Page 17

THEO

NOAH: Don’t go getting killed by Indie’s brother. We still have two rounds to go to the Cup. Plus, Quinn liked Indie and would be sad if you were dead and Indie’s brother was in jail for your murder.

COLE: No one is going to jail. Yet.

THEO: I really just don’t know where to go with…that.

JAXON: Just remind him we’re in the playoffs, and any bodily harm would only harm us. Maybe he’ll wait a few more weeks? Either way, we got you.

A nd then my phone dinged with a text outside of the #GHOSTHOCKEYDADDIES chat, and when I opened it, it wasn’t exactly the person I thought it would be.

ISAAC: Meet me in the lobby in twenty. Alone.

Indie had stopped, along with the rest of the girls, by the family room, but since I’d scored a hat trick and MVP of the game, I had media obligations to attend to. She kissed me with an adorably goofy smile on her face. Fishnets, a short denim skirt, and my jersey.

Sexiest outfit I’d ever seen other than her wearing only my belt.

With any luck, I’d do all kinds of things to her in my jersey in a little while.

The win meant we had a little extra rest before the next round.

Seattle and Vancouver’s series was three to two, and there was a pretty decent chance they’d go all seven.

I planned on making every extra moment count.

With both Trav and Indie. Making sure Indie knew who she belonged to, at least for now.

And then, the three of us were going to take a trip to Legoland.

As the girls all left with promises to meet up later, she whispered in my ear. “Hate fuck? Or are you ready to make good on that choke me with your cock promise, Daddy?”

Isaac’s text, unfortunately, put a damper on the things my cock was looking forward to. I sucked in a deep breath, and faced the fucking music.

THEO: Give me ten.

The only question was, did I tell him the truth? Did I even fucking know what that was anymore?

The hotel bar was mostly empty, except for a few tired looking businessmen. Upsides and downsides to winning a playoff series out of town. No one celebrated with you but you got to bed at a decent hour. Isaac sat at the bar, nursing a beer. Two shot of whiskey sat next to him. Just like old times.

“Hey, man. Enjoy the game?”

He looked up, green eyes so like Indies, but his were tired. Like he’d been through shit and decided that the world was still worth believing in.

“You still don’t suck,” he laughed, though there wasn’t much humor to it. The shot glasses sat there, and he pushed one at me, and picked up the other. “Good game, bud.”

“Thanks.”

We clinked, shot, grimaced, and sat them down. “You know you could’ve gotten the good shit?”

He laughed. “And break tradition? Fuck no. Cheap whiskey for the first one. Backwards, just like back then. Kinda fitting, I thought.”

“Shit. Isaac-”

He faced me, lightning quick, finger in my face.

“Indie already decided to tell me to stay the fuck of out everything, and I promised her I wouldn’t kill you, but I didn’t make promises about that face.

What the fuck are you doing, dating, no, fucking getting married to my sister?

The girl you promised to protect?” The room was quiet as it was, but his words carried, and the bartender shot me a look.

I waved him off, but Isaac didn’t notice.

Nope. His hands clenched, and I braced myself for the punch I deserved, but he continued, “Tell me now why I shouldn’t kick your ass for taking advantage of her and lying to me, Theo. And keeping it from me.”

I put up my hands, and he sat back down. We both faced the row of liquor bottles lining the wall and I rested my elbows on the bar. The bartender set down another set of shots, and we toasted in silence, than drank the better stuff.

After a few moments, I said, “I’ve always watched out for Indie.

I probably went around it the wrong way a few times, because in case you haven’t noticed, your baby sister is a badass.

Who can take care of herself. Fuck knows I’ve been less than stellar up until the last year or so.

I stayed far away. But, then she…she helped Travis come out of his shell, and she was there for me like no one had been.

For us. And Travis loves her. You know she hasn’t exactly been my number one fan the last few years.

When she started helping me out, we just…

reconnected. She’s sassy and independent as fuck. The bookstore…”

“I saw your romance book shit online.”

I nodded. “And then the Triumph Foundation started partnering with the bookstore. And it kinda just happened.” I took the shot, and downed half the beer that appeared alongside the shots.

“You haven’t exactly been easy to find lately.

And even before that.” I shrugged. “I don’t know how or why, but Indie showed up just when we needed her. ”

Silence stretched on. “And does she need you?”

I thought for a moment, then nodded. Sure, helping her with the bookstore was a part of our agreement, but it wasn’t me making people show up.

Not really. Indie was passionate about books and events.

Of connecting readers and authors. I was just a tool she used to promote the thing she loved. “She is pretty amazing, Isaac.”

The two of us sat there in silence for a few more minutes.

“You hurt her, I know people.”

I didn’t doubt it, considering how close lipped he’d been about his job since leaving hockey.

“I’d never hurt her, not now.”

My best friend sat back and eyed me like he still was deciding whether or not he believed me. Or trusted me. Finally, he sighed and held out his hand. “One more shot. And do me a favor, I don’t need details about anything ever. Or I will kill you myself.”

“Deal, buddy. Deal.”

Twenty minutes later, and three Indie texts, I left Isaac in the bar, eyeing a redhead down the bar.

“Have fun. Don’t be a stranger.”

“Not planning on it.”

We shook, and I headed for the elevator.

INDIE: OMG Isaac promised not to kill you. Did he?

INDIE: I swear if my brother is cockblocking me…

INDIE: Did I ever tell you I love Tito’s and lemonade? Only two, so no worries about my judgement.

INDIE: Shit. DID I JUST TELL THE MAN I HATE THAT I WAS GETTING COCKBLOCKED FOR HIM?

INDIE: Is not getting choked by your cock cockblocking? Or is that choke-blocking, Daddy?

INDIE: Ok, you’re dead. Which means I need new toys to get me off. Better than you did, by the way.

I smirked at her attempt at hiding the fact that she was thinking about choking on my cock. And hit her floor as the elevator doors shut.