“Don’t say shit like that when you’re naked in front of me, baby. I’ve gotta go to work.” I lift her up by her ass and drop her back on the bed, then lean over her. “We leave tonight right from the game, then have one more game tomorrow night before we fly home. You gonna be waiting for me when I get back to Kroydon Hills, wife?”
“Oh, you bet your sweet ass I will, husband.”
I wrap her hair around my fist and tug her to me. “I’ll see you tonight.”
Lindy moans and presses her mouth to mine. “You better win for me tonight, hockey boy.”
I force myself to take a step back. “I’ll do my best.”
I’m sitting on my bench, lacing up my skates before our walk through when Jace comes around the corner and hits my boot with his hockey stick. “Where the fuck did you sleep last night, asshole?”
“Come on, man. Let it go,” Boone tells him and tries to move Jace away, but my brother-in-law has gotten himself way too worked up for that. He’s looking for a fight, and I’m so fucking over this shit.
I stand to my full height, which is about three inches and thirty pounds bigger than Jace Kingston, and cross my arms over my chest. “What’s your fucking problem, Kingston?”
“You’re my fucking problem, Hayes. You got Lindy drunk and took advantage of her in Vegas. Now you’re married without a prenup—pretty fucking convenient. And now it’s your first fucking away stretch, and you didn’t sleep in your room last night. So what, you already out fucking some whore?”
I see fucking red and swing at Jace’s jaw before I even realize what I’m doing.
Pretty sure I hear a crack too, as he takes a step back to steady himself, but I grab him by the front of his jersey and yank him toward me.
Boone grabs me as Malcom grabs Jace.
“You wanna do this here, man?” I reach out and shove him back, fighting to free myself from the bear-hold Boone’s got me in. “Fine. Let’s do it. I married your sister in Vegas, and I’d do it again. I don’t give a shit about a prenup because I don’t care about her money. If she asked me to sign something today, I’d do it in a fucking heartbeat. I’ve already got more money than I’ll ever need.”
He shoves Malcom off him and comes at me again. “Where the fuck did you sleep last night, Hayes?”
“In bed with your sister. She flew in yesterday. Now get the fuck out of my face.”
Coach Fitz walks into the room, and everyone takes a step back.
“What the hell is going on here?” Fitz booms, and everyone around us stops talking and moves. “You two. With me. Now.”
We follow Coach into the room Brynlee and Mason, our other physical therapist, are currently working in. “Can you guys give us the room, please?”
Fitz sounds calmer than I think he actually is.
But that’s yet to be seen.
He waits until the door closes, then his face turns purple. “What the fuck is wrong with you two? Jace. You’re a captain. Act like it. If you want to keep winning games, we need a goddamned goalie. Preferably one who can stop the puck. Max spun shit into gold and got me one of the best goalies in the whole fucking league. And you haven’t stopped fucking with him all goddamned fucking week.”
Jace looks at me and then back to Fitz, who I haven’t heard curse once in the week I’ve been with the team.
“Is this hazing? Because no team of mine is going to haze the rookies or the fucking trades. Even if they came from a rival team.”
“It’s a family thing, Coach,” Jace answers him, and I scoff.
“You got something to add, Hayes?” Fitz demands more than asks.
“I’m not your family, Kingston. I love my wife, and she’s your sister. You should try talking to her instead of making me your problem.” I turn back to Coach and mask the anger I can’t quite seem to shake. “I’m here to win games, Coach.”
“So help me God, if this shit spills over onto my ice, I’m benching both of you. Do you understand me?”
We both answer, “Yes, Coach.”
“Good. Now get out of here and warm up before I decide to bench you for good measure.” Then he starts mumbling about stupid fucking asshole players, and I start to wonder if maybe we broke Fitz.
Jace and I get the fuck out of the room and let the door slam shut behind us before he stops in front of me. “I want to tell you to stay the fuck away from me, and we’ll be fine on the ice. But you said something back there, and I gotta know.”