feels like… like I can finally breathe again.”

My heart stuttered at the raw honesty in his words. His brown eyes, usually so guarded, were wide open, vulnerable in a way that left me completely disarmed. “Logan…” I began, unsure of what to say.

He stepped closer, his fingers brushing against my cheek like he was testing the waters. “I like you, Ava. A hell of a lot more than I should. And I know this is probably the worst time to say it, but I don’t care. I’m falling for you.”

The air between us was electric, charged with weeks of tension we’d both ignored. My breath hitched, and all the walls I’d built came crumbling down. Without thinking, I closed the space between us, my lips crashing into his.

The kiss was everything; wild and unrestrained, like we’d both been holding back for too long. Logan’s hands found my waist, gripping me like he didn’t plan on letting go, while his mouth moved over mine with a confidence that made my head spin. My fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer as the kiss deepened, heat and want blurring everything else.

Before I knew it, the edge of the kitchen counter pressed into my back, and the rest of the world disappeared, leaving just us, no pretense, no barriers, just the weight of everything we’d been holding back

Later That Evening…I stood at the counter, my legs still wobbly as I sipped a glass of water, trying to process everything that had just happened. Logan was leaning against the opposite side, his hair mussed and his lips still slightly swollen. He looked ridiculously smug, and I hated how much I loved it.

“You’re impossible,” I said, setting the glass down.

He grinned, unabashed. “You seemed to enjoy it.”

I rolled my eyes, but the smile tugging at my lips betrayed me. “You have terrible timing, you know that?”

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