Chapter 42 Callum
Chapter Forty-Two: Callum
Micah Kirby has no fucking flow.
I watch him take the faceoff against Washington’s center and lose it immediately. Again. Third time this period.
The puck slides to their left wing. I chase, but I’m out of position because Micah went in the wrong direction.
Jax curses under his breath next to me on the bench.
“He’s not Rowan,” I mutter.
“No shit.”
We’re down 2-1 in the third period. Coach is pacing behind us like a caged animal.
“Brixton! Hawkins! Morrison! You’re up!”
We hop the boards. Micah wins the faceoff this time—miracle—and passes to Jax. Jax skates up the right side. I’m trailing, watching for the opening.
Their defense collapses on Jax. He tries to pass to Micah, but Micah’s not where he should be.
The puck bounces loose.
I see it before anyone else does.
The slot is wide open. Their goalie is tracking Jax, not the loose puck.
I should pass to Micah. That’s the play. That’s what a left wing does.
But Micah’s still out of position and we’re running out of time.
Fuck it.
I scoop the puck and drive toward the net. Cut in from the left like I’m a center forward. Their defense scrambles, but I’m already shooting.
Top shelf. Glove side.
Goal.
The horn sounds. The crowd erupts. I pump my fist and skate toward the bench.
But Coach isn’t celebrating.
He’s red-faced and pointing at me as I come off the ice.
“Brixton! What the hell was that?”
“A goal?”
“That wasn’t your play!”
“The play wasn’t working. I adjusted.”
“You took Kirby’s position!”
“Kirby wasn’t in position!” I bark back.
Coach gets in my face. “You don’t get to make those calls. You play your position or you sit. Understand?”
I clench my jaw. “Yes, Coach.”
“Good. Now get back out there and play like a team.”
We end up losing 4-3. I score another goal—properly, from my position—and assist on Jax’s goal in the final minute.
But Coach doesn’t congratulate me in the locker room. Just glares every time I look his way.
I’m pulling off my gear when he appears next to my stall.
“You got a problem with Kirby?” he asks.
“No, Coach.”
“Because it seems like you think you should be playing center.”
I look up at him. “If I thought I should be playing center, I’d tell you.”
“Then what was that out there?”
“That was me trying to win the game.”
Coach studies me for a long moment. “You want the center position?”
“What I want is to win. If that means Kirby plays center, fine. But if Kirby can’t keep up, then yeah.” I look up at him. “Put me there.”
“That’s not how this works.”
“Then how does it work? Because right now we were scrambling out there trying to compensate for him.”
Coach’s jaw tightens. “One more stunt like that and you’re benched. Clear?”
“Crystal.”
He walks away.
Jax sits down next to me. “You really think you should be center?”
I shrug. “I think I could do it better than Kirby.”
“Probably. But Coach isn’t going to give it to you if you keep showboating.”
“I’m not showboating. I’m scoring.”
“Same thing to him.”
Jax’s phone buzzes. He pulls it out.
Marcus is calling Jax.
He looks at the screen and says, “He didn’t meet with her this afternoon. He’s calling me back for a reschedule.”
I nod and watch him step away to take the call. He comes back a few minutes later looking annoyed.
“What?” I ask.
“Nothing. Just rescheduled for tomorrow.”
“That’s good, right?”
“Yeah, but time is everything, and I know she’s already on edge not being able to talk to Zinnia.” Jax pulls out his phone and texts her.
“Can’t they just talk? What the fuck’s the big deal?”
Jax just stares at his phone. I lean over his shoulder to look at what he’s doing.
Marcus said tomorrow.
Her response comes immediately.
Okay. Thanks for letting me know.
We finish packing up and catch a flight from Seattle to Los Angeles.
It’s almost eleven by the time we pull into Jax’s driveway.
“I’m coming in,” I tell him.
“Why?”
“To check on Tiger.”
“She’s fine. Zephyr’s with her.”
I blow out hot air and shake my head.
Jax gives me a look but doesn’t argue.
We walk inside quietly. The house is dark except for a light in the kitchen.
The living room and kitchen are empty.
I walk down the hall to her room and look inside.
Her bed is empty. Untouched, actually.
Jax and I walk to Zephyr’s door.
I turn the knob. It’s locked.
I look at Jax and draw my finger across my throat in a slashing motion.
Zephyr really has her in his bed? With the fucking door locked?
Jax’s jaw clenches. But he doesn’t say anything. He walks to his own room and closes the door.
I stand there in the hallway for a minute, staring at Zephyr’s locked door.
Then I walk back to Tiger’s room and climb into her bed.
Her sheets smell like her. Floral. Clean. Soft.
I lie there staring at the ceiling, trying not to think about what’s happening behind Zephyr’s locked door.
Trying not to be jealous.
Trying to stop my imagination from running wild.
The next morning, I’m up early. I can’t sleep. There’s too much tension in my chest.
I find Jax already in the kitchen making coffee. He looks like he didn’t sleep either.
We sit at the table in silence, waiting.
Around seven-thirty, Zephyr’s door opens.
He walks out looking guilty as fuck when he spots us at the table.
I start clapping. Slow. Deliberate.
“Congratulations,” I say.
“Callum—”
“How was your night? Did you have fun?”
He shakes his head.
“Sure. That’s why her bed was empty, and your door was locked.”
Jax just stares at him and doesn’t say a word.
Tiger appears behind Zephyr. She’s wearing his shirt. Her hair is messy. And she’s moving carefully like she’s in pain.
I stand up immediately. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. Just need my medicine.”
Zephyr gets her pills and water. She takes them and sits down at the table, wincing. I stare at her for a moment and then raise my brows. Jax and I make eye contact.
We eat breakfast in silence. The tension is so thick I can barely breathe.
Tiger keeps glancing between the three of us like she’s waiting for someone to explode.
Nobody does.
Finally, Jax says, “We need to leave in an hour. Marcus rescheduled for ten.”
“Okay,” Tiger says quietly.
At Marcus’s office, we all cram into his conference room.
Tiger sits at the head of the table. Jax on her right. Zephyr on her left. Me across from her.
Marcus walks in with a legal pad and a recorder.
“Miss Lopez. Tigerlily, thank you for coming. I know this isn’t easy.”
She nods.
“Let’s get started. I’m going to ask you to walk me through everything. Starting from the beginning. Take your time. If you need to stop, we stop.”
She takes a breath. Then she tells him everything.
About that night. About Damien killing her biological father. About being forced to lie. About the gun he held to her head to make sure she’d memorized the story. The fear. The threats. The demands. The abuse.
I watch her hands shake as she talks. I watch tears slide down her face that she doesn’t bother wiping away. I notice Jax is on edge too like he’s reliving it with her. His eyes meet mine, and I can tell he’s fucking livid.
By the end, my fists are clenched so hard my knuckles are white.
Marcus clicks off the recorder. “This is enough. More than enough. I’ll contact the DA’s office about your mother’s case today.”
“How long will it take?” she asks.
“The appeal process can take months. But we can start immediately. And given the new evidence—your recent injuries, the pattern of abuse—I’m confident we can get her conviction overturned.”
“And Damien?”
“He’s already facing attempted murder charges. Once we reopen the investigation into your father’s death, they’ll add that murder charge as well. He’s not getting out, Tigerlily. I promise you that.”
She exhales like she’s been holding her breath for six years.
“What about my sister?” she asks. “Zinnia. Can I get her back?”
Marcus glances at Jax. “I’m working on it. The foster certification process takes time, but we’re expediting everything we can.”
“How much more time?” she asks desperately.
“A few weeks. Maybe a month.”
Her face falls. “That’s so long.”
“I know. But it’s the best we can do within the system. We’re going to do everything right, and they won’t be able to say no. And soon enough, this time will be behind you.”
She nods, understanding.
By the time we leave Marcus’s office, Tiger is shaking. Exhausted. Wrung out.
All three of us move into protective mode immediately.
Jax guides her to the car with his hand on her lower back. Zephyr opens the door for her. I climb in next to her.
“Come to my place tonight,” I say.
She looks at me. “What?”
“Come to my place. Just for the night.”
Jax and Zephyr exchange looks from the front seat. They don’t approve, but I don’t care.
“Okay,” she says.
“Tiger—” Jax starts.
“I want to,” she interrupts. “Is that okay? Do I need to ask permission now?”
Zephyr stares forward.
Jax doesn’t answer. He just clenches his jaw and keeps driving.
At the house, Tiger packs a bag, grabs her medicine, and hops into my truck. Jax and Zephyr don’t look happy about this.
Too bad.
I drive to my place and pull into the garage of my much nicer, much emptier house.
“Make yourself comfortable. I’m going to cook.”
“You cook?”
“You sound surprised.”
I make chicken piccata. Actual real food with actual real ingredients.
She watches from the kitchen island. “You’re full of surprises.”
“You have no idea.”
We eat on the back patio. She’s wrapped in one of my hoodies. The night is cool but clear.
“Tell me about your family,” she says.
“What about them?”
“Everything. You’re so different from Jax and Zephyr. I want to understand why.”
I lean back in my chair. “They’re... complicated. Wealthy. Successful. Distant.”
“Distant?”
I nod. “They’re never around. My dad travels constantly for business. My mom goes with him. I spent most of my childhood with nannies and housekeepers.”
“That sounds lonely.”
“Whatever. You get used to it.”
She’s quiet for a moment, and then she says, “Tell me about your ex.”
I look at her. “You heard about that?”
“Yeah.”
“Sienna––my ex––was... a mistake.” I shake my head. “I was wrapped up in her for a second, and then she dumped me because I was too self-absorbed.”
She smiles. “You kind of are.”
I wave her off. “Whatever, Tiger.”
She smiles. I look at her mouth, her beautiful smile. Those white teeth and pretty lips.
“What?” she asks.
I wipe my face. “Nothing.”
She hums, and then I shake my head.
“No, it’s not nothing.”
She turns to me. “Then what is it?”
“I can’t stop thinking about…” I swirl my water in the glass like it’s wine, and then I chug it. I can’t finish that sentence.
She stands up, walks over to me, and leans down. “Can’t stop thinking about this?” she asks, and then leans down to kiss me.
I nod, kissing her back. It feels like a breath of fresh air.
I fall back in my chair and smile. “That exactly, Tiger. Fuck.”
She blushes.
“I don’t want to hurt your arm, Tiger.”
“Then don’t,” she says, sitting on my lap.
I lean back before she can kiss me. I stare at her for a moment and say, “Tell me something.”
“Like what?”
I exhale. “Tell me what’s going on with you and Jax. You and Zephyr.”
Her fingers crawl across my chest as she says, “Do I have to answer that?”
I bite my lip, watching her.
“Because I don’t really have an answer other than, I’m here with you, aren’t I?”
I nod, letting my hand rest on her waist.
She whispers, “And that means something to you, right?”
I nod again, and then she’s kissing me. Not softly. Her tongue enters my mouth. And I dip her, shoving my tongue in her mouth. She wraps her left arm around me and kisses me back desperately.
I pull back. “Are you sure about this?”
“Yes,” she says, breathless.
“I need to know you’re sure.”
“I’m sure, Cal. I’ve been sure since that night you climbed through my window.”
That breaks something open in me.
I stand up with her in my arms and carry her inside. I walk straight to my bedroom and set her down carefully on my bed. I stare down at her. Fuck, she’s cute.
“Tell me what you want,” I say, kicking off my shoes.
She looks at me. No hesitation. “You.”
I lean over her and kiss her. My hands travel up her shirt, and she moans under my touch.
“You’re not wearing a bra?” I ask.
She shakes her head. I pull her shirt up and pull her nipple into my mouth.
Her head falls back as she moans my name.
I suck on the other perfect tit. She squeaks when I nip it with my teeth. She reaches for my shirt and pulls it off.
“Is your arm okay?” I chuckle, watching her use it more than normal.
She shakes her head as she says, “Not really, but right now I don’t care.”
She pulls me forward, unbuttoning my pants. When she unzips me, she pulls down my boxers. She licks her lips, staring at my dick. I rub the back of her head, wondering what she’s going to do.
“What do you want now, Tiger?”
Her eyes flutter. “Tell me what you want.”
My dick stiffens. Okay, we’re playing that game. I smile at her and press my thumb in her mouth. “Open your mouth and stick out your tongue.”
She hesitates for a second and then obeys. I pump my dick a few times and press my tip against her tongue, letting her taste my precum.
“Taste that?” I ask.
She nods. “Salty.”
I smirk. “Open your mouth again.”
She sticks out her tongue again, and I slide my dick in her mouth. She grips me with her lips and tongue.
“Holy fuck,” I mutter. “Deeper.”
I press slowly, testing her. She doesn’t gag when I hit the back of her throat, so I groan.
“So fucking good.” I pull out. “Take off your pants.”
I take a step back and watch her undress. She’s bare before me as I pump my dick.
“Sit on my bed and touch yourself.”
She stares at me. I step forward and kiss her.
I whisper, “You don’t want to?”
She chews her lips. “I can’t.”
“Why not?”
She breathes, “I can’t use my right hand.”
I can’t help the laugh that leaves my throat. I kiss her and smile down at her. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you. Now, when you fucked Jax and Zephyr, did you use a condom?”
She stiffens at the question and then looks up at me. “No. I’m on birth control.”
I grin and say, “Get on the bed and bend over.”
She crawls onto the bed on all fours and looks back at me. I stare straight at that ass and that pussy. Fuck, I’m about to blow my load in there.
“Tiger, this is your last chance.”
She whispers, “Fuck me, Callum.”
I bite my bottom lip and walk over.