The Last Trade (The Black Tape Duet #1)

One captain. One crisis. One woman who can ruin him.

Maren Whitaker built her career fixing public disasters. Then one lying athlete destroyed her name, her agency, and every ounce of trust she had left for professional sports.

Now the Portland Kodiaks need a miracle.

A reckless rookie. A leaked video. Angry sponsors.A franchise on the edge of collapse. Maren only takes the job because the money could finally launch her independent crisis firm.Her plan is simple: control the narrative, clean up the scandal, and never let another athlete get close enough to wreck her life.

Then she meets Bennett Hayes.

The Kodiaks’ veteran captain is injured, stubborn, dangerously protective, and determined to shield his team from the front office, the media, and anyone who threatens the locker room he has carried for years.Bennett does not trust PR. Maren does not trust athletes.But as the trade deadline closes in and the pressure around them turns brutal, their professional war becomes something far more dangerous.

Because Bennett is hiding pain that could end his career.

Maren is hiding a past that could destroy her future.

And the man trying to control them both knows exactly which secrets to use.

The Last Trade is an adult professional hockey romance with a fierce PR crisis manager, a protective veteran captain, forced proximity, media scandal, hidden injury, workplace tension, and high emotional stakes.