Page 20

I pause for a beat before continuing. "And now, the other matter." I step forward, squaring my shoulders. "Avery Castle is staying here."

A few brows lift, murmurs rippling through the room.

"She was marked, that makes her one of us. Whether you like it or not, she is under our protection and she's completely off-limits" I lock eyes with Jeremiah. "Cross a line, and you’ll wish the person coming after us got to you first, just like they did Callan."

Jeremiah scoffs, leaning back like he’s above it all.

"Jeremiah," I say. He meets my gaze, jaw tight. "I want every inch of this room cleaned by tomorrow night."

"You’re kidding." His eyes are large, disbelief written into his features.

I step down, right into his space. "Do I look like I’m kidding?"

He tries to hold my stare but fails miserably. "I was just being friendly."

"Then consider this me returning the favor," I say through my teeth. "By not breaking your goddamn jaw."

Slade claps him on the back, chuckling. "Better get started. The bathroom’s probably next."

"Quiet," I shout. "We're not finished here. We play Eaton Rapids in four days. That means we’ve got two days to crush their streak before they crush ours."

Aidric moves beside me and slips a folded piece of paper into my hand without a word.

I glance down at the words scrawled across it and my jaw clenches. Rolling my neck slowly, the tension cracks loud in the silence, then I lift my eyes to Noah, another one of us who seems to be running his mouth a little too much.

"Noah. We need you to take out Hershman, their star player," I say. "We’re not just taking down their team; we’re dismantling their foundation."

Noah lifts a brow. "Meaning?"

"Meaning this isn’t about scoring goals anymore. It's about destruction."

I flick the paper with my fingers, then tap it once.

"Start with their anchor. Dig into his personal life and find weaknesses, family drama, cheating rumors, a girlfriend with wandering eyes—anything that sticks."

Noah’s eyes narrow. "What if nothing sticks?"

I smirk, handing the paper to him so he can read it on repeat until the job is done. "Then you make it stick. Fabricate, leak something, tip the press. We don’t need the truth; we need to bury them."

Noah swallows, nods once, then grabs the paper from my hands.

My eyes sweep the room again, letting the weight of the moment press down on everyone. "No mercy," I say. "Not on the ice, not off.

Aidric grins beside me, hands folded in front of him as he stands tall.

"We're done here," I announce. "I'll see everyone after practice tomorrow, seven p.m. sharp."

They waste no time getting out of here. Our fellow Ice Lords file out fast, shoes scuffing against the concrete, whispers trailing behind them. Jeremiah lingers at the end of the line, and I take advantage of the moment.

"Jeremiah!" I shout up the stairs. "Fetch your cleaning supplies. You’ve got a long night ahead."

He mutters a curse under his breath then vanishes.

I laugh before letting the silence stretch around Aidric and me. As I look at the space, our space, anger simmers in my blood, but it's shifting now, giving me the fuel I need to take this fucker down.

I glance at Aidric, the exhaustion etched across his face mirroring my own. "Drink?"

He snaps his fingers and points toward the stairs without a word.

We go up in sync, moving through the main floor then up the staircase off the hallway, not stopping until we're at the top floor.

I push open the heavy door and enter the Lords’ Lair. Aidric heads straight for the fully-stocked bar, grabbing a bottle of bourbon. He pours two shots into a crystal glass and slides it down the polished bar top without looking at me. Then he pours his own, swirling it slowly.

"Secrets are slipping," he finally says.

I take a sip, letting it burn down my throat. "Whoever left that message downstairs knows exactly what they’re doing."

Aidric downs his bourbon in one gulp, the glass hitting the counter with a hard clink. "Then we end it now."

His words hang between us, me wondering how the hell were supposed to end it, and him likely forging a plan.

"I ran into Klein at The Effin Bar," he says grimly. "He was sniffing around again. He knows more than he’s letting on." He pauses, jaw tight. "And he still has my fucking rock."

My stomach twists. That rock might not mean shit to anyone else, but to us, it means everything.

Aidric pushes off the bar and begins pacing, the tension in his movements unmistakable. "I want it back."

"You planning to ask politely?" I chuckle.

He shoots me a look. "Fuck that. I’m breaking into his office."

I blink. "Seriously?"

"One hundred percent. I'm done waiting. It feels like that's all we fucking do anymore. We get the rock; we lock our secrets down, then we find the traitor and gut him."

I throw back the rest of my drink and set the glass down beside his. "You’re not going in alone," I say, voice hard. "You go, I go. Or…" I let the pause linger. "We send someone else. Jeremiah or Noah could use a little humility."

Aidric’s mouth twitches. "Tempting, but nah. A little risk sounds like fun. We do this ourselves. Tomorrow night, after the meeting. Offices will be closed and we'll have an easy in, easy out. It's the North Ridge Police Department, not the goddamn NYPD. Should be a walk in the park."

Something primal rises in my chest, my adrenaline kicking in high gear.

It’s been too damn long since I’ve gotten my hands dirty—too long since we’ve stopped playing defense and started hitting back.

Like Aidric said, we’ve been standing still, watching control slip through our fingers while someone out there plays god with our lives.

Not anymore.

"Let's fucking do it," I say, slapping my palms against the bar top. "Let’s take back what’s ours."

Aidric leans against the bar again, eyes narrowing. "We need to distract the girl. Last thing we need is her tailing us and blowing the whole thing up."

I nod. "She’s got that archery competition coming up.

Told me she might drop out because her head hasn’t been in it.

But if I pull some strings, I might be able to get her booked at that new indoor range in Chesterfield.

There's not a doubt in my mind she'd go. I’ll send a couple of the guys to watch from a distance. She'll be none the wiser."

Aidric’s eyes glint. "Do it. She’ll probably drop to her knees and suck your cock as a thank you."

I huff a laugh. "Wouldn’t go that far."

He raises an eyebrow. "But you wouldn’t stop her."

I look down at my glass and bite back a grin.

Fuck no I wouldn't.