Page 53 of Unleashed

I took a step forward. “What’s in it?”

She flinched but still wouldn’t look at me. “Malone wanted drama.” Her voice barely made it past her lips. “And I—I gave him what he wanted.”

The words landed like a punch to the gut.

I huffed out a laugh, sharp and humorless. “Of course you did.”

“Jack—”

“Save it.” My words iced the air between us. “I’m sure your audience will eat it up. The broken-down captain. His greed for the Cup more important than anything. Or did you go for something even more dramatic? Maybe a tragic downfall? A cautionary tale?”

Her face crumpled. “It’s not like that.”

“Then what’s it like, Hollywood?” The nickname came out twisted, ugly and foul on my tongue. “Because from where I’m standing, you’re no better than the vultures you pretend to hate. Worse, actually. At least they’re honest about what they want.”

She flinched, as if I’d landed a blow. “Jack—”

“It airs this week?”

“In our usual slot, day after tomorrow.”

Perfect fucking timing. Distraction right when my team needed to be focused the most.

“I wanted to talk to you first.”

“Considerate of you. Hard to believe, too, considering you’ve ignored my messages for two days.” My words dripped acid. “Anything else I need to know? Any other bombs you want to drop before I go explain to my team why their captain’s private business is about to be made public for everyone and their mother to see?”

Her lips parted, hesitation flickering across her face. She braced herself as though about to step straight into oncoming traffic. “I know about your knee, Jack.”

My stomach dropped.

“It happened in that game against Seattle, right?” She hesitated. “Coach Mack reviewed the hit with me. You were slammed into the boards from behind. You never saw the hit coming. Johannsen got your revenge. Coach said it was just unlucky—”

No.

The air in my lungs turned to ice.

Of all the things, all the betrayals, I’d let myself hope she wouldn’t go there. That even if she’d fed Malone his clickbait, she would’ve shielded me just a little. Just enough to not ruin my life.

The unspoken secret between us. The one we’d never talked about, but she’d known ever since Paddle for the Playoffs.

And she’d used it anyway.

My blood froze.

Then it burned.

She rolled her lips, tipped her face up to mine, eyes wide. “The team will understand—”

‘I let out a sharp breath, cutting her off. “The team?” The words ripped from my throat. Blood pounded in my ears. I shot my hand out, swiped across the folding table. The crash of the monitor landing didn’t even take the edge off the pressure building in my chest. I couldn’t fuckingbreathe. “‘They’ll understand,’ she says. You’ve been in our space for eight fucking months and you still know nothing. You think they’ll just shrug this off?”

“I didn’t have a choice!”

“Bullshit. There’s always a choice.” I straightened to my full height, let every bit of the contempt clogging up my thinking fill my voice. “You made yours. Hope it was worth it.”

I pivoted, my knee protesting, the pain swallowed by the riot of emotions inside me. Behind me, she gasped, loud in the sudden quiet.

“Jack, please—”

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