Chapter 8
Connor
I stop outside Eli and Merci’s dorm, the split in my lip pulsing with every heartbeat. Should’ve iced it, but I needed to get out of that room before I put Henneman through the wall. He's been staring at it all day. That soft look. All careful and worried.
Fuck that.
The goddamn asshole also kept me awake all night with his restless shifting. Every time I'd drift, another flip. Another groan. His too-big body making too much fucking noise.
And what was with that self-pitying tone when he suggested I might prefer Ben?
No, I don’t prefer him. Marrying any Callahan would keep me locked in the cage I’m trying to escape.
After taking a deep breath, I knock twice.
Viktor flings open the door, Red Bull in hand, hip cocked. “Our fearless captain has decided to grace us with his presence . . . Holy fuck, what happened to your face?” He leans in uncomfortably close. “Did Henneman actually grow a pair and punch you? About time. I'm so proud of him.”
“Wasn't him.”
“Wait. Your parents did that?”
“Not important.”
Surprisingly, it was my father who struck me. Usually, that’s my mother’s territory.
Viktor waggles his brows. “You make Henneman kiss it? Becks always kisses my injuries better. Well, the ones he doesn't cause.”
“Fuck off with that shit.” I shoulder past him, not wanting to deal with his nonsense.
Zach's on the couch, scrolling through his phone, barely glancing up as I enter. Merci's lounging against him, feet tucked under Zach's thigh. He looks me over once, rolls his eyes, and goes back to whatever’s on his screen.
Behind them, a bedroom door is propped against the wall. Merci must still be struggling with his claustrophobia.
Eli steps out of his bedroom and stops short, his brows pinched, cheeks flushed. His gaze drops to my mouth, and he sighs softly before heading into the kitchenette without saying a word.
“Ooh, groveling time.” Viktor plops into the chair opposite the couch, setting his Red Bull on the side table. “This is better than reality TV.”
The jackass isn’t helping.
I slide my hands into my pockets and take a step closer. “Eli, I owe you an apology.”
He ignores me, grabs the pizza boxes and a stack of paper plates, then drops them onto the coffee table. Alexei stalks into the room and takes a seat next to Zach, his dark eyes locked on me, upper lip twitching.
“I should've been there. Your wedding was important, and I screwed up.” I shift my gaze to Alexei. “Both of you deserved better.”
“Lucky for you, my Solnyshko has a soft heart.” Alexei cracks his neck as if getting ready for a fight. “Me? I want to break your fucking face.”
Eli sighs and rests his hand on Alexei's arm. “No breaking anyone's face. Especially not our friend’s.”
Alexei grunts but settles back slightly as he continues to glare.
Eli chews his bottom lip for a moment, then crosses the room and hugs me. “We were worried. You didn’t show up, weren’t answering anyone. We thought something bad had happened to you.”
I hug him back. “I know.”
“Aw, how sweet.” Merci's voice drips with sarcasm. “Can't believe you're forgiving him so easily.”
“Some of us don't hold grudges,” Eli says.
Merci huffs, shaking his head. “And some of us are too forgiving.”
Eli rolls his eyes, then glances past me toward the door. “Where's Ryan?”
My molars grind together as I glare at Viktor, who chuckles. Of course he told everyone. “He's not coming.”
Eli frowns. “Why not?”
“He's not one of us.”
“Ryan's actually nice. Unlike some people.” Merci stares straight at Zach. “Both of you are assholes to him.”
Zach reaches up, fingers threading into Merci’s hair before yanking hard enough to draw a sharp yelp. “That mouth's going to get you in trouble again.”
That’s one way to keep the small hellion in line. Henneman’s brown hair is too short to grab—
No.
Absolutely not fucking going there.
I grab a bottle of water off the table, open it, then drain half of it.
Dammit. I need sleep. If Henneman keeps me up tonight, I’m going to smother him with that stupid teddy bear.
“Gotta agree with Merci.” Viktor picks up his Red Bull again and takes a swig. “Knight’s a dick to him, even though the guy works his ass off and never complains. Even made sure Feisty Mouse and Merci got home safe from that frat party disaster last semester.”
Merci blinks like he's malfunctioning. “I'm sorry, what? Did you just agree with me?”
Viktor rolls his eyes and huffs. “Becks has been on this ‘be nice to people’ kick. Annoying as hell how much sense he makes sometimes. And we agreed to call a truce.”
A laugh breaks out before I can stop it—first one in weeks.
I've missed this. Missed them.
Alexei stares at me, drumming his fingers on his thighs. “You should've told us.”
“Alexei—”
“No.” He leans forward, elbows on his knees. “Didn’t you learn from Zach? No more secrets. It stops now.”
“I can handle—”
“Bullshit.” He crosses his arms, neck muscles bulging. “And it doesn’t matter what you can handle. We're family.”
“I know.”
“Do you?” His eyes narrow. “Because from where I'm sitting, it looks like you forgot.”
I grunt, staring him down.
Viktor claps. “Great, now that we've had our feelings circle, can we eat? I'm starving.”
Eli lets out a breath. “Yes, please.”
I pull out my phone while they set up, angling the screen away from Viktor’s nosy ass. Time to see what Henneman’s up to. The feed shows him at his desk, laptop open, the stupid bear off to the side.
But every thirty seconds, his eyes dart to the door. To my bed. Back to the door.
It’s fucking exhausting to watch. So, I close the app and lock the screen, then shove the phone back into my pocket.
Pizza boxes are open on the coffee table. Bottles of water and cans of soda are on the floor next to them. Everyone’s already digging in, Viktor even complaining that nothing has pineapple.
Merci grabs two olive slices, then resumes lounging against Zach as he eats.
I take a slice of pepperoni and sit on the floor near Alexei. “How's the NHL?”
A savage grin spreads across his face. “Is beautiful chaos.
Everything's faster, more intense. Like controlled violence every night. Media obligations though . . .” He makes a disgusted sound.
“These reporters, they ask stupid questions.
'How do you feel about the win?' I feel like crushing more skulls, obviously. But can’t say that.”
I snort. Leave it to my friend to give politically correct answers to reporters while fantasizing about violence.
His grin fades. “Schedule’s shit. Sometimes we're on road for three weeks straight. Being away from my Solnyshko for so long is fucking torture.”
Eli stares off, mouth tightening at the corners as he picks at the crust of his slice of pizza. Same look that stared back at me in mirrors as a kid whenever my parents would disappear for months.
Alexei pulls Eli into his lap and presses a kiss to his temple. “I know, Solnyshko. I hate it too.”
Eli melts against Alexei's chest. My parents never touch affectionately. Not with each other. Not with me.
Whatever. I don't need that shit.
Merci tosses his empty plate on the table before dropping onto Zach's lap. Zach grunts, water spraying as he chokes mid-drink. His hands clamp on Merci's hips, thighs tensing.
I take a bite of my pizza, eyeing my friend, then swallow. “Thought you don't feel pain.”
“Oh, he feels pain in certain places.” Merci grins wickedly. “He was so confident Viktor would behave at the wedding.”
Eli rolls his eyes, a soft crease between his brows. “Yeah, thanks, you two, for ruining the cake. Before anyone even got a slice.”
Viktor shifts his weight and tosses a hand out, like he’s physically batting away the blame. “It wasn’t my fault.”
Merci glares. “Riiight. Blame it on your sister.” He turns back to the rest of us. “Anyway, Zach told me he’d give me whatever I want for winning our bet.”
“And what did you ask for?”
Zach drums his fingers on the armrest. “Made me tattoo my dick.”
“Holy shit.” Viktor leans forward in his chair, a smirk on his face as he winks at Zach. “Come on, show us. Bet it’s hot.”
“Hell, no!” Merci launches himself at Viktor like a rabid wolverine, and they go down. “He’s mine! You don’t get to look at him.”
Viktor's cackling as Merci rains down slaps. “OW! FUCK! Worth it—OW! Just to see you—SHIT!—lose your mind!”
“I'll end you, Fungus.” Merci grabs Viktor's hair, yanking hard.
“Promises, promises.” Viktor wheezes between laughter. “You say the sweetest things when you're jealous.”
“I’m not jealous of you!”
Alexei taps Eli's thigh and jerks his chin toward the chaos. “Go, Solnyshko. Show them what you learned over the summer.”
Eli's eyes light up, and he scrambles off Alexei's lap, sneaking up behind Merci before wrapping an arm around his neck.
Merci yelps. “What the fuck!”
Eli's laughing too hard to properly secure the rear naked choke, and Merci's flailing pulls them both down onto Viktor.
Viktor cackles from the bottom. “Feisty Mouse, your technique is terrible. We need to schedule remedial wrestling lessons immediately.”
Eli gasps between giggles. “I'm . . . trying my . . . best!”
“Get off me!” Merci's voice is muffled. “This is assault. Zach. Control your fucking friend.”
The corner of Zach’s mouth twitches as he quirks a brow. “Which one?”
“The annoying blond.”
“That doesn't narrow it down.” I chuckle, unsure why I’m poking the little devil.
Viktor extracts himself from the pile, his hair completely disheveled, and blows Merci a kiss. “Love you too, bestie.”
“WE ARE NOT BESTIES!”
When Merci lunges again, Zach hooks an arm around his waist and lifts him off the ground. “Enough.”
“Denial is just the first step toward acceptance,” Viktor says, as he sits back down in the chair. “One day you'll admit you actually like me.”
“One day I'll successfully murder you.” Merci’s still squirming in Zach's grip.
“I told my mother was useless to teach him self-defense.” Alexei shakes his head, a lopsided smirk on his face as he watches Eli sprawled on the floor, gasping for breath between giggles. “He's too soft for violence. Is why he has me.”
Eli props himself up on his elbows. “Hey, I held my own for at least five seconds. That's progress, right?”
Alexei nods. “Yes, Solnyshko. Is progress. But anyone who tries to hurt you, I'll feed them their own fucking teeth.”
The tension I’ve been carrying fades, and for the first time in weeks, I can breathe.
Alexei grabs another slice of pizza, then leans back and stares at me, unblinking. “You plan on staying married forever? Or you want us to kill your parents? Would solve problem quickly.”
If only it were that simple.
“Considered it myself. Unfortunately, my parents can't exactly disappear without it making national headlines. That’s why I married Henneman.” I grab another slice of pizza and take a large bite, chewing slowly before swallowing.
“Just waiting for this merger shit to go away, then I’ll get a divorce. ”
Zach flexes his tattooed hand, staring at his fingers. “Your parents going to let this all slide so easy?”
“They’re already demanding I get an annulment.
” I stare at the half-eaten pizza in my hand.
“What are they really going to do? Cut me off. Fine, whatever. My tuition is already paid for, and I got the first third of my trust fund last year. Don’t need their fucking help to finish out the year.
Then after I graduate, I’ll be with the Capitals. ”
My chest tightens with that familiar ache. The one I get whenever I'm unsure where my father's ambitions end and mine begin.
Joining Washington will allow me to provide for myself. Except if it isn’t my dream, will I really be free? Or will I be right where my parents wanted me to be all along?
I toss the partially eaten slice back in the box, appetite gone.
Viktor clears his throat. When I look over, he's got a shit-eating grin plastered on his face. “Speaking of being married, plan on having any fun with that husband of yours in the meantime?”
“Fuck off.”
Merci snorts as he opens a can of soda. “What, Raiyne didn’t expand your horizons? Heard you were bucking all over the place.”
“Drop it. Now.”
My teeth grind so hard they might crack. Nothing like that will happen with Henneman.
Ever.