Page 46

Twenty-Six

The team doctor exited Sheridan’s bedroom in the hotel suite, softly closing the door behind him.

“How is she?” Alek demanded at the same time as the irritating FBI agent.

Alek glared at the agent. He should be thanking him for catching Sheridan when she fainted, but the image of the guy’s hands all over her was etched onto his brain. It still had him seeing red.

“Her heart rate and BP are stable now. I gave her something that will help her sleep. Several of the WAGs have agreed to take turns staying with her tonight, although I’m sure she’ll sleep right through,” the doctor told them.

The only one who would be staying the night with her was Alek. He’d chase the coven of WAGs away as soon as he got rid of the cavalry.

The doctor clapped him on the shoulder. “If something changes, you know how to reach me.”

Aunt Eileen slipped in as the doctor was leaving. “Finn is asleep in our room. How is Sheridan?”

“Asleep,” Alek replied. He looked over at Agent Kovaluk. “So I guess that’s it?”

He should be ashamed of his tone toward the agent. But, hell, the man had rained down drama ever since he showed up. Not the least of which was drawing his gun on the two people he cared about most in this world. His stomach cramped up thinking about anything happening to Sheridan or Finn.

“We’ve got everything we need for now. My superiors and the district attorney may have further questions.

I’ll try to keep Finn out of the proceedings as best I can.

” He pulled a card out of his wallet. “Sheridan can call me if she has questions.” His lips twitched when he extended his hand holding the card. “Or if she just wants to talk.”

An ugly sound escaped the back of Alek’s throat. Aunt Eileen saved him by plucking the card from the agent’s fingers.

“Thank you,” she told him. “Will you have enough to make a conviction?”

“We’ve been accumulating evidence on Sergi for a while now. I have to warn you, though, he may take a deal by handing over some intel on his employer.”

Eileen gasped.

The agent placed his hand on her forearm.

“But I will go the distance with the state and local authorities to make sure he stands trial for what he did to your nephew and his wife. That I promise you.” His gaze hardened as it locked with Alek’s.

“Make sure Miss Cobert is aware of that.” He handed Finn’s phone to Aunt Eileen.

“No kid should have to lose their parents.”

He signaled for the other two agents and the three of them left the suite.

Heaving a relieved sigh, Alek headed for the minibar.

He pulled out a tiny bottle of Canadian whisky and twisted off the top.

Had Sheridan’s aunt not been watching, he would have downed it straight from the doll-sized container. Instead, he reached for a glass.

“Can I get you something?” he asked.

“No. Thank you.”

Thanks to the mirrored backsplash, he could see her wringing her hands furiously behind him.

“Jamie was always such an optimist. Just like his dad. Ed couldn’t accept that his love wasn’t enough to save his wife.” Her sigh sounded painful. “Something tells me Jamie felt the same way. I only wish he’d confided in one of us. In anyone.”

The whisky burned going down as it mingled with something that felt a lot like remorse.

Jamie had been his closest friend for three years, during the most formative period of their young lives.

He’d never had a brother, but he imagined his bond with Jamie was just as strong.

Had Alek been a bigger man, perhaps he wouldn’t have tanked the friendship.

Maybe Jamie would have reached out, and all of this could have been avoided.

Or perhaps not. It turned out the woman he thought he once loved wasn’t who either of them believed her to be. Had he been naive, thinking only of the sex? Probably. Hindsight is twenty-twenty.

Alek slumped down onto the sofa, his bones heavy with regret.

He’d missed Jamie. All these years later, this was the first time he’d admitted it to himself.

He couldn’t help but feel cheated. Jamie had still loved and trusted Alek enough to leave him his most precious gift: Finn.

In spite of everything, his best friend still believed in their friendship.

And what had Alek done? Ignored him. Jamie’s father was gone. His friend didn’t want to burden Sheridan any more than he had for years. Instead, he’d faced the problem of Madison alone. Without Alek by his side.

Fuck.

He tossed the whisky bottle across the room, belatedly realizing Sheridan’s aunt was with him. When he glanced around, though, the older woman was nowhere to be seen.

“Good,” he mumbled as he crossed the room to retrieve the other two midgets of whisky from the fridge. Remembering he had a game the next night, he pulled out a bottle of water also. He’d drink it before he joined Sheridan in bed.

The next morning, he awoke on the couch with the little whisky bottles scattered around him.

Somehow, two others had joined them. The water bottle remained unopened on the table in front of him.

His head pounded as he reached for it. Every time he stretched his arm out, however, the water seemed to move farther away.

Alek unleashed a string of obscenities.

Someone across the room grunted in disgust. The sun behind the guy’s head blinded Alek, obscuring his face.

“You missed morning skate.” Gus used his sneaker-clad foot to scooch the bottle closer.

“First time for everything,” Alek managed to grind out through the cotton lining his mouth.

The contents of his stomach roiled when he sat up.

Slamming his eyes shut, he counted to ten before wrestling the cap off the bottle and downing its contents in one long swallow.

He leaned his head back against the couch cushion and waited for the water to take effect. His eyes slipped closed again.

“How’s Grace?” he managed to ask.

“No nightmares, thank goodness. And she’s having the best time lording it over her brother that he missed an adventure with cops and robbers.”

Alek chuckled before realizing his head wasn’t feeling all that jovial this morning. He groaned. “I should go check on Finn.”

“He’s fine. The boys came over to the arena with me. Junior is teaching them both how to play hacky sack right now. Finn seems to be a bit of a natural.”

“That tracks. His father was, too. At Dartmouth, we played as a team before every game.”

The memories came flooding back, the same as they had last night. A painful lump formed in Alek’s throat. He’d share them with Finn. Every single remembrance.

Until now, every time Finn brought up Jamie, Alek found a way to redirect the conversation. No more. In Finn, he had a piece of his best friend. And he’d make sure the boy knew his father. He’d do right by Jamie that way.

Sure, the guy had stolen his girlfriend. Married her, even. But something told him there was more to the story. Alek realized he’d been a stubborn fool by never giving his friend the chance to explain. And now, he’d never have that opportunity.

“The Fed said Sergi was the guy who tried to break into our house. He’d pinged Finn’s phone to that location.”

Alek immediately became more alert. “Are you kidding me? Jesus, man, I’m sorry.”

Gus waved his apology off. “You sound like Sheridan, apologizing for something that’s not your fault. She seems to think if she and Finn hadn’t come to Milwaukee, none of this would have happened.”

“That’s ridiculous.” His heart began to pound in his chest. “If she hadn’t come to Milwaukee, she and Finn would be sitting ducks for Sergi and his friends. God knows what would have happened.”

“But she did come to Milwaukee. And they are both safe.” Gus leaned forward in his chair, seeming to be carefully choosing his words. “Still, Claire is concerned. She said Sheridan was talking nonsense this morning about taking Finn to Spain as soon as the custody hearing is finalized.”

Alek’s head spun as he shot from the couch. He braced a hand on the armrest to steady himself. “She can’t do that. She promised she’d stay through the end of the season. Longer even. I was planning on forever, dammit.” Too late, he realized he’d said that last bit out loud.

“Does she know that?”

He’d never wanted to punch his friend so badly. But when he started to tell Gus that of course she knew it, he had to bite the words back. Had he said them to her? Had he said all the words to her?

Alek swore again.

He staggered in the direction of the adjoining room, where he could hear the shower running. His shoulders relaxed a bit. He knew exactly how he could make her realize she didn’t want to go anywhere.

“Don’t even think about it, man,” Gus said.

“What?”

Gus sighed. “I know exactly where your head is right now. At least the one that shouldn’t be driving today.

Take it from a man who’s been in a serious relationship with the same woman for twelve years.

Shower sex isn’t the answer to everything.

” He shook his head. “Sheridan is in a vulnerable place right now. Your best play is to hear her out. Tell her you love her. Any other move and you’ll go down in flames. Trust me on this.”

Alek’s hand hesitated on the door handle. He was a man of action who desperately wanted to show Sheridan how he felt. Gus was right, though. Last night’s findings hurt her as much as they had him. Crashing the net was probably not the best idea.

He gave his friend an acquiescent nod.

“Ice-Berg,” Gus said when Alek reached for the door handle again. “Rehydrate while you wait.” He tossed a sports drink at Alek. “We have a game in six hours. The bus back to the arena leaves at four thirty. You need to be on it.”