Page 31 of The Players We Hate (Rixton U #2)

I glanced down at the last page. The signature block was at the bottom of the approval document. Two simple initials.

“W.P.,” I said softly. “My father. And from the looks of it, your coach knows more than he’s letting on. I don’t see anything showing he’s directly in control of it, though.”

The room went still.

Talon exhaled. “He’s using Brighter Futures to control outcomes. To tie players and schools straight to him.”

“For what?” Owen muttered.

“If I had to guess… power,” Kade said grimly. “Influence. Loyalty.”

Reed nodded. “The governor’s sitting on a gold mine of leverage. If he can steer which teams succeed, which players get drafted, which programs get funded, he builds alliances. Favors. He can call in debts from athletic boards, boosters, even league scouts.”

“And if someone steps out of line?” Talon asked.

“They lose everything,” I said quietly. “Scholarships. Playing time. Reputations.”

Rowdy flipped a puck into the air and caught it without looking. “That’s why Gavin kept his mouth shut.”

“And why he faked an injury,” Kade muttered. “Probably why Coach has been off, too.”

Talon hesitated, his jaw tightening. “Yeah. He knows more than he’s letting on.”

Talon set the phone on the table, his gaze sweeping the room. “They’re betting on our silence. Counting on us being too afraid or too divided to do anything about it.”

Kade’s nod was slow but certain. “They’re wrong.”

“With what you’ve shown us, it’s a start,” Reed said, his tone firm. “But I need copies of everything if I’m going to dig deeper. I’ll check into Gavin while I’m at it, see what he’s up to now that he’s walked away. If he knows more, I’ll find out.”

Talon tilted his head at me, then back at him. “She’ll bring it on a drive. First round of playoffs is in Braysen. I’ll make sure Wren has it with her.”

The “us” in his voice caught me off guard. “The playoffs are in Braysen?”

Talon nodded, and Reed cut in. “First round. Home ice for us. I’ll be there.”

I turned toward Talon, still processing the idea of being pulled further into his world.

The others murmured their agreement, but it was Talon’s voice that cut through everything. “I want you there,” he said, leaving no room for debate.

The room went quiet. I could feel their eyes on me, weighing every move, deciding if I was a risk they could afford.

Rowdy leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms with that guarded look he always wore when he didn’t buy what he was hearing.

Owen’s frown stuck, like he was working through an equation that refused to add up.

Even Reed’s voice had a harder edge, each word clipped and deliberate, as if he was waiting for me to slip .

Talon shifted forward, his voice cutting through before the silence turned into something worse.

“She was never the enemy,” he said. “I just didn’t know how to stop treating her like one.”

The weight of his words landed heavier than the suspicion in the room.

Kade let out a breath, dragging a hand over his jaw. “If she’s the one who gave us the evidence, then we don’t get to second-guess her. She wouldn’t risk this unless she was looking out for us.”

The others stayed quiet, the tension easing just enough to hold. Reed’s voice came through the speaker. “Then we keep moving. Be careful, stay quiet. We do this together.”

One by one, they left, the hum of the fridge and the thud of Talon’s leg filling the quiet.

I sat frozen, still trying to process him defending me—especially to his teammates.

I was still reeling when his hand brushed my arm.

“Hey.” His voice was quiet, careful. “Come with me.”

I didn’t ask where. I followed, every step carrying me back into the room that still held the weight of our first night together. The same bed. The same scent of him woven into the air. Only now it felt heavier, thicker, like the walls remembered what we’d done here just as vividly as I did.

He closed the door and leaned against it, his eyes tracking me like he was torn between holding back and giving in.

“I know that couldn’t have been easy,” he said finally. “Standing in front of them, laying everything out.”

I crossed my arms tight over my chest. “It wasn’t about them. It was about you. ”

His jaw flexed, but something in his eyes softened. “You didn’t have to come.”

“I did. I’ve been carrying this too long, and keeping quiet wasn’t protecting anyone.

I was scared—scared that if I was right, I’d lose everything.

And if my father is behind this, rigging games and pulling strings, then he’s not just a liar.

He’s dangerous. I couldn’t risk anyone getting hurt, and I didn’t want to be the reason you stopped trusting the people around you. ”

He pushed away from the door, closing the distance between us. His gaze pinned me in place, unreadable but burning. “You still came. That tells me more than your fear ever could.”

His hand came up, brushing my hair back, fingers skimming my cheek. “I know I already apologized, but… can you forgive me? Can we move past it?”

The question lingered in the space between us, demanding an answer I wasn’t sure I could give.

When my eyes locked on his, I saw more than the guarded man he showed the world.

I saw the boy who’d been fighting battles on his own for too long.

The ache in my chest sharpened into something certain.

“Yeah…” I nodded. “I want to see where this goes.”

Relief flickered in his eyes, subtle but real, like the ground beneath us had steadied. He searched me again, softer now. “Do you remember the last time we were in this room?”

The memory hit instantly. The heat of his mouth on mine. The urgency of his hands on my skin. The way we’d fallen into each other, not realizing how much it would change. My pulse thudded hard as I nodded. “Of course I do. ”

His jaw clenched, but his eyes never left me as he lowered himself, sinking to his knees in front of me. The sight of his broad shoulders bowed, hands braced on my thighs, looking up at me like I was the only thing in the world, knocked the air from my lungs.

My fingers twitched in my lap, fighting the urge to thread into his hair, to anchor him there.

It started slow at first, his hand sliding up my thighs, reaching for the button of my jeans. When a low moan escaped me, his movements turned more frantic until he tugged them off my legs, taking my panties with him in the process.

“Lie back, baby.” Talon’s voice was low, rough. “I’ve missed this too much to wait any longer.”

I sank onto my back, head tilting as I watched him spread my thighs wide. His gaze was molten, dragging over every inch of me until it landed between my legs.

His fingers slid through my slick folds, and he groaned. “So fucking wet.” The words rasped out of him before he pushed a finger inside, making my back arch off the mattress in a helpless search for something to hold on to.

The sheets bunched tight in my fists as his mouth replaced his hand. He licked and sucked at my clit, then dipped lower to tease me with his tongue before sliding back to meet the thrust of his fingers. Each flick, each stroke, sent me spiraling higher until I was clawing for more.

“Talon—” My voice broke into a plea. “Stop making me wait. I need you inside me.”

That was all it took. He pushed up quickly, shoving his pants down and fumbling for a condom. His cock strained hard against his palm as he rolled it on, lining himself up without hesitation.

“Jesus, fuck.” His breath was ragged, eyes locked on me. “Baby, I don’t think I’m gonna last long this time.”

I grinned through the haze, rolling a nipple between my fingers. “Good. I want you to lose yourself in me.”

A rough grunt tore from his throat as his gaze snapped back to mine.

“Oh, and Talon,” I whispered, my lips curving even as my chest heaved. His eyes darkened. “This time… don’t hold back.”

His jaw tightened. Then, like he’d been waiting for permission, he thrust into me hard, driving deep until the air left my lungs. When he bottomed out, a violent shudder ripped through me, leaving my whole body trembling beneath him.

His mouth claimed mine again, harder this time, his tongue sliding against mine as his body pressed me back. Clothes became nothing but obstacles we shoved aside with desperate hands. His skin burned against mine, every inch of him surrounding me, consuming me.

“Talon,” I gasped as he thrust into me, hard and sure. His groan filled the room, rough and needy. Each movement was raw, like he’d been holding back too long. He kissed me through it, swallowing every sound, until nothing existed but the rhythm of us.

I clung to him, nails digging into his shoulders, my body shattering around him as he drove me higher. He followed me over the edge, his forehead pressed to mine, both of us trembling and unwilling to let go .

For a while, we just stayed there, tangled up and trying to catch our breath. The hum of the fan filled the quiet, pulling me back to that first night we’d spent here—and how different this time was.

When we finally pulled apart, both of us still breathing hard, he collapsed onto the bed beside me and pulled me into his arms. His forehead rested against mine, his voice low. “I leave soon,” he murmured.

“For the Frozen Four,” I whispered, still catching my breath.

“Yeah. First round’s in Braysen.” His thumb dragged slowly across my jaw, holding me there. “I need you there with me.”

The words hit harder than I expected. “Braysen?”

He nodded, eyes locked on mine.

“I’ll be there. They’re busing in fans. I’m going with Alisa.”

A grin broke across his face, boyish but edged with heat. “Good. I need you in that crowd. Knowing you’re watching me… it’ll keep my head right. I’ll play harder. Better. For you.”

My chest tightened, my breath catching at the raw conviction in his voice.

“I want you in my jersey,” he said, thumb brushing my jaw, voice low and rough.

I hesitated, pulse thundering. “You know what that means, Talon. Once I do that… word’s going to get around about us.”

He didn’t blink. His grip tightened. “Good. Let them talk. I want everyone to know you’re mine.”

Heat curled low in my belly. “Am I?” The question slipped out .

His eyes burned hotter. “Are you what?”

“Yours?”

His jaw tightened, but his answer came fast. “Yes. You’re mine, Wren. And I’m yours. I’m done pretending otherwise.”