Mister Hockey (Hellions Angels #1)(44)

“Say what?” Neve gave him one of her “shut up and speak sense” glares.

Breezy sank into a chair, her fingers grasping the armrests as if that could somehow prevent her from plummeting into the Earth’s core. “You think I ratted you out, don’t you?” She licked her lips, her heart beating so hard that it physically hurt. Her stomach protested. Threatened to be sick. “You think that I told your secrets to Neve.”

“Not at first.” Jed was granite. He’d turned to stone. His eyes were slits. No emotion registered on his face. No sign he was there at all. “But after what I found in your room. Tell me, how the hell am I supposed to believe anything from you? Was this all a lie? Something to brag about to your girlfriends? I mean, Christ, Breezy, what’s the matter with you?”

“Hang on.” Neve swiveled her head between them, like a spectator watching a tennis match. “I’m trying to play catch-up here, but you think my sister leaked me a tip? About what? The retirement? The head injury?”

“Everything.” His tone was clipped. Flat. Final. His head didn’t move even as his gaze swung to lock with hers.

“Stop, please, listen.” Breezy’s throat tightened. Words took effort to form. Her tongue was sluggish and clumsy. “I should have told you that I was your biggest fan. I mean, like . . . the biggest. But I was afraid it would freak you out, that you would think that I was interested in what this was for all the wrong reasons.” Her voice cracked and it took her a moment to regain composure. “That I was wanting to be with you because who you represented, not who you actually were. But it wasn’t like that. It was never like that.”

“Hey, when all is said and done, I’m a simple guy. My world is black and white. And here’s what I see. A woman who keeps pictures of me at her work, and hidden in her goddamn closet. A woman who sleeps with me. Gets me talking. Has me sharing private stuff that I don’t tell anyone else in the world. Then she loses her job. Needs money. And check it out, she is sitting on one hell of a story scoop, one that she could cash in on.” He gave a mocking pump of the fist as if opening an imaginary cash register.

“You asshole.” Breezy’s world went red. There was a crack. When she blinked again, she was on her feet, her palm stinging, anger radiating off her like heat on a pavement.

“Fuck.” Jed clasped his jaw. “You slapped me.”

“And if you say another word about my sister, I swear to the old gods and the new that your ass will be on the ground.” Neve stepped to her sister’s side, linking her arm. “That head injury you’re apparently so worried about will feel like a tickle by the time I’m finished.”

The doorbell rang again. And again. And again.

This place was like Grand Central Station.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Neve groaned as a tall, blond man finally threw open the door, stood staring at them with impassive Scandinavian features.

Tor Gunnar.

Hellions coach.

A popular meme circulated around the hockey fan sites entitled The Many Faces of Tor Gunnar.

Happy: Stoic Face

Sad: Same stoic face

Hungry: Same stoic face

In Love: Same stoic face

Apparently they could add a new listing. Star Captain Announcing Surprise Retirement: Same Stoic Face.

“Quite a day.” Tor’s gray eyes were the color of steel at dusk.

“Thanks for getting over here,” Jed said speaking fast. “I’m on my own.”

“It’s true then?” Tor closed the door behind him, wholesale ignoring Breezy and Neve. “Not another online rumor going wild.”

“I’m considering retiring from the game. Yeah. Shit. More than considering.” Jed dug his hands into his back pockets. “This is a hell of a way to break the news. I’m sorry, man. I only just decided. But—”

“Someone spilled the beans. But the source isn’t in this room,” Neve piped up.

There was an old saying that still waters run deep. Deep in the coach’s serious eyes stirred a nameless emotion when focused on her sister.

Hard to say if he wanted to kill her or kiss her.

“This is people’s lives,” he bit off. “Not a game.”

“I’m not dignifying that statement with a reply.” Neve sniffed. “My sister had nothing to do with this. Neither did I. End of story.”

“Jed . . .” Breezy knew there were right words for any occasion. She had read so many that had shaped her life, formed her worldview. But right now they all abandoned her. If only he’d look at her, but he fixed on the blank yellow wall as if the truth was written there.

And who knows, maybe it was. That wall could be spelling out a future doesn’t exist.

“Come on, Westy.” Tor turned for the door, shaking his head. “We can weather this at my place.”

“Don’t let the door hit you, Coach.” Neve’s tone was all sass.

He froze, his hand tightening infinitesimally on the knob before he opened it and stalked onto the porch.

“Jed.” Breezy wasn’t sure if she repeated the word, or if it was just the plea in her heart.

But he didn’t turn back around. Didn’t offer so much as a single backward glance.

He walked into the storm and when the door slammed behind all that remained was silence.