Page 26

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I should have stayed. Kenzie needed me, and I’d left her alone to play a game. How did my actions make me any better than Kane? Or my father, who hadn’t risen to a single challenge in his life.

Coach bounced a ball of paper off my face, and I blinked at him. “What? Sorry.”

He gestured at his notes. “I said I like the idea of moving Rafe, but there isn’t a spot for him at the moment, unless you want to switch him out for Vanhauten.”

I shoved my hand through my hair. “No. Vanhauten earned his spot, and he’s been gelling well with me and Cole. Give Rafe another couple months in the weight room, and he’s going to be a formidable power forward. We should be prepping him for it.”

“I agree, but we’re not going to find a solution before the game tonight, which starts in…” He looked at his watch, then at me. “About forty minutes. Go finish getting ready. I need to meditate.”

“Sure.”

We both knew he was going to get his candy stash out and stress eat until we moved to the rink. I chuckled as I left Coach’s office and returned to my gear. The locker room was starting to fill with guys, and without strictly focusing on Coach, my mind wandered right back to Kenzie. The rest of the team joked with each other while they dressed out for the game, but I tuned them out.

I’d spent the last few months proving her opinions and instincts and decisions were valid and only beholden to herself—I couldn’t go back on it now. Which meant I had to accept her stubborn insistence on handling the situation herself. I hated standing by, but I wouldn’t undermine her.

She needed time. I’d give her time. Kenzie had until her sister’s wedding, then I was coming for her. After years of believing I needed to be alone, Kenzie had smashed through all my walls and proven me wrong. I wasn’t letting her push me away, and I sure as hell wasn’t letting Kane’s scheming pull us apart.

As if I’d summoned him, Kane slammed through the doors, still in street clothes, and tossed his bag at his locker. He scowled at the guys laughing and ripped his hoodie over his head.

One of Kane’s sophomore posse slapped his back. “Just in time, man. You almost missed warmup.”

“Who gives a fuck. This team is a joke run by the college fuckboy.”

He jerked his chin at me, but I ignored him as I pulled on my shoulder pads.

Sellers didn’t. He snickered and squared up in front of Kane with his arms crossed. “Having problems with that Chi Omega puck bunny? Or did she get tired of you too?”

“She’s lucky I’m giving her attention at all, and she knows it. Unlike another puck bunny who can’t wait to spread her legs for every hockey player she meets. Have you taken a turn yet, Sellers? I know how close you and Tanner are.”

“Shut the fuck up,” I growled, at the end of my limited patience. “You cheated on her, repeatedly, fucked her up so she didn’t trust anyone, abandoned her after moving her to a completely new school, and now you’re trying to get her kicked out right before she graduates.”

He smirked. “Oh, did she convince you she’s alone and helpless? That she needs a big, strong man to take care of her? I’m not surprised you fell for it.”

I crossed the room to stand next to Sellers. “She’s not alone anymore, and she’s sure as hell not helpless. I tried to stay out of your vendetta for the good of the team, but I’m done being responsible while you take swings at her. If you fuck with her, you fuck with me.”

Kane leaned forward, enunciating slowly. “She deserves to be in jail, and so do you.”

Mase bulldozed past me before I could move and clocked Kane in the jaw. A full haymaker he usually reserved for his worst nights. Kane fell back and landed on his ass, but Mase wasn’t finished.

“You fucking tampered with her computer, you utter piece of shit. If her name comes anywhere near your mouth again, I’ll help you keep it shut.”

Kane rotated his jaw. “Looks like I wasn’t far off with my assessment. Do you all share her equally or is Tanner here selfish?”

It took four of us to hold Mase back, and we only succeeded because Cole wedged himself between the locker and Mase’s chest. Kenzie was going to be pissed, but not as much as Coach.

He came roaring out of his office, red in the face. “Kane. Mase. You’re not playing tonight. University rules. Fighting results in an immediate one game suspension. Lose the gear. You’re in the stands. Reece, get Rafe moved to Kane’s line. Tremblay, you’re starting in the net. Everyone else, get your asses in the rink.”

The locker room turned into chaos as everyone grabbed the last of their gear and hustled toward the tunnel. Everyone except Kane, who spat blood onto the floor then shuffled off to the bathrooms. Cole hesitated, but I shook my head at him. I needed him to keep the team on track while I handled Mase.

“Next time do it where I can’t see you,” muttered Coach as he passed by me and Mase. “Goddamn assholes.”

He went into his office and shut the door. Suspensions involved paperwork, and Coach hated paperwork. I’d get an earful about this later, but we didn’t have time now. Not when I needed to make sure Mase had calmed down enough not to drown Kane in a toilet when we turned our backs.

Mase eyed the door to the showers, and I stepped in front of him.

“No. You need to go home and shake it off. Kenzie is there alone, and I don’t want Kane getting any ideas.”

Mase nodded and flexed his hand. “Understood. I’m not going to apologize for hitting him.”

“I’m not going to ask you to. If you’d been a second slower, I’d be the one suspended tonight.”

He met my eyes. “Emotions make things dangerous. You need to focus on the team tonight and be a leader. Take control and don’t give Kane a single moment of your thoughts. Let him wallow on his own. I’ll watch out for Kenzie.”

I was stupidly relieved to know I wasn’t alone in protecting her.

Mase changed back into his street clothes, and Kane never came out of the bathroom. The seconds ticked by, but I waited until Mase was on his way back to his truck before I followed Kane.

He stood with his face next to the mirror, dabbing at blood, and he didn’t turn around when he spotted me coming. His mistake. I wrenched his arm up behind his back and shoved his face into the glass, leaving a red smear.

“Get the fuck off me,” he mumbled, struggling against my hold.

I was a little taller than Kane, but I had a solid twenty pounds of muscle on him because I actually attended conditioning and weight training. His arm was enough leverage to keep him in place, but I leaned in anyway until he hissed in pain.

“Let’s get one thing clear. Kenzie asked me to let her handle you, which is the only reason you’re not unconscious right now. You had your chance with her, and you fucked it up. She’s mine now. Mine to support, mine to love… and mine to protect.” I twisted his shoulder higher, and he arched away from me. “ Mine. If you keep pushing, I will bring all the power at my disposal to destroy you. Fuck around and find out.”

I backed away and released him, striding out of the bathroom without looking back. The entire encounter took less than a minute, and there were no witnesses. I meant every word I’d said. If I had to sell myself to Gram’s business future, I’d do it in a heartbeat if it meant keeping Kenzie safe from Kane’s bullshit.

When I finally made it to the rink, I ran warm-ups and drills without once looking into the stands. I didn’t want to see Kenzie’s empty seat. At least Kane had finally gotten what he deserved, and he wouldn’t be bothering her tonight since Mase was at the house.

Coach joined us as we filed back onto the bench before our entrance music. He nodded to me, and I nodded back. We were on the same page. Focus on the game, deal with the fallout after.

Without Mase, we struggled. Our backup goalie, Tremblay, was good, but Mase had a sixth sense about where the puck would be. Having a human goalie instead of a damn vampire meant we had to play a more aggressive game, keep the puck away from the paint as much as possible, which meant faster line changes and less fucking around on the bench.

A petty part of me enjoyed watching Kane’s line succeed without him. He’d let his ego get in the way of his skill, and he’d been slipping all season. With Rafe in his spot, his line scored twice in the first two periods.

Every time my attention tried to wander to the seats just down the glass, I viciously clawed it back. When the final buzzer sounded, we’d won the game, but I felt like my shoulder muscles were made of solid steel. I couldn’t relax them at all.

Dread filled me at the thought of going home and finding Kenzie gone. She’d nodded when I asked her to be there after the game, but I wouldn’t blame her if she found a neutral location. Avery’s house, maybe.

Coach clapped me on the shoulder, reminding me we still had to deal with what happened before the game. “Good work tonight, Reece. You’ve really grown into a fine captain.”

I winced. “I should probably tell you I was seconds from punching Kane myself earlier. Mase was just faster, as usual.”

“He deserved it. I’ve been wanting to teach that punk a lesson since last year—and if you repeat that, I’ll deny it. Why do you think I waited as long as I did to intervene?”

I raised a brow. “You wanted one of us to get suspended?”

“Legally, I’m required to say no. I was never fond of letting him transfer, but sometimes, the good of the team outweighs my personal feelings. In this case, I think I maybe should have gone with my gut. I heard the rumors about Kenzie?—”

“Kane started those rumors, and he set her up in the first place. If anyone should be on probation, it’s him.”

Coach turned to stare at me. “He is.”

“He is what?” I asked, confused.

“On probation. If you’d let me finish… After your scuffle, I received word from the dean that Tobias Kane is no longer eligible to play. He’s been suspended pending an investigation, but if the video going viral is any indication, he’s done at TU.”

I frowned, having trouble following the conversation. “What video?”

Coach pulled out his phone, scrolled a bit, then held it out to me. I watched Kenzie confront Kane about the trouble, watched him manhandle her, and watched her smack him down so thoroughly I wasn’t surprised he was pissed when he got to the locker room. She was amazing, and I wanted to kill Kane for touching her.

I might still, but I was smart enough not to broadcast my intentions to Coach. At the end, he was clearly audible admitting his role in her trouble and threatening her. Once again, I was glad I’d sent Mase to stand guard.

Kenzie didn’t seem aware she was being filmed though.

“Who took this?” I asked, handing back his phone.

“I don’t know, but your girlfriend is all over the internet. At least the people at large are defending her this time. It was sent to several members of the administration, and they received a call demanding an explanation for why they were investigating the wrong person. Hence, the call to me when they changed course. Kane is on probation pending criminal charges, so he can’t play. You’ll get your wish after all—Rafe is taking his spot.”

I was excited for Rafe, and for Coach listening to me, but I was more excited for Kenzie. The dread I’d felt at the prospect of going home melted into anticipation. “Can we discuss roster changes tomorrow? I need to head home.”

“Do you?” he asked with a sly smile.

When I sent him a questioning look, he nodded at the stands behind me. I spun around to see Kenzie plastered against the glass separating us, smiling and waving. She wore my jersey over black leggings, her hair was in a simple ponytail, no makeup, and I’d never seen a more beautiful sight.

Coach’s hand dropped to my shoulder. “We can talk tomorrow at morning skate.”

I gave a distracted nod and rushed to Kenzie with a wide grin. The glass prevented us from touching, but I flattened my hand over hers.

“Meet me outside the locker room. I have things to say to you.”

Kenzie laughed. “Always so demanding.”

“Please,” I growled at her.

“Since you asked so nicely…” She blew me a kiss. “Don’t be long.”

Behind her, Avery, Marco, and Eva watched with zero shame. They surrounded her like an entourage, and amazingly, she needed one. Fans stopped her constantly on the way out. From her smile, I’d say they were giving her messages of support. Finally.

I turned and raced through the guys chatting in the tunnel, slapping Cole in the arm as I passed him in the locker room. “Great game,” I shouted at him. “Mase is safe at home.”

He nodded, and I took the quickest shower in my life. Kenzie was waiting, but she deserved more effort than my stinky ass after a game. I threw on a shirt and sweats that smelled clean, then rushed out into the hallway in my socks, leaving all my gear in a pile in front of my locker.

Kenzie smiled when she saw me, then jumped into my arms. “You played so good tonight. I saw Mase before the game, and he told me what happened.”

I closed my eyes, and my shoulders finally relaxed. “I thought you weren’t coming.”

“I wasn’t, and then Eva kicked my butt into doing something about my situation instead of whining and making dumb decisions. Besides, I promised you I’d be at all your home games, cheering, possibly with tears in my eyes.”

“Thank god for Eva,” I murmured.

“You should know she’s taking credit for all of this.”

“Let her have it if it means you don’t need time anymore.”

“I don’t need time anymore,” she confirmed.

“Do I want to know what Eva manipulated this time?”

“She’s the one who called Kiki to film me and Toby’s confrontation, and she’s the one who put pressure on the administration to correct themselves. So it kind of was her doing. You didn’t look over at me once, though.”

I let out a dry laugh. “I was dealing with the fact that the love of my life was trying to pull away to protect me when it was the last thing I wanted.”

“You love me?” she asked tentatively.

“I love you. I’ve probably loved you since you left my ass on the floor in Deacon’s room.”

“Does this mean I get my panties back?”

“Never. Those are my good luck panties. I don’t play a game without them in my pocket.”

“Reece,” she hissed, looking both ways down the hallway.

I didn’t care if the whole world knew. She was here. I couldn’t believe she’d come after telling me she needed time, after confronting Kane while the rest of us were at pre-game, after taking care of herself—and me—just like she’d promised. Kenzie was fearless.

And she was mine.

I cupped her neck, tracing her jaw with my thumb. “I love you more than anything else in my life, including peanut butter, and I want you with me all the time. Completely selfish, I know, but I can promise to finish off your list before we graduate. Please move in with me.”

Kenzie tangled her fingers in my shirt and raised up to kiss me softly. “I love you too, Reece, and I don’t want to be anywhere else. Neither does Boo.”

I kissed her with all the messy, complicated, vast feelings inside me, right there against the wall in the hallway. She sighed into my mouth, surrendering, and I knew I’d spend the rest of my life making sure her and Boo got everything they wanted.