Breakneck Hockey (Heartbreak Hockey #3)

34. We Didn’t Start the Riots

Chapter 34

We Didn’t Start the Riots

Casey

V ancouver doesn’t sweep Boston. We battle it out for all seven possible games but get our asses handed to us. At least Sutter and I get to play in those games. Vancouver loses the series. Riots rage again. Milton was right. And, fuck, it so does not help my case because it could be argued that Sutter and I were the inspiration for the riots. It wouldn’t be true, but it doesn’t matter what’s true. It matters what people believe and therefore what the team managers and owners believe.

Sutter and I enter a boardroom that I expected to be full of suits, but it’s empty save for Milton, who shifts uncomfortably at the sight of Sutter.

I was asked to come alone, but Sutter said, and I quote, “Fuck that.” His big bad protective instincts rose up when I said I’d be fine, and I ate that shit up. He squeezes my hand before releasing it and pulls out a tall-backed rolling chair for me. Do I look as nervous as I feel? Because fuck are my nerves fried, heart pulsing too fast. Is it cold in here? Why am I shivering?

Sutter takes a seat next to me and grips my hand. He’s totally letting Milton know that if he fucks with me, he fucks with him.

So hot.

But it’s not just hot. The warm sensation of love seeps into my bones. I love having him on my side. He does this kind of thing for me, and I protect him in other ways.

“I’m sorry I had to do this, Casey. You’re a nice kid, but you don’t listen.”

“Shut the fuck up, Milton,” Sutter says.

“I was right. You can’t deny that I was right. Look at what happened!” He lays his trusty iPad on the table, displaying the first headline: Vancouver Scores the Riot Hattrick .

Huh. Kinda clever. There were the riots of 1994, 2011, and now this season.

“Vancouverites are insane about hockey and poor losers. This would have happened regardless. You’re not blaming us for this,” Sutter says.

I don’t like Sutter calling us poor losers, but I guess he’s a Vancouverite, too, so he can have his opinion. I would call us passionate.

“Rumor has it, the owner’s been getting calls from the mayor about this. The damage is done. The money people have lost. People were in the hospital. This could go provincial due to the already heavy strain on our healthcare system.”

Could it? I look to Sutter. He shakes his head, rolling his eyes.

There’s an ear-deafening bang. The door to the conference room bursts open. A handsome young man in a suit storms in, red-faced and nostrils flaring. Oh shit. Is that the owner? Is he this mad because of me?

Milton’s eyes widen. “You’re not?—”

“My father? No. But I am the new guy running the place. Edward Arovini.”

I know who that is. The first-born son of the Arovini family. They own the Vancouver Orcas. Mercy Meyer—Jack’s man—and Eddie were childhood best friends. Has he taken over from his father?

We don’t get to recover from that blow. Another dark figure barrels his way into the room, but this one I know. Everyone in Vancouver knows who he is unless you live under a rock on Wreck Beach: Maxwell Elkington, Mayor of Vancouver. Also known as Rhett’s asshole dad. Or hot evil villain dad. Take your pick.

“I wasn’t finished talking to you,” Maxwell says, straightening out his suit.

“Hmm, talking, eh? Is that what you’re calling what you did to me back there?” Eddie wipes off his lips with the back of his blazer sleeve, glaring murder at him.

Whoa. What kinda drama do we got goin’ on here?

Milton’s looking between the two of them, and I think he’s decided he’s fucked. I’m getting the impression that he doesn’t know Eddie as well as he knew Edward Senior.

Maxwell crosses his arms, waiting, refusing to go anywhere. God, he looks so much like an older version of Rhett, it’s eerie.

Eddie huffs. “Fine, stay, go. I don’t give a fuck at this point. Milton, I’ll be taking over officially for my father from here on out. It’ll be announced soon, but he’s had a heart attack. Thank God he’s still alive, but he’s retiring—effective immediately.”

Milton’s speechless. Sutter squeezes my hand. Maxwell appears to have already been privy to this information. Maybe that’s what they were kissing about? I know I’d want Sutter to kiss me if I needed to feel better.

He leans over, kissing me on the cheek as if he just read my mind.

“Fucking love you, kitten,” he murmurs.

It’s the boost I need. A flurry of adrenaline surges and, suddenly, I’m tearing across the ice in my mind.

I break out of my whimsical revelry to Eddie’s blazing eyes. “Are you two in love?”

“The most in love,” Sutter says because everything’s a competition to him.

“Milton, why did you call me in here for this?”

“Sir, my emails. Did you see my emails?”

Eddie clears his throat. “They were interesting emails.”

I bet. Especially if he saw some of the ones I know Sutter took of me in kinky sex positions. Oh God. Eddie Arovini’s seen me with my legs spread wide, wrecked after taking Sutter’s cock. How fucking embarrassing.

“But the only reason I entertained this meeting was to sort out whatever the fuck’s going on. You’ve been emailing us and the board all season.”

“Well, it’s not straightforward. I have a presentation for you. It begins with understanding why people go to war,” Milton says.

“All I see are two men in love. I don’t know what possessed you to fall in love with someone from the Copperheads, Alderchuck, but that’s your prerogative.”

“I question my life choices every day, sir. Ow!” Sutter crushes my hand. “We’re happy, though.”

“But the riots. The riots are because of these two. If you’ll just listen to my presentation.”

“I’d like to hear it,” Maxwell says. “I’d love a good excuse to make the Arovinis pay for the damage to my city. Unless Mr. Arovini wants to discuss other options?”

Yeah. We’re definitely in the middle of a real-life soap opera, and I’m here for it.

Eddie takes a stuttered breath, but then he finds his composure.

“Give me a break, Mayor Elkington. Unless someone can come up with substantial proof that these two were the riot’s ringleaders, that’s not going to make it in court no matter how many judges you have on your payroll.”

Oh, so it’s from Maxwell to Mayor Elkington now, is it?

Maxwell smirks. Fuck. Is this how they flirt? He takes a step closer to Eddie. “I have a lot of judges on my payroll. I’m sure I could stack the jury, too.”

“Of course, you’d play dirty. It’s the only way you can win. I hope you enjoy your life of crime, Elkington. Alone. ”

Maxwell continues to stare at Eddie as if he’s the eighth wonder of the world.

I raise my hand. “Am I in trouble for anything, sir?”

Milton shoots out of his chair. “If you’re not going to reprimand him for the riots, he should at the very least be reprimanded for not obeying team protocol. He was told not to engage in activities with Mr. Sutter. Clearly, he did.”

“There’s nothing in any policy I know of that prohibits a consensual relationship between two players. Unless you made rules the club wasn’t aware of?”

Milton shuts his trap. Good. I’ve heard enough from him for a lifetime.

“Does this mean I’m not getting kicked off the team?”

“If you’d be willing to stay after such maltreatment, we’d love to keep you, Casey, with sincere apologies for the invasion of your personal life. If you’d like to take legal action, it would be within your rights, and I would understand.”

“Um, nah. I’m good.”

“I assure you it won’t happen again. Milton, you’re fired.”

“But—”

Maxwell hoists Milton from his seat.

“Get your hands off me,” Milton says.

Mayor Elkington levels him with stoney eyes. “You’re lucky you’re not being charged. Get the fuck out.”

Milton straightens his suit jacket before he leaves, his iPad abandoned on the table.

“Are you sure there isn’t anything I can do for you to make up for this?” Eddie says.

“I’m happy to help, too,” Maxwell says. I don’t know why Maxwell’s so willing to help me, but I’m gonna guess it has to do with getting on Eddie’s good side, if I’m reading the vibe right. I have no idea if he knows that I’m affiliated with his son, but he must know Sutter.

The corners of Eddie’s lips twitch, fighting a smile. “Trades can always be negotiated with enough money. I’ll make Elkington pay for it.”

“Well …” I begin.

“I’ll come to Vancouver,” Sutter says.

“What? No way. I’ll go to Boston. That was your dad’s favorite team.”

“What about your brother?”

“He’ll be fine.”

Sutter shakes his head. “Absolutely, not. I appreciate the gesture, baby, but your brother’s still alive. Dad isn’t. Even if he were, he’d understand. I already achieved the dream—won a cup with Boston. Besides, Vancouver needs all they can get.”

“You cocky asshole.”

“Show me the lie.”

“That’s my line! Ugh. I’ve changed my mind. Send me as far away from him as you can, Mr. Arovini. Do they play hockey on the moon?”

Eddie laughs. “Just Eddie will do. I’ll let you two figure it out and then have your agent get in touch with me.”

He rocks forward on his toes, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Well then.” Eddie struts out of the room like the fucking superhero he is. Maxwell’s left staring after him. For a mayor, he’s had surprisingly little to say.

“Maxwell!” Eddie’s voice booms from beyond the door.

Maxwell’s eyes brighten and then darken as his lips form a smirk. “Gentlemen.” He turns heel, not waiting to be called twice. Sutter and I are left in an empty boardroom, and my body turns to mush, all the adrenaline leaving it at the same time.

“Holy fuck. What happened?” I say.

“Don’t know, don’t care.” Sutter swoops me out of the chair and sits me on the boardroom table, stepping between my legs. “I wanna come to Vancouver.”

“But—”

He holds a finger over my lips. “Listen. I mean it when I say I achieved what Dad and I dreamed about with a Stanley Cup win in Boston. It feels … done. If I play for Vancouver, I’ll get to be near everyone I love, but most importantly you. I don’t want to miss you all the time. It’s fucking exhausting.”

I smile. “Okay, I guess I’ll let you on my team.”

“Fucking brat.” His lips find mine with a gentle kiss that’s quickly deepened. My hips buck forward. I want him. I always want him so badly it aches everywhere. “C’mon. Let’s go make new pictures together. Ones that’ll for sure let the internet know that we aren’t friends and never were.”

I half drag Sutter, half get pushed by Sutter, into the entryway of the house, thinking no one’s home, but there is. The clink of ice in a glass gets my attention. It takes every ounce of my willpower to stop the tidal wave of sex Sutter and I were riding. The car ride home involved a lot of dirty talk and the filthiest of promises. My dick’s about to explode.

The look on my brother’s face halts everything. His eyes are bloodshot, fresh tears flood his face. He looks like he hasn’t slept. There’s a packed duffel bag on the floor next to him. My gut falls through the floor.

“Fuck, Stacey.” I rush over and fall on the couch beside him. Sutter stays in the background to give the illusion of privacy without leaving, in case I need him. He leans against the wall, tilting his head, his dark hair falling over his left eye.

Stacey sniffles and forces a weak smile. “Oh good, I was hoping you’d get here before my ride did. I’d like to take our car if that’s alright with you? I’m, um, getting out of here for a bit.”

“Stacey—”

“Dash asked me to be the best man at his wedding.”

“You can’t?—”

“I said yes. Of course, I said yes. I’d do anything for him. But I can’t be here when he gets home. I need time to digest this.”

And without hockey to distract him, it’s probably all that’s on his mind.

“Let me come with you. Please. I’m gonna be so fucking worried about you.”

“The big guy in the corner will look after you.”

Sutter grunts his confirmation.

“Not what I said. I’m not worried about me.” For once, I feel like I’ve landed on my feet.

“I promise I’ll call. Do you mind if I take the car?”

“That’s fine.” We have Sutter’s car and his apocalypse vehicle. I could probably just buy a new car if I ended up needing one.

“I just wanna drive, y’know? Drive and think. Get my head on straight.”

Mend his broken heart. Fuck. None of this is right. Not a single damn thing. When Dash sails through that door I’m gonna?—

“I know that look. Don’t do anything to Dash. Promise me.” Stacey’s face is solid granite.

I don’t want to do this to my brother, but I’m worried about what he’ll do. I have to make sure he’s coming back. “Text me often or I’m doing what I have to do.”

Stacey pauses and nods. “I just need a little time. I’ll be back.”

We embrace in a hug where I crush the fuck outta him, tears falling onto his shoulder. I close my eyes, there’s shifting and the scent of Sutter’s smokey aftershave. The front door opens and closes.

“Is he gone?”

“Just me, kitten.”

I don’t wanna open my eyes yet, and I don’t need to. I’m safe from everything in Sutter’s arms.

“Just us, you mean.”

“Just us.”