Page 85 of Second Shot

“He does.” I’m sure everyone else in the room is thinking the samething.

I doubt this is the way Kane wanted to tell people, but it’s out now. And, in a way, it’s like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. No moresecrets.

“Are you two together?” she asks. Normally, I’d tell the woman to mind her own business, but I can tell that she’s interested not for the sake of gossip, but because she cares forKane.

That’s one thing the Annihilators have always encouraged - a sense of family among the players. If only my father would have brought that same sense of responsibility home withhim.

Kane looks over at me, as if he heard Sophie’s question, which I know he couldn’t, not with people talking around us. But he raises an eyebrow as if in expectation of ananswer.

“Yeah.” I pull my bottom lip between my teeth andnod.

“Good.” She smiles, then squeezes my hand. “He’s one of the good ones. But then, I guess you already knowthat.”

I look at Kane, who’s still watching me while holding a conversation with a couple of the other players. Noah reaches out to grab at the dark scruff on his jaw. Kane pulls his tiny fist away, kissing it before saying something to him that makes him give a full out baby-laugh around thebottle.

Kane laughs with him, and I see the brows around the room raiseagain.

When Sophie gets up to leave, a dark-haired man with piercing green eyes, that I recognize as Sebastian Wilde, takes her seat. He stretches his long legs out in front of him, rubbing his palms over hisjeans.

I’ve known the man almost as long as I’ve known Kane. But he was never friends with Sam, so except for team parties, or the occasional game that I went to, I didn’t speak to him much. He was always just another arrogant hockey player who thought too highly of himself and made way too much money at far too young of anage.

He sits in silence. Even though I can tell he wants to say something, he just keeps staring at Kane with a worried expression on hisface.

“Kane told you?” I ask, knowing Sebastian is one of his close friends. “Aboutus.”

He gives me a side glance, and I see the flicker of suspicion and hurt in his gaze. “No.”

“Oh.”

“Figured it out tonight, though. The kid’shis?”

I nod, and he grunts inresponse.

“I know you two have some fucked up history together,” he says, his voice low enough that only I can hear. “But you hurthim…”

There’s a look of warning in hiseyes.

“You don’t have to worry about Kane. He can take care ofhimself.”

Sebastian grunts. “He’s been a mess for the past year. Didn’t know why. Now Ido.”

He holds mygaze.

“Everything okay?” Kane is hovering above us, his brows drawn down. I didn’t even see him getup.

“Yeah.” I stand and take Noah fromhim.

“I hope your dad is okay,” Sebastian says, standing as well, jaw tight, his expression still holding a look of accusation. “He’s a good guy. He didn’t deservethis.”

He turns, slaps Kane’s shoulder, then walks back to the group of men who keep casting guarded glances atme.

“He thinks this is my fault,” I say, fighting the emotion that keeps threatening to spillover.

Kane’s nostrils flare and he glares at Sebastian, who’s still watching us. “Did he saythat?”

“No. But he warned me not to hurtyou.”

“Don’t worry about him. He’s just pissed that I didn’t tell him aboutus.”

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