Page 1

Jordan

T he Bucks' locker room is usually eerily quiet between periods. Unless Coach is reaming us for something, no one says much. We’re all too busy conserving energy, trying to get our heads on straight, or dealing with our equipment to get up to the usual bullshit.

So it’s suspicious as hell when I hear my teammates’ loud mouths from before I even reach the door.

“What the fuck?”

I shove my way inside to find out what the hell is going on and then pause. Several members of the team are gathered around my best friend and our captain, Jamison Peters, their eyes fixed on his phone. Judging by the sheer number of moans coming from the device…they aren’t watching replays.

“Holy shit, J,” Jonny Limburg breathes like he’s in awe. “Look at the way they bounce every time she–”

“Jesus Christ,” I mutter, allowing the door to slam shut behind me before he can finish that sentence.

I don’t want to know how it ends. Frankly, I don’t want to know a goddamn thing about what these idiots fantasize about, what kind of porn they watch, how many times a day they jerk off… none of it.

As far as I’m concerned, we’re too close already. There are a few members of the team I respect, like Jamison and Pablo Gutierrez. But most of these guys are assholes. They make a game of fucking around, taking bets on who can bag the most bunnies.

That shit isn’t me. It’s never been me. I’m not opposed to sex. Do whatever the fuck you want to do so long as it’s consensual, but I was raised by a single mom. Doesn’t matter how old I am now, she’d still kick my ass if she ever found out I treated women like half of these guys do.

I don’t lead on women who don’t interest me…and none of them interest me. Save one. Sweet little Sutton Peters is an unattainable dream, too damn young for me, but still the only one I can’t get out of my head.

As far as she’s concerned, I’m just her older brother’s annoying ass best friend and teammate. She tolerates me following her around because of him. And she thinks I only look out for her because of him.

It’s the seventh circle of hell.

I shouldn’t feel the way I do about her. She was seventeen when I met her, for Christ’s sake. But…I can’t shake it, either. No matter what I do, no matter how much I’ve tried to deny or fight it or pretend it wasn’t happening, she’s it for me.

I’ve never said a word about it, never tried to do anything about it. But keeping my distance gets harder and harder every damn day since her eighteenth birthday a few months ago.

If she ever finds out, she’ll never look at me the same. Neither with Jamison. He will fucking kill me. And I won’t even blame him for it. I’m an asshole for even thinking the shit I do about her. There’s no defending it.

He glances up as the door thuds closed. The smirk on his face slips, guilt flickering through his brown eyes as soon as he realizes I’m the one standing there.

“Porn in the locker room? Really, man?” I cock a brow at him, shaking my head. He should know better than this shit. Hell, out of everyone on the team, he’s the last I’d expect to pull something like this. He’s our captain, the one responsible for keeping everyone in line.

We’ve been tight since I was traded to the team. But he’s changed since he was named captain, and not for the better. It’s like he has everything he worked his ass off for and doesn’t know what to do with it now. He’s slowly morphing into a world-class prick.

“It’s nothing,” he says, quickly hauling himself to his feet to shove his phone into his locker. “We were just blowing off steam.”

“Someone was blowing something. That’s for sure.” Grayson Hicks chortles like an idiot, slapping him on the back.

“Vanessa will kick your ass if she finds out you’re watching porn,” I mutter to Jamison, stomping toward the bench to adjust my skates.

Some of the guys laugh like they know something I don’t, but Jamison just shrugs off the comment like his girlfriend’s opinion doesn’t matter.

That’s bullshit, though. We both know he’s crazy about her.

He risked Sutton’s wrath, who didn’t want him dating her new college roommate, just to get with her.

“Watching? More like participating,” Grayson snickers.

Participating? What the fuck is he talking about?

I whip my head in Jamison’s direction, my eyes narrowed.

“I did not know Vanessa got down like that, man,” Grayson continues, oblivious to the sudden tension in the room. “Maybe I need to find me a sweet little college girl.”

Vanessa? Jesus fucking…

Half the guys who were gathered around Jamison cough uneasily, looking anywhere but at me, but my attention is focused solely on our goddamn captain. He looks like a deer in the headlights.

Jesus fucking Christ. He’s actually showing the team videos of his girlfriend…his baby sister’s best friend.

I haul myself from the bench, stomping across the locker room toward him.

“What the fuck are they talking about?” I growl, fists clenched tightly. I’m not sure if I want to hit him or wrap my hands around his damn throat and strangle some sense into him.

“Nothing, man.” He won’t even look at me as he lies to me. “You know Grayson likes to run his mouth and make shit up.”

On any other day, I’d be inclined to believe that because he’s right, Grayson does like to run his mouth and make shit up. But I saw his expression when Grayson said it. Vanessa is the one in that video.

“You showed the team videos of your girlfriend,” I growl. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Nothing,” he snaps, shoving the rest of his shit back into his locker before turning a dark scowl on me. “Just leave it, Jordan. It’s not your business.”

“Not my business? Are you shitting me right now?”

He doesn’t answer. Instead, he shoulder checks me on his way past. “It’s time to hit the ice,” he shouts to the rest of the team before storming out of the locker room.

No one says anything as they slowly gather their shit and file out behind him, studiously not looking in my direction. I don’t make a move to follow them. My mind is still reeling, trying to process what I walked in on.

I knew Jamison was turning into an asshole lately, but this is…Jesus. Vanessa would never consent to that shit being shown to half the team. Like Sutton, she’s a good girl. She’s also head over heels for Jamison.

Christ, Sutton. She’s going to kill him when she finds out. He raised her after their parents died. He knows how fiercely loyal she is. She’ll be devastated. And Vanessa will be mortified.

“Hey.” Pablo steps up beside me, his head cocked to the side. “You cool, man?”

Am I?

“Fuck no,” I mutter, shoving a hand through my sweaty hair.

“His sister is going to kill him.” It’s fucked up that I’m more concerned about Sutton and how she’s going to feel about this when Vanessa is the one on those videos…

but I can’t help it. Sutton is the reason I breathe.

Of course I’m worried that this is going to break her heart.

“It’s fucked up,” Pablo says. “Especially since Vanessa didn’t even know he was recording her.”

“What the fuck?” I gape at him, my stomach churning.

Pablo grimaces in disgust, his hazel eyes narrowed. “She didn’t know, man.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.” He sighs heavily. “Jonny asked him how he got her to agree to let him film. He just laughed and said, ‘Who said she knew?’” Pablo’s lip curls. “They thought he was kidding, but he wasn’t. He was fucking serious.”

“Goddammit.” I slam my hand against the locker and then stalk toward the door, my temple throbbing. My heart pounds with the force of the fury pumping through me.

I spot Jamison at the far end of the hallway.

“Peters!” I shout.

He glances back at me, then mutters something to Grayson, who shrugs and disappears around the corner.

I slam Jamison up against the wall as soon as I reach him, my arm across his throat. “You fucking prick,” I snarl. “You filmed her without her consent and then showed it to them?”

He shoves me off, his eyes narrowed. “It’s not a big deal, Jordan. Fucking let it go already.”

“Not a big deal? It’s a goddamn crime!” I snap, trying like hell not to hit him. “She’s your girlfriend!”

Jamison just stares at me for a moment, his head cocked to the side, and then he smirks. “Should have known you’d swoop in to defend her honor,” he says, his tone seething with bitterness. “Guess now I know why you’re always following her around, huh?”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“You, man. I’m talking about the fact that you and my girl are in love with each other!”

I laugh incredulously. “Have you lost your mind? Vanessa isn’t in love with me. She’s crazy about you. And I damn sure don’t have feelings for her.”

“Yeah. Right.” He shoves me, hatred stamped all over his face. “Guess that’s why she’s talking about leaving me, right? Because she’s so goddamn crazy about me?”

I stare at him, shocked. Horrified. “You showed the team those videos to punish her because she threatened to leave you? You’ve lost your fucking mind.”

“I haven’t lost anything,” he snaps. “And if you keep your goddamn mouth shut, you won’t either.”

I grab him by the collar, my blood boiling at his threat, but he yanks out of my hold.

“Silvestri! Peters!” Coach appears at the end of the hall, hands planted on his hips. “Move your asses!”

Jamison takes a step away from me. “Keep your fucking hands off me and what belongs to me, Silvestri,” he says, his voice lethally soft. “Or you will regret it.”

I clench my hands into tight fists, staring after him as he stomps down the hall. He’s lost his mind. If Vanessa’s threatening to leave him, it’s not over me. It’s because he’s turned into this prick lately, someone I don’t even recognize. I’m guessing she sees it too.

I take a deep breath, trying to get my head on straight as I storm down the player tunnel, determined to get through this game. Afterward, I can…what? Christ, what the fuck am I going to do about this?

Tell Vanessa, obviously. She deserves to know. So does management. Jamison is out of control. But Sutton? How the hell am I supposed to tell her that her brother is an predatory jackass? How the fuck do I let him go to jail when it means she’ll be completely alone in the world?

My gaze immediately goes to the stands, searching for her behind our bench. I catch sight of her sitting with Vanessa, their heads bent as they chat back and forth, both smiling. Both innocent. Both proudly wearing Jamison’s name and number.

And both totally oblivious that he’s a fucking monster.

Sutton sees me looking in their direction and raises her hand, waving at me, so fucking happy and carefree. So damn beautiful. And so far out of reach, I don’t think she’ll ever be mine. Not now. Not after this.

My heart clenches, and I snap. There’s no other explanation for it. I just…fucking snap.