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Twenty Three

Logan

T he arena was empty now, the ice freshly cut and gleaming beneath the harsh overhead lights. I sat alone in the locker room, staring down at my skates, turning over, for what had to be the tenth time, how I was going to tell Ava about Darren. I wasn’t exactly known for spilling my guts. Most days, I barely scratched the surface. But Darren’s barely there confession had been echoing in my head since the second he said the words, clinging to me like static. There had to be more.

And Ava? She had this uncanny way of seeing right through me. Like she could read all the things I didn’t say, all the cracks I tried to hide. It was disarming. Distracting. Dangerous, if I was being honest. And asking her to keep this off the record? Yeah, that was a fantasy. There was no way she’d agree to bury something like this—and I couldn’t blame her. Her side of our arrangement depended on getting real stories. And this? This was her best one yet.

I caught myself smiling, thinking about her sharp little jabs and how she always seemed two steps ahead. The thought lingered a second too long, and I realized with an uncomfortable jolt that I was sitting in the lounge, half a chub, like some lovesick idiot.

“Get it together, Bennett,” I muttered, shaking my head. I wasn’t about to let myself spiral into whatever this thing with Ava was turning into. Not now, with everything else going on.

I shoved my hands into my hair, exhaling hard as the door creaked open.

“Bennett,” she said, her voice cutting through the silence. “Why do you look like someone just stole your favorite stick?”

I glanced up to see Ava standing there, sharp and polished as ever, her blazer tailored to perfection. She was holding a notebook in one hand, her phone in the other, and her eyebrows were already arched in challenge.

“Funny,” I said, leaning back against the wall. “I was just thinking you’d look great with a Hellblades logo tattooed on your forehead.”

She snorted. “Dream on. What’s so urgent that you dragged me into your smelly lair of socks and sweat?”

“First off, this lair is sacred,” I shot back, smirking. “Second, I need to talk to you about Darren.”

Her humor faded instantly, replaced by the sharp, focused expression that always made me feel like she could cut through steel with a glance. “What about Darren?”

I motioned for her to follow me toward the quieter corner where there was a tiny lounge, away from where anyone passing by may catch an earfull.

“He came to me a couple nights ago,” I said, lowering my voice. “Told me he’s being blackmailed. Someone’s threatening his family, forcing him to bet against us.”

Her jaw dropped into nearly a perfect O.

“What?”

“Yeah,” I said, my voice rough. “And he’s terrified, Ava. He doesn’t know who’s behind it, just that they’ve got leverage on him, and he’s stuck.”

She stared at me, her hazel eyes narrowing as she processed the information. “So, let me get this straight. A kid barely out of juniors is caught up in a gambling syndicate, and you waited until now to tell me?”

I held up a hand. “It’s not like I’m sitting on this for fun. He’s scared out of his mind, and he didn’t want anyone else to know. I’m only telling you because you’re the only one who might actually figure out who’s behind this. You have to keep this off the record until we can find more, He needs your help. I need your help.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line. “Logan, this isn’t just bad PR. This is criminal.”

“No shit,” I said, crossing my arms. “That’s why I’m telling you to and trying to tread carefully. Darren’s barely holding it together. If this gets out, it’ll crush him—and probably tear the team apart while it’s at it.”

Ava exhaled sharply, muttering something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like, “Why me?”

I smirked. “Because you’re the only person I trust outside of my grandad. And you care, even though you pretend not to.”

She rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. “Fine. Where is he?”

I gestured toward the weight room. “Follow me.”

***

Ava

I was barely holding it together. I needed to tell Logan what I knew—or maybe, just maybe, the details in that email would be enough to fill in the blanks, to stitch the story together in a way that would spare me from admitting I’d known something before Darren ever said a word. That I’d sat on the truth. That I’d betrayed the fragile trust Logan and I had just started to build.

The weight pressing down on my chest felt heavier than anything in the rank-smelling weight room, but I hardly noticed as the door creaked open behind me. Logan stepped in.

At the far end of the room, sitting alone on a bench, was Darren Rivers. He looked even younger than he was, his shoulders curled in, head bowed low as he wrapped tape around his ankle with frantic precision. The motion was sharp, erratic—more like he was trying to hold himself together than just support an injury. Each pass of the tape looked like it might unravel him if he stopped.

“Darren,” Logan said, his tone softer than I’d ever heard it. “This is Ava Carlisle. I think she may be able to help.”

Darren’s head snapped up, his jaw tightening as his bloodshot eyes darted between Logan and me. “Reporter?” The word came out sharp, defensive.

I raised both hands in a calming gesture. “I’m not here to make things worse for you, I promise. I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on.”

He snorted, a harsh sound that made me flinch. “What’s going on is I’m screwed. That’s what.” His voice cracked, and for a moment, he looked like he was barely holding back a breakdown. His hands trembled slightly as he gripped the stick, the tape unraveling in his lap.

I shot Logan a glance, and he gave me a small nod, silently urging me to keep going.

“Darren,” I said, keeping my tone calm but firm. “I get that this is terrifying, but the more we know, the better chance we have of stopping whoever’s behind this. Can you tell me what’s been happening?”

His jaw clenched as he looked away, his grip tightening on the stick until his knuckles turned white. “What’s the point?” he muttered, his voice barely audible. “They’ve got me. They’ve got everything. You can’t fix this.”

Logan stepped forward, his presence commanding without being overbearing. “Hey,” he said sharply, his voice cutting through Darren’s spiraling. “Look at me.”

Darren hesitated, his shoulders tense, but he finally lifted his head, meeting Logan’s gaze.

“We’re going to figure this out,” Logan said, his tone firm and unyielding. “But I need you to tell us everything. No more shutting down, no more trying to handle this on your own. You don’t get to go silent on me now.”

Darren’s eyes flashed with anger, and he shoved the stick aside, standing abruptly. “You don’t get it!” he snapped, his voice rising. “They’re threatening my family, Bennett! My mom! My little sister! If I screw this up, they’re dead! You think I give a damn about hockey when they’re all I’ve got?”

The outburst hung in the air, the raw desperation in his voice making my chest tighten. Logan didn’t flinch, his jaw tightening as he stepped closer, putting himself directly in Darren’s space.

“You’re right,” Logan said, his voice low but intense. “I don’t get it. I’ve never had someone threaten my family like that. But I do know this, you’re not going to solve this by shutting us out and letting them control you. You’re not in this alone anymore, Darren. You’ve got me. You’ve got Ava. And we’re going to take these bastards down.”

Darren blinked rapidly, his breath hitching like he was fighting back tears. “How?” he whispered, his voice cracking. “How do you even start to fight something like this?”

“By not letting them win,” Logan said, his tone unwavering. “And by trusting us to have your back.”

Darren slumped back onto the bench, burying his face in his hands. His shoulders shook, and for a moment, I thought he might completely fall apart. But then he exhaled sharply, lowering his hands and glaring at the floor.

“They came to me after I signed,” he said, his voice quieter now, tinged with exhaustion. “Some guy—said if I didn’t do what he wanted, he’d… he’d go after my family. My mom, my little sister.”

“Who’s ‘they’?” Logan asked, his arms crossed, his tone steady but with an edge of impatience.

Darren shook his head. “I don’t know. They’re careful. Messages come through burner phones, and I never meet the same guy twice. They just tell me what to do, and if I mess up…” His voice trailed off, his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard. “They send me proof they’re watching. Pictures of my sister at school. My mom at work.”

Logan’s jaw tightened, and I could see the fury simmering just beneath the surface. He knelt slightly, leveling his gaze with Darren’s. “What about the games? What exactly are they asking you to do?”

“Small stuff,” Darren mumbled, his hands fidgeting with the loose end of tape on his stick. “Miss a pass here, let a guy get by there. Forget a play or being in the wrong place. Just enough to throw things off without anyone noticing. They said… they said if I made it too obvious, it’d be worse for my family.”

I exchanged a glance with Logan, the unspoken weight of Darren’s words settling heavily between us.

“You don’t have to do this alone,” I said gently, stepping closer. “We’ll figure out who’s behind this, but we need you to trust us. And for now, this stays between the three of us. No one else.”

Darren looked up at me, his expression skeptical and raw. “You’re a reporter. Why should I trust you?”

“Because I’m not here to ruin you,” I said firmly. “I’m here to get the truth. Not clickbait. Not a takedown piece. And I'm here for Logan.”

Darren let out a shaky breath, his shoulders slumping as the fight seemed to drain out of him. “I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”

“No,” Logan said, his voice cutting through like a blade. “You don’t. But we’re going to get through this. You, me, and Ava. No one else needs to know right now, and no one else will. We’ll keep this quiet until we have enough to shut these bastards down for good.”

Darren nodded slowly, his expression a mix of exhaustion and fragile hope. Logan clapped him on the shoulder, his touch firm but reassuring.

“Go home, get some rest,” Logan said. “We’ll figure out the next steps soon.”

As Darren left, Logan turned to me, his eyes hard. “This stays between us for now, Ava. I’m trusting you with this.”

“You’ve got my word, I promise it's off the record until you so go.” I said, my voice steady despite the storm of emotions churning inside me.

Logan held my gaze for a moment before nodding. “Good. Let’s figure this out before it gets any worse.”