Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CRUZ
I tapped the puck with my stick, passing it over to Easton. He skated forward and passed it back. We did that a couple of times before he hit it into the empty goal. Usually I enjoyed training, especially the morning before a game, but I found it difficult to give a shit today.
We turned and skated to the other side of the rink, giving the next pair room to practice.
"We shouldn't be feeling this way," Easton said.
I glanced over at him. "Like we fucked up bad?
Because I have news for you, bro. We did.
" I wanted her to turn to me. I wanted to bring her down a bunch of pegs.
I didn't want her beaten half to death. I sure as fuck didn't want her to look at me like she hated my guts.
That whole fucking bet was a stupid idea.
Everything since we met her was a stupid idea.
Everything except the part where I met her.
"She shouldn't have found out about the bet," Easton said. "We fucked that up."
"Shaw fucked that up for us," I reminded him. "She never would have known if he hadn't opened his big fucking mouth." I glanced over to where the defenceman was practising his stick skills.
Dean skated over to join us. "Seems to me he's done nothing but cause trouble. Her too. We're better off without her around." His jaw was tight as hell.
I fixed him with a look. "What's with you and her? You didn't want to join in on our wager, but I saw the way you watched her." His gaze was like glue whenever she was around.
He shrugged one shoulder. "I'm not interested in her. I want to be a team player. That's how we win, if we all are."
He kept his gaze on Shaw, as though silently reminding me the defenceman wasn't a team player off the ice.
As if I needed reminding. Right now he, Easton and I seemed to be determined to out-glare each other.
It was starting to affect our performance in practice.
If it had a negative impact during the game, I was going to be pissed off as fuck.
"You're a team player." Easton clapped Dean on the shoulder. "In the interest of team unity, I would have taken your money if you joined in the bet."
Dean gave him a glance.
"The bet is off," I reminded them. "No more fucking stupid bets." I had no doubt I would have won if Cat wasn't attacked. I was giving her some space, but I still intended to win her. I didn't care about the money. She was mine and I'd make her see that. Even if I had to go through Shaw to do it.
"You worried you'll lose?" Easton taunted.
"Hell no." I gave him the side eye. "If there's one thing I'm good at, it's winning. Whether it's on the ice or claiming some pussy."
"You're still into her?" Easton asked.
"You're not?" I asked.
"I am, I was giving her some time before I moved in on her again." He seemed very certain that was all there was to it. "If you think she's—"
"Hasn't there been enough bullshit over her?" Dean asked. "We're supposed to be a team, not arguing over some slut."
I resisted the very strong urge to hit him in the head with my stick.
"Catalina Ryan is no slut," I growled. "She's—"
"Not interested in you," Dean said. "Forget about her, bro. Is she really worth fighting each other over? The minute you fuck her, you'll forget her. You'll move on to someone else. Move on now and save us all the trouble."
He nodded to Easton. "You too. You both said yourselves she's just a bit of fun. You both wanted her out of the way and now she is. This was how you wanted things, you should be happy."
"Yeah," I said. But I didn't believe it.
Seeing her lying on the hospital bed like that, battered and broken, I wanted to destroy whoever touched her.
I should have been the one to leave bruises on her.
She belonged to me. Did they not understand that?
I would have considered sharing her with Easton, because I wanted to share myself with him too, but some asshole out in the car park who dared to lay a hand on my woman…
I would find out who was, and I would make them pay.
"I'm not forgetting about her," Easton said. "I can have team unity, a professional hockey contract and her."
"Brewer. Grant. You guys asleep out there?" the coach called out. "Get your minds back into practice, or get off my fucking ice."
His words hit a bit too close to the bone, but I turned and nodded, waving my apology. "Sorry, Coach. Just discussing a play." I wasn't wrong, not exactly.
"Hayes, keep them out of the goal," Coach added.
Dean glared at us both. "With pleasure."
"The fuck is his problem?" Easton muttered.
"No idea," I said. Dean was usually the quiet guy we didn't notice until we got on the ice and he stopped the opposition from scoring a goal with skill even someone who knew nothing about hockey could appreciate. "I guess he's on edge about the expansion thing."
Fair enough, it was getting to all of us. If the AIHL didn't choose soon, I was going to go out of my mind. Now the cops had interviewed us and came to no conclusions, surely we were still on the table? We had to be. Otherwise whoever fucked with my woman and my team was a dead man walking.
I wish I could rule out that he was a dead man skating, but I couldn't yet. All I could do right now was keep my eyes and ears open. Eventually, the fucker would make a mistake and we'd be all over him like a puck bunny on a single rookie. Much less enjoyable for him though.
I hit the puck to Easton, harder this time, keeping half an eye on Dean.
The goalie's whole body was tense, ready.
Like his head was in the game better than mine.
No, there was more to it than that. He still looked angry.
He wasn't going to let the puck get past him because he had a point to prove to me and Easton.
We need to focus better and move past Cat.
Fuck that. I could focus, but I wasn't moving past her. Would she come to the game tonight? I hoped so. I fought harder when she was watching. She made me more competitive, hungrier.
Yeah, I gave her shit when we first met, but she gave it back. She had more guts than most of the guys on the team. When I got going, most people backed down. Not her. She came back twice as hard. Thinking about her made me twice as fucking hard too.
The way her pussy felt around my fingers, clenching me when she came. The breathy little moans she made when she claimed to hate me but was quick to orgasm.
She might not admit who owned her, but her body did. Her body wanted me, my touch. She could glare at me all she wanted, but she wanted me to sink my cock deep inside her.
I knew it. She'd come to know it. She was a smart woman, she'd see the truth soon enough.
I intercepted the puck from Easton and pretended I was going to hit it back. Instead, I drove it toward Dean's left, where he left a space open beside his skate.
He was quick to snap down that way and stop the puck with his glove. He flicked it back in my direction.
He didn't say anything, but his expression said, ‘Really? What is this, rookie practice?’
I curled my lip at him. I was no fucking rookie. Prick.
"Nice save," Easton said.
That scored him a faint smile from Dean.
I sighed to myself. I should have said that. Although, Dean was being an asshole at the time.
I turned and skated back to the other end of the rink as the coach and his assistants started to set up traffic cones for us to skate around and through, to practice our puck handling skills.
"Dean is right, we shouldn't be arguing with each other," Easton said.
"Who's arguing?" I asked.
"The look on your face when he stopped the puck," Easton said. "The fact you won't concede defeat over Cat. When you—"
I turned and gave him a shove with my gloved hand.
He slid backwards and hit the boards with a grunt. "What the fuck, bro?
I skated forward and pinned him against them with my body. I didn't know when I dropped my stick, but my hands were pressed to the boards on either side of him, caging him in. My face was a couple of centimetres from his. Close enough to feel his breath and smell his sweat.
He jerked against me, but didn't make more than a token effort to push me away.
"I'll tell you what the fuck," I growled. "You can't even admit there's something between us." Being this close to him made my cock start to harden.
He forced himself to meet my gaze. "I never said there wasn't," he said softly. "I just don't know how to…" He shook his head. His stubbled jaw worked back and forth, but no words came out from between his plump lips.
I wanted to kiss him, but I jerked myself away instead. "There is no how to. There are no rules. You either do it or you don't do it."
Maybe I shouldn't have given him a choice in the first place. Like I wasn't giving Cat one. I should have made him mine. Then her.
Fuck, they were making my balls ache. That, and I hadn't been with anyone since I met Cat. Her and Easton were the only ones my cock was interested in. Stupid dick. I could have relieved the tension with any number of women and a handful of men since then. But no, he wanted to torture me instead.
I gave Easton a long look, to which he responded by dropping his gaze to the ice beside my feet.
If I was ever going to make a bet again, I'd bet on his dick being hard behind his cup. He just needed to have the balls to admit it. Then I'd have him on his knees, sucking my cock. Him and Cat, side-by-side, taking turns.
If I kept thinking like that, I was going to blow my load right here on the ice.
I forced myself to look away and skated over to the first of the traffic cones and took my frustration out on the puck.
"Save some of that aggression for tonight, Brewer," Coach said.
"I've got plenty to spare," I replied. I should dial it back though.
Let the frustration bubble over when we faced off against the Kings.
They were a tough team, but we'd shown them their asses before, we could do it again.
I preferred it that way. The tougher the better.
If we couldn't win against teams like that, we'd get smashed in the AIHL.
I was fucked if I was going to let that happen.
I skated past Shaw and caught his eye. From the look on his face, he was moments away from planting a fist in my face. I wanted to flip him off, but I turned away instead.
I didn't need his permission to go near Cat. If he thought I did, he'd have to rethink. I was fucked if I was listening to anything he said. I respected his desire to keep her safe, but she didn't need protecting from me. I'd show her that. No matter what it took.