Page 10 of Her Hat Trick Daddies (Game On Daddies #3)

Leighton

W ithout pausing or offering anyone even a shred of an explanation, I bolt out of the arena like rabid hounds are on my heels. Maybe not rabid hounds, but a wolf is awfully close. And it’s Wolf and two other men I have to worry about.

I never thought this day would come. Never thought I’d actually know .

That I’d be able to put names and faces to those three men…

god knows I tried before—searched, obsessed, came up empty.

I found out that at least three men at the masquerade were wearing jester masks, two had lion-style masks, and four or five were in wolf ones.

But that wasn’t enough. Even the extra details—tattoos, scars, birthmarks—led nowhere.

I came up with theories. Maybe they were crashers.

Maybe they were guests of someone connected to the organization.

Hell, maybe they played for an opposing team.

I didn’t know what to think. And without real leads, I couldn’t investigate further .

Eventually, I had to let that chapter close. Locked it up. Threw away the key. But here we are. I found them. And now? I have no idea how to handle it. If I even can handle it.

How did I not think this could happen? Am I that na?ve?

To come back to the very city where my life changed forever and not expect the past to slap me across the face?

I mean, I’m working for the same team I once partied with, the same team that unknowingly gave me the biggest surprise of my life.

The past doesn’t always stay buried. Sometimes it laces up its skates, tosses on a jersey, and waits for you at center ice.

The only upside to my ungraceful escape before the final buzzer is the cab idling right at the curb. I dive in, rattle off the name of the team hotel, and spend the ten-minute ride across town in a silent, nauseous haze.

By the time I’m back in my room, I feel unsteady, like the floor might dissolve beneath my feet. I blindly tap Ava’s name. It rings once. Twice. On the third try, she picks up.

“Leighton, wasn’t that scrimmage insane?” she chirps over a backdrop of crowd noise and chatter.

I blink. “Scrimmage?”

“Yeah, silly! I know it doesn’t count for anything, but it’s just so fun seeing my guys back out there.”

Her words swirl around me, slow and surreal, like fog creeping in. For a second, I can’t even process them. Then she pauses, her tone shifting.

“Leigh… are you okay? ”

“No,” I manage, voice hollow. “Not really.”

“Oh no, what’s wrong?”

So much. Too much. Everything.

“I figured it out,” I mumble.

“Figured what out?” she asks, distracted. “Hang on.” I hear the shuffle of footsteps and a door closing on the background noise. “Okay, I’m somewhere quiet. What did you say?”

I swallow hard. “I figured it out.”

“Figured what out?” Her tone is more serious now, laced with concern.

“I know who they are,” I say.

“Who—” she breaks off. “Wait. Who are you talking about?”

“The men from the masquerade ball,” I breathe. “The ones from that night. The night I had the best sex of my life… and walked away with more than just memories. The biggest secret. One that turned into a two-year-old with my eyes and their smile.”

Crickets.

I can picture her perfectly—mouth slightly open, eyes wide, trying to form a sentence but failing.

Ava is the only person I confided in about what happened that night.

And even then, I couldn’t tell her the whole story because I didn’t know it myself.

She knows I had wild, no-holds-barred sex with three masked men…

and that they got me pregnant… and that I had next to nothing to go on when it came to finding out who they were .

Ava audibly swallows. “Who are they?”

I close my eyes as if confessing to this blind will keep it from taking me on a downward spiral again. “The team’s first-string forwards. The center, left-wing, and right-wing.”

“Wait… Just wait. Are you telling me that David Decker is one of them?”

“Yes. And Shane Jacobson. I’m not sure of the other guy’s name yet. Which I should know by now, but… I have to look him up.”

“But, girl, this is huge.”

“I know.”

“What are you going to do?”

That’s the question, isn’t it? Back when I first found out I was pregnant and started trying to track those guys down, I actually felt a strange sense of relief when the trail went cold.

It meant I wouldn’t have to depend on them.

Wouldn’t have to uproot my life if they decided they wanted to be part of Luna’s.

But it also meant I could avoid a conversation that completely terrified me. Selfish, I know.

Now, though, as a single mom, the thought of facing them doesn’t exactly terrify me.

I’m not looking forward to it, but it’s not the same fear it once was.

It’s more about the ripple effect it could have if the truth ever got out.

The press. The scrutiny. The questions. Ava struggled with that too…

and still does. We can’t be open about it.

Worst case? If it becomes a circus, we pack up, move again, and start fresh somewhere else .

Even then, nothing could ever be worse than when the doctors said I needed an emergency C-section because my baby was breech.

But that wasn’t the scariest part of it.

They told me I blacked out after delivery—my body went into shock, and they had to revive me.

I missed the first moments of my daughter’s life, and for a terrifying second, they weren’t sure I’d make it back.

I take a deep breath. “I’m going to meet with all of them at the same time. Then, I’m going to tell them what’s going on.”

“Just like that?” Ava sounds incredulous, and I don’t blame her.

“Just like that. What’s the worst they could do? Say they don’t want anything to do with her? If that’s the case, not much will change. Going to work will be more cringe, but that’s about it.”

I hope so, anyway. I don’t think they would bring any heat to the situation, like run to the owner with some cock-and-bull story just to get rid of me.

Their reputations are on the line here, too.

If any of them tried to pull something like that, I’m pretty sure I’d have grounds to sue the team.

That kind of behavior from within a company I’m employed by has to be illegal.

“I can’t really see it happening any other way either, honestly,” Ava says, her voice steady. “Like you told me a long time ago, if they don’t want you, then that’s their loss. I’m here for you. Sven, Levi, Eric. We all are. ”

“Speaking of. Can you imagine their reactions?” I ask, my voice lifting with a mix of nerves and disbelief.

“I’m sure it’ll be chaos at first,” she says, “but then, look at us.”

“Right. Well, with any luck, my guys won’t freak out. Shocked? Sure. Outraged? Hopefully not.”

She sighs. “These are grown men—what, at least ten years older than us? I’d hope they’d be mature enough to handle this like adults.”

But there are no guarantees. Men don’t typically hook up in a private room at a lavish ball if they’re looking to start a family. I’ll make it clear I’m not expecting anything. No child support, no pressure to be involved. I just wanted to tell them. It’s the right thing to do.

What they do with that information is up to them.

“Do you want me to be close by when you tell them?” Ava asks softly.

And for about the millionth time since we met, I silently thank whatever force in the universe brought her into my life. She’s been a blessing from the very beginning.

“No. I can handle it,” I say, even if my stomach is doing somersaults. “But you’re the best.”

I picture my baby girl. This probably won’t turn into anything, but there’s a small chance they might want to meet her. How would she react? She’s pretty fearless with new people, so maybe it wouldn’t rattle her .

“How’s Lu-Lu been behaving for you?”

“She’s a gem, as always. Not even close to a handful. Not like Trevor,” she laughs.

Trevor’s been a bit of a terror ever since his third birthday. But he’s protective of Luna, and I love that. A low rumble comes through the line, and I suspect it’s Sven. I shouldn’t be taking up all her time.

“Hey, Ava, if you need to go—” I start, but she cuts me off.

“I don’t. But do you mind if I tell Sven?”

“Nope. I kind of want to find out his reaction first anyway.”

This would rock the Avs if it ever got out. It would be a gossip nugget for who knows how long. But I trust anyone in our circle to keep this news close to the vest.

I wait patiently as she explains all of this to Sven. Then, she announces, “Hey, I’m putting you on speaker, okay?”

“Hey, Leigh. Kinda crazy, huh?” Sven begins.

“Tell me about it.”

“Well, considering my own situation, I think you should tell the guys,” he continues.

“Oh, trust me. I plan to. And soon.”

“Now, I can’t speak for them, but having Ava and Trevor in my life has been the greatest gift ever. There’s a chance they could feel the same.”

“They might not, though,” I counter .

“Then they’re not worth you, Leighton. You’re a good woman with the whole world to offer. If they don’t see that, they can just fuck off.”

His tone is dead serious, which somehow makes me laugh a little. It’s the way he says it—so matter-of-fact, like their opinions won’t count unless they’re the right ones. And honestly? He’s not wrong.

“It’s not about being sweet. It’s the truth. Ava was taken advantage of, and I don’t want the same thing happening to you. If I could’ve spared her that pain, I would’ve. But with you, maybe I still can.”

My tone softens. Sven’s always been the most protective, the quiet strength in the group, the leader of the pack. No surprise that Trevor’s so protective of my Luna. He clearly gets it from his dad.

“I know. And we love you for it.”

“Someday, Leighton,” he says, voice thick with emotion, “I hope you find the kind of love and commitment that Ava, Eric, Levi, and I have. You deserve that, and more.”

“Thanks, Sven. I hope so, too.” And I mean it. I really do.

My heart sinks to the bottom of my stomach, eyes stinging from the weight of his words. But there’s no time to get lost in that now. I need to pull it together, slap on a game face, and get ready to confront the men who changed my life forever.