Page 1 of Rules We Break

CHAPTER1

ALEX

I readymyself for the faceoff, my stick pressing against the hard surface of the ice.The score is tied three-three and the Detroit crowd is going crazy. I scan the stands already knowing I won’t see the pale blonde hair and crisp green eyes I’m searching for. Mia’s shifts have doubled since starting at the hospital while maintaining her time at the clinic just over a month ago. Some nights she gets home and she’s so tired that it takes everything in me not to collect her in my arms and drag her back to bed. But that’s not what she needs from us.

River and I aren’t holding her back or hiding her away. Fuck that. Mia’s the most determined person I know and that’s saying something considering I’m surrounded by professional athletes. It would be a fucking travesty if anyone tried to discourage her. So, yeah. She can’t come to our away games, but it just makes getting home to her all the more sweet.

As if he called my name, my eyes snap to meet River’s. His piercing dark gaze heats my chest, and suddenly the score doesn’t matter because all I want is to get him off the ice and back where I can have him alone. The way his tongue travels over his bottom lip has me so distracted I nearly miss the fucking whistle. My stick is barely fast enough to catch the puck off the faceoff.

Booing rings out through the arena as I fake around the opposing defenseman. I break past the second D-man and head straight for the net. The crisp air cools my cheeks as I make eye contact with the goalie, not looking away even as I line up my shot. I shift to the left, exaggerating my movements, letting my weight tip over my knee so the goalie buys into my fake and quickly rebound to the right.

The moment before I fire off my shot, a solid wall slams into me sending a shockwave through my back and propelling me off my feet. It’s a dirty fucking hit, and I’m too close to the net to avoid the inevitable collision. The steel red bar hits the side of my helmet with a loud crack milliseconds before my shoulder takes the full brunt of my weight and I drop to my knees.

“Fuck.” I groan through my teeth, clenching my jaw at the shattering pain I can barely breathe through. The impact steals my senses momentarily and I stay there frozen, head ringing as the world slowly comes back into focus. Someone is yelling behind me, and it takes a second to make out River’s voice.

I turn, dropping my ass to the ice and my dick twitches at the sight before me. River’s towering over the player who’d laid me out. Their helmets and gloves are off, already deep into the fight and blood trickles down the other guy's mouth. The fact that his eye is already swelling, tells me he’s in for a hell of a black eye.

I lean back on my elbows both because the world spins around me and cause I’m enjoying the show. River cussing him out, in a low growl that I can only make out because we’re so close. “I will fucking kill you.”

If I was that guy, I’d be scared for my fucking life with the way Riv’s tearing into him.

With a beauty of a move, River reaches around and yanks the guy’s jersey so hard it breaks the strap attaching it to his pants. It’s ripped off then pulled over his head. It’s been a long fucking time since I’ve seen someone get jerseyed.

“Alright, break it up.” Lucas cuts between them, and pushes them apart. River gives him a sharp look, and Lucas just stares right back. “Go look after your boy, I've got the asshole.”

River’s head snaps to mine and he doesn’t waste time crouching down to look into my eyes. He unclips my helmet, and removes it, careful not to jostle me. His eyes search my face, his expression pained, and his brows pinched with worry.

“He’s fucking dead.”

Fuck me, warmth builds in my stomach and my already hard cock aches for him. There’s nothing sexier than a protective River when he’s all riled up like this. The way he’s looking at me like he might take me right here on the rink just to prove I’m okay, has me groaning through my teeth. Ever since he admitted he loved me, he’s been nothing but fucking trouble.

“Pull me up.” I reach out my hand and River’s fingers curve around mine easily lifting my over two-hundred-pound weight until I’m standing on my skates.

He puts his hands on my shoulders, steadying me when my knees threaten to give out.

“Your shoulder okay?” he asks softly.

I shrug. “I’ve had worse.”

He grips the back of my neck and pulls me so our foreheads rest against each other. “I swear to God, the crack that crash made took years off my life.” He’s still breathing hard from either the fight, adrenaline, or what I hope is the proximity to me.

I bury my fingers in his coal black hair and pull him imperceptibly closer. Just far enough to still be decent. “I’m okay. I promise.”

River’s shoulders collapse with his sigh of release.“Thank God.”

His hold on me doesn’t loosen as we skate to the bench, even after I reassure him I’m fine. If anything, his grip tightens, like even the idea of me being away from him right now is more than he can take.

The team doctor gestures me into the back, forcing River to let go.

“I’ll see you back there—” River starts, but Lucas cuts in.

“As soon as we’re done kicking their ass.”

I hate the idea of leaving the game with only a few minutes left, but I can practically hear Mia explaining all the different worries that come with concussions. I once made the mistake of telling her they’re a part of the sport, then had to go through a several hour training session on why I was wrong. Not that I minded, since she sat in my lap the entire time. She could be talking about knitting and I’d still be riveted by her every single word.

Doc sits me on the locker bench and runs through the regular concussion protocol. “Any nausea?”

“None.” I say trying not to blink against the bright light.

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