Page 86 of The Players We Hate
My head dropped, eyes locked on where we were joined, the sight pulling a groan out of me. “Wish you could see how good you look taking me, baby,” I muttered, my voice rough. She breathed my name, quiet, broken. “Fuck, I’m close. I can feel your sweet pussy gripping me tighter.”
Her shaky whisper of my name undid me.
When it hit, everything snapped. She cried out, nails dragging down my back, holding on like she couldn’t let go. I buried my face in her neck, driving through it, lost in the heat and the rush until nothing was left but her.
Afterward, the room went still, heavy with silence. My chest pressed against hers, both of us slick with sweat, our breaths uneven and caught between us.
Her fingers drifted over my shoulder, unsure, not knowing what came next. I pushed her damp hair off her face, pressed a quick kiss to the corner of her mouth, and pulled her in and held her.
The quiet stretched, steadying me in a way I didn’t expect—until the sharp buzz of my phone in my pocket on the floor shattered the moment.
I groaned, reaching for it, already set on ignoring whoever it was until I saw the name. My whole body shifted, shoulders tight, jaw locked.
“Kade,” I muttered, answering. “Yeah?”
Wren pushed up onto one elbow, hair falling loose around her face. She couldn’t see the screen, but her eyes stayed on mine, searching.
I listened, my brows knitting tighter by the second. Without a word, I set the phone on speaker and held it between us.
Kade’s voice filled the room, clipped and low. “You’re not gonna believe what I just heard.”
Wren’s arms folded across her chest, bracing like she already knew it wasn’t good.
“I was heading past Coach Dawson’s office,” Kade said. “The door was cracked, and he didn’t notice me. He was on the phone, talking fast, and he sounded nervous.”
I let out a slow breath.
Kade hesitated before adding, “I heard him say the Brighter Futures donation would cover the next phase. Said he just needed to keep the team focused until it wasfinalized. Then he mentioned compliance—like he was sure they wouldn’t step in again.”
My stomach dropped.
My fingers twitched against the sheets, itching to curl into fists. Wren’s hand slid into mine. I glanced down at where we touched, surprised at how much I needed it. I didn’t pull away.
Kade went on. “He didn’t name names, but it was shady as hell. I didn’t stick around, not wanting to get caught. But it was enough. He’s involved, T. I’m sure of it.”
The silence on my end said it all. My jaw clenched until I could taste blood.
“Fuck,” I muttered finally, my voice low. “Keep it to yourself for now. I need to call Reed. I’ll circle back once I know more.”
“Copy that.” The line clicked dead.
The room felt different after, heavy with a weight I couldn’t shake. I stared at the phone like it had betrayed me, the confirmation sinking in. The anger simmered under my skin, but exhaustion was there too, pressing down like lead.
“Coach…” The word scraped out of me.
Wren shifted beside me. “You think the compliance office already knew about this and they looked the other way?”
I shook my head, exhaling slowly, my hand trembling where it rested against hers. She squeezed tighter, steadying me.
“If Coach is tied to the PAC,” I said finally, “then it doesn’t stop with the team. It doesn’t stop with NIL deals or game fixing.” My gaze lifted to hers. “It has to go deeper.”
She didn’t flinch. Couldn’t. Not when she’d been thinking the same thing.
I dragged a hand down my face. “I don’t have it all figured out. But the more we hear, the more it’s clear this goes beyond hockey. Beyond us. And once we’re in, we’re in. There’s no getting out.”
Her eyes found mine and held, like she’d already made her peace with whatever came next. The air between us sparked, and for a second, it felt like the only thing keeping me going was her refusing to look away.
“You still want in?” I asked, my chest tight, every muscle pulled taut with the question. “Even after everything?”
