Butcher

Chapter 1

1

BUTCHER

“Hey, Butch.” Sexton plopped down in Orlov’s chair, whose cubby was next to mine in the locker room. “Gotta minute?”

I looked over at my teammate as I finished lacing up one of my skates. “Yeah, what’s up?”

“After morning skate, I’m going to look at a place in your building. Want to come?”

“I didn’t know you were looking to move.”

“Have been for a while now, and there’s a three-bedroom condo on your floor that looks promising.”

“You want to be neighbors?” I grinned and started lacing my other skate. “Wow. What’s next, a picket fence?”

He chuckled slightly. “I didn’t go out of my way to find this one. Just happens to be in your building.”

And on my floor.

“Yeah, sure, and I bet you’re just dying to raid my fridge for leftovers every night, huh?”

He shrugged, grinning. “I mean, your lasagna is legendary.”

“Is that so? Just trying to butter me up, are we?”

“Gotta play my cards right in case I end up living next to the best chef I know.”

I stood. “I’m just fuckin’ with ya, but yeah, I’ll go with you.”

Sexton stood too. “Great. I’m going straight there when we’re done.”

“Sounds good.”

We headed out to the ice. After practice, we would have a few hours to relax before we needed to be back for the game. Tonight’s match-up was a big one too: game seven against the New York Rangers. If we lost, we were out of the playoffs; if we won, we were playing the Vegas Golden Knights for the Stanley Cup.

I’d yet to win one in my career, but I felt as though it was our year.

I was drafted by the Calgary Flames twelve years ago and scored my first NHL goal in an overtime win against the Buffalo Sabres. During my second year, I got injured in a game against the New York Islanders and was out for the last four months of the season. The next season, I came back stronger than ever, ready to prove myself. My hard work paid off when I was named one of the alternate captains for the Flames and scored a career high of fifty points. I even recorded my first professional hat-trick in a win over the Nashville Predators.

After six years with the Flames, I became a free agent. During my years in Calgary, the team made it to the playoffs only once but ultimately lost in the first round, so I decided it was time to move on. That was when Boston picked me up. I signed a seven-year contract with the Bruins, which has one more season left after the current one.

As the team and I did warm-up laps around the ice, I thought about Sexton moving into my building. We’d been teammates for a few years and skated on the same line together. He was a good guy, and we hung out often as a group, but I wasn’t as close with him as I was with our captain, Emmett Cooper. Although, since Coop had begun dating his boyfriend, Ford, Coop and I hadn’t spent a lot of time together. I got it. He was in love and blah blah blah.

I, however, was keeping my options open and didn’t want to get tied down anytime soon, especially since I enjoyed men and women equally. Plus, none of my teammates, except Coop, knew I was into guys.

Even though everyone on the team seemed to be cool with Coop being gay, I wanted to wait to tell them until I found someone I could see myself spending my life with. And I didn’t see that happening until I could come home to them every night and not have to be on the road for most of the year.

But why did the notion of Levi Sexton moving into my building excite me so much? It wasn’t because he was my teammate and his proximity meant we could talk shop more easily. Rather, the thought of him being down the hall sent a little zing up my spine.

The first time I’d seen him smile, it had knocked me on my ass. But then I found out he was straight as an arrow, so I didn’t think about him in that capacity anymore. Okay, that was a lie. It was hard to ignore his southern charm and easy smile, along with his dark, tousled hair, stunning green eyes, and strong jawline. And when he didn’t shave for a few days …

Fuck me.

After morning skate ended, we all headed toward our cars in the arena’s garage.

“Sexton!” I called out as I stopped at my black Cadillac Escalade. “Why don’t we ride together?”

He stopped on his way to his Audi R8 and spun to face me. “You sure?”

“Yeah. No reason for you to have to find parking and all that shit. After we check out the condo, you can get a rideshare, or I can make us something to eat and bring you back before the game.”

Coop was walking by and smirked at me.

“What?” I asked.

“You sure do love to cook.” He chuckled.

“None of you seem to have a problem when I’m bustin’ my ass every Friendsgiving to feed your asses.”

Each November, I hosted Friendsgiving for the team. It was mostly the single guys and the ones who didn’t have family in the area who attended. Even our non-American teammates joined because it was a chance to hang out together and relax outside of the grind we endured on the ice. And yes, I loved to cook. It was relaxing, and I enjoyed creating new dishes and finding out what spices and herbs went well together.

Coop grinned and kept walking while Sexton said, “Yeah, that sounds good. I’m not going to pass up one of your meals.”

“Have fun with your boyfriend,” I sang to Coop. Though tempted to stick out my tongue, I refrained; I was thirty-two, not twelve.

He turned and said as he walked backward, “He’s at work, but he and Kaylee are coming to the game tonight. They’ll meet me at Flanagan’s afterward, no matter what happens on the ice. You should come and keep Kaylee company.”

Kaylee was Ford’s bombshell co-worker who I’d met once before. According to Coop, she thought I was hot. Nothing happened that night, but things might be different after we clinched the division at tonight’s game because once we did, I was certain I would want to end the celebration with someone in my bed.

“Is that the one with the pretty blue eyes?” Sexton asked.

“Yeah, that’s her,” Coop responded.

“Damn. She’s hot,” Sexton stated, and then smirked at me. “I’ll keep her company if you won’t.”

“We both can.” I winked at him. I wasn’t sure the son of a preacher would be down for a threesome, but hell, I might try to persuade him.

Coop pointed at me and glared. “You better be on your best behavior.”

I held up three fingers. “Scout’s honor.”

“Were you even a Boy Scout?” Sexton chuckled.

“Nope.”

Coop shook his head. “Catch you two later.”

Sexton and I slid into my SUV, and I turned the vehicle on. “Tell me about the condo.”

“Pictures look like your place. Three bedrooms, two baths, awesome view of the city.”

“Are you sure you want me as a neighbor?” I teased, grinning at him as I pulled out of the garage.

“Why? Are you a neighbor from hell?” He smirked.

“I’m the best neighbor to have.”

“Scout’s honor?”

I barked out a laugh and held up three fingers. “Scout’s honor.”

After I pulled into my parking spot in the underground garage, we got out and went into the lobby. Sexton had texted his real estate agent he was on the way, so she was already waiting there. When she saw us, she approached and offered her hand to him.

“Mr. Sexton. Glad you could make it on such short notice.”

They shook. “My teammate lives here, so it’s no problem at all.”

I held out my hand. “Austin Butcher.”

“Rita Wilder. It’s nice to meet you.” We shook. “How long have you lived in the building?”

“It’s been about four years. Going on five.”

“And do you like it?” She motioned for us to go toward the elevators.

“I love it.”

“Then it’s promising?” she asked Sexton.

“We’ll see,” he responded. “I’ve heard the neighbors can be a bit of a nightmare.”

I snorted a laugh. “Be careful, or you won’t get lunch.”

“Okay, okay, okay.” He held up his hands as the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. “I heard the neighbors are awesome. Even make fresh bread and give it to the new guy as a welcome gift.”

“That I can do.” I winked.

Rita gave us a look, and I had to wonder if she thought we were flirting. Were we? There was no way. Levi Sexton was a preacher’s kid, for Christ’s sake. And from the little he’d shared with me, it wouldn’t surprise me if he had been raised to believe men shouldn’t lie together, no matter how good it felt to pound into a hard body.

I cleared my throat. “But you’ll have to buy the place and move in first.”

“Then let’s hope I like it.” Sexton smiled.

When we got up to my floor, we followed Rita to the unit next door to mine.

“Oh, shit,” Sexton breathed.

“Don’t worry. The walls aren’t that thin.” I smirked.

“Is that your unit?” Rita pointed to my door.

“Yep.”

“Then it’s perfect.” She beamed.

“Maybe we can carpool,” I joked to my teammate.

“Let’s just see this place first.” He slapped me on the back playfully.

Sexton went in first and then me. We walked around as Rita rattled off all the upgrades that were similar to mine.

We entered the spacious living area with floor-to-ceiling windows that bathed the open floor plan in natural light. That was one of the things I loved most about my home. It made everything bright and airy, and at night, the city lights twinkled for as far as I could see.

“It’s exactly like yours,” Sexton stated.

“That’s what I was thinking too.”

“I hope that’s a good thing.” Rita chuckled.

He nodded. “I think it might be.”

While Sexton walked Rita to her car, I went to my place and grabbed the ingredients to make us chicken salad sandwiches. Of course, I didn’t have any homemade bread handy, but after I pounded out four chicken breasts, seasoned them with salt, pepper, and a little garlic, I seared them in a pan. Just as they were about done, there was a knock at my door.

Walking to it, I didn’t bother to check who was on the other side, and when I opened it, it was exactly who I expected. “Hey. Everything go okay?”

Sexton followed me in and shut the door behind him. “Yeah. Asked her to prepare an offer.”

“Damn, congrats, dude. Now we just have to win tonight to make it an epic day for you.”

“We will, but my offer still needs to be accepted.” He took a seat at the island.

“I’m sure it will.”

“Hope so.”

I pulled the chicken out of the pan to rest and then went to the fridge for a bottle of water for him and the remaining ingredients.

“Need help with anything?” he asked as he took the bottle from me.

“Sure.” I handed him the celery and turned to get a cutting board. “Can you chop about a half a cup?”

“Okay.”

I placed the cutting board and a knife in front of him. While he chopped the celery, I cut up the chicken.

“You ever think about what life would be like if you weren’t playing hockey?” I asked, not sure what else to talk about since we usually didn’t hang out one-on-one.

He paused mid-chop, considering the question as he glanced up at me. “Sometimes, yeah. I mean, I grew up in Harvest Ridge, Tennessee. It’s a small town where people like to sit out on their porches, drink sweet tea, and gossip about everyone in town before they go to church on Sundays where my dad preaches.”

I grabbed a small bunch of green onions to slice. “Your parents must be proud, seeing you make it to the big leagues and explore the world a bit.”

“My mom is.” He gave a sad smile, his gaze drifting to the window. “Dad has always hated that I didn’t follow in his footsteps and become a pastor. He rarely ever watched me play. Instead he was always preoccupied with his congregation and the other churches he spoke at.”

“That had to be tough,” I remarked, focusing on slicing the onion stalks. “Must’ve been a big change, moving from a small town to the NHL.”

Sexton chuckled softly as he tossed the chopped celery into the bowl. “You could say that. My first season with the Ducks was hard. I felt like a fish out of water in California, but it was worth it.”

“I bet. But you fit in with us.”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “You guys have made me feel at home, that’s for sure.”

Sexton was traded to the Bruins three years ago and was welcomed immediately.

“Yeah, and it only took three years for you to want to live next door to me.” I grinned.

“Better late than never, but I have to warn you, if these sandwiches are as delicious as everything else you make, you’ll need to feed me every day.”

I swallowed at the thought. “I wouldn’t mind.”

As I predicted, we won our game.

Barely.

The final score was 1-0, and our only goal happened in the last few minutes of the third period. It was nuts and intense and fucking amazing.

By the time we were all showered and ready to head out, everyone was on a high. We left our cars at the arena, ordered a few rideshares, and went to Flanagan’s, our favorite bar. I rode with Coop and Sexton, and when the car came to a stop in front of the Irish pub, we piled out. Orlov, Nystrom, and Cardinale were in a car behind us and once they got out, we headed inside.

People clapped and cheered as we entered, and we gave patrons high-fives and hugs. Nothing could sour my mood because we were going to play in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Following Coop toward where his boyfriend and Kaylee sat, I watched as Ford slid off his stool and hugged his boyfriend. I expected them to pull apart because Coop wasn’t publicly out, but they didn’t. Instead, they locked lips, and the bar fell silent.

“Drinks are on me!” I shouted to the room, wanting to take the attention off of Coop.

The silence erupted into a loud cheer, and I headed to the bar, Sexton at my side.

“Coop came out publicly?” Sexton asked.

“Not that I know of.” I handed my credit card to the bartender. “For everyone’s round, and also a pitcher of Sam Adams and a Coke.”

“You got it, Butcher,” she replied and turned to get my order ready.

Glancing at Sexton, his gaze was on Coop and Ford. Or maybe it was on Kaylee.

“You good?” I asked him.

He startled as though he had been lost in thought, then turned his head toward me. “Yeah.”

“Should the best man win tonight?”

He arched a brow. “What do you mean?”

I nudged my head toward the table. “With Kaylee.”

“Oh, um. Yeah. You go ahead. I just need to head to the restroom.” He took off before I could say anything.

The bartender placed the Coke, a stack of pint glasses, and the pitcher of beer in front of me. Taking the glass of Coke, I put it into the stack of other glasses, grabbed them and the pitcher, and headed to where Coop was.

“Beer anyone?”

“Of course.” Kaylee smiled brightly.

“You played a good game too,” Ford said as I handed him his Coke. He’d given up drinking recently.

“Thanks, bro. Couldn’t have pulled out the win without your man, though.” I punched Coop playfully on the arm.

“Yeah, I’m proud of him.” Ford nudged Coop’s shoulder with his.

Coop leaned over and whispered into his ear, and I turned my attention to Kaylee.

“How’ve you been?”

I poured Kaylee a beer and slid it over to her before filling a pint glass for myself.

“Good, but not as good as you. Congrats on making it to the Finals.”

“Cheers to that,” I said, lifting my glass.

She raised her glass and clinked it against mine.

Coop and Ford were deep in conversation, their heads close together as they whispered about something private.

“So,” I began, casually resting my hand on the back of Kaylee’s chair, “how good are you at darts?”

She glanced up at me, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. “Not that good, but I’ve never had someone teach me how to play right.”

“Then I’m your man.” I beamed.

Before I could suggest we go play a round or two, Sexton walked over to the table.

“So, what’s the plan? Are we keeping it low-key or turning this place upside down?” He smiled.

I cocked a teasing brow. “Turn this place upside down? You, offspring of the holy?”

Sexton squeezed my shoulder. “I don’t see my dad here, do you?”

I stared into his green orbs. “Well then, maybe instead of partying here, you and Kaylee come back to my place?”

His mouth opened as though he was going to respond, but before he could, Coop said, “We’re gonna head out.”

“Already?” I turned my gaze to his and frowned. I felt as though I needed more time to get Sexton on board with my idea.

“Yeah. Can you make sure Kaylee gets home, okay?”

“Of course.” I winked at her, and she blushed. She was up for the plan.

Coop and Ford said their goodbyes and then left.

“Well?” I asked my teammate.

He stared at me for a beat and then looked at Kaylee, who was grinning.

“I’m up for it.” She lifted a shoulder as though it was no big deal, but my heart was pounding in my chest as I waited for him to answer because it was a big deal. I’d never had a threesome with a teammate before and even though things might change between us after we went back to my place, I still wanted it to happen. And I could almost bet money he had never had a threesome with another dude.

“I have a stocked bar at my place, and I’ll even make you a snack.” I grinned at him.

He snorted a laugh. “A snack? That’s your incentive?”

I leaned over and whispered into his ear, “That’s one of them. The other is giving you fuck-me eyes right now.”

He glanced at Kaylee and then said, “All right. Let’s go.”

“Great. Let me close out my tab.” I hurried over and told the bartender I had to go, hoping she had charged everyone’s drinks on my credit card. Pulling out my wallet, I took out all the bills I had and handed them to her. “For anything else.”

“Thanks, Butcher.” She smiled and took the cash.

I nudged my head for Sexton and Kaylee to follow me out, but once we stepped into the cool night air, everything changed.

“Let’s see how tough you really are.”

My head turned to see what was happening, and suddenly, I felt as though I was watching Coop on the ice, dropping his gloves. A guy he was in an altercation with—one who looked kinda familiar—threw a punch in Ford’s direction. Coop moved between the guy and Ford, and the guy’s fist collided with Coop’s chest.

“Oh shit,” I gasped.

In an instant, Coop retaliated, his knuckles connecting with the guy’s face over and over and over. I rushed toward him as the guy got a hit in, punching Coop in the jaw. He staggered back, and that only seemed to make Coop rage more. My feet felt like they were sticking to the ground because I couldn’t get to my friend fast enough, but finally, I did. Blood dripped from his knuckles as his fist kept colliding with the guy’s nose.

“Enough!” I lunged forward, grabbed Coop by the arm, and pulled him away.

“Let go, Butch!” My friend tried to break free of my hold.

I shook my head. “No. I don’t know what this is about, but it’s not like you.” I looked at the guy who I was still trying to place but couldn’t. “You better disappear before things get worse for you.”

“Disappear?” He chuckled and wiped his bloody nose with the back of his hand. “Emmett Cooper just assaulted me. I’m calling the cops.”

Kaylee appeared next to Ford, who was a few feet back, and asked, “Ford, what’s going on?”

“Don’t even think about making that call,” Ford yelled.

The guy whipped his shirt over his head and held it to his nose. “Why the fuck not? He deserves to go to jail.”

“You threw the first punch. Coop was defending himself,” Ford snapped. “Plus, the only person who deserves to see the inside of a jail cell is you.”

The guy’s eyes widened for a split second. “Yeah? And why’s that?”

“Because back in high school, you got me drunk and raped me.” I heard the collective gasps behind me, but Ford continued. “Then you sent around a video of me and told everyone I was having sex for money. I spent the last two years of high school being bullied and made fun of all because you fucking raped me!”

“You fucking liar!” The guy shouted and rushed toward Ford as though he was going to hit him.

“No,” Coop roared, and I struggled to hold him back. At the same time, Sexton stepped in and pulled the guy away from Ford.

“It’s not a lie if I’ve got proof,” Ford stated.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, but it wasn’t my business, so I remained quiet, trying to keep Coop off the asshole before he did anything more that would land him in jail for sure. The last thing the team needed was to lose our captain with the Finals starting in less than a week.

“You’re lying,” the guy seethed. “You don’t have proof.”

“Am I?” Ford took a step closer to him. “Did you really think no one would ever send me that video?”

The guy stared at Ford, his face bright red with anger. “I saw the video of you. The guy you were with didn’t show his face.”

“Yeah.” Ford nodded. “Too bad you forgot about that birthmark on your hip. I’m pretty sure the cops can use that to ID you.”

“No. That’s impossible.” The guy began pacing and pulling at his hair. “I recorded you giving me a blow job. I didn’t record the rest of it. There’s no way you have any proof.”

“You’re right. I didn’t until just now.” Ford held up his phone to show the guy he was recording their conversation.

“You motherfucker?—”

“Tim, what the hell, man? We’ve been looking for you everywhere.” A guy walked toward us. “What the fuck happened to your face?”

“You should probably go join your friend,” Ford suggested. “I think we’re done here.”

Tim glared at Ford one last time, then spun around and headed toward the guy who’d been looking for him and said, “Nothing. Let’s just go.”

“But your shirt is covered in blood?—”

“I said nothing happened. Drop it.” Tim limped away and his friend followed.

I finally let go of my teammate.

“Holy shit.” Coop wrapped his arms around Ford. “Are you okay?”

“Mm hmm. I just want to go home.”

“Of course.” Coop pulled back and laced his bloody fingers with Ford’s clean hand.

“Ford,” Kaylee said, and I saw tears streaming down her face. “Call me later, okay?”

“I will.” He gave her a sad smile.

“You two good to drive?” I asked Coop.

“Yeah.” He nodded. “How’d you guys end up out here, anyway?”

I shrugged and came up with a lie on the spot because there was no way I was about to tell them the truth. “The bar was getting too crowded, and the fans were going a little crazy, so we decided to bail. We were looking for an easy spot for a rideshare to pick us up when I heard you yelling as we passed the alley.”

Coop nodded. “Not that I needed the help, but thanks for having my back.”

I smiled. “Always.”

Coop and Ford walked away, and I turned to Kaylee, who was still crying.

“Hey, it’s okay.” I wrapped her in my arms.

“I had no idea Ford had been raped.” She sniffled.

“I don’t think anyone knew except maybe Coop,” I replied.

“Yeah,” she agreed.

I looked at Sexton and he gave me a tight smile as he said, “I think I’m just gonna head home.”

The mood had definitely shifted. “No problem. I’ll get Kaylee home.”

“Okay. I’ll catch you at practice.” Kaylee stepped out of my arms, and Sexton hugged her. “Maybe next time things will end differently.”

“Yeah.” She nodded as they hugged.

We quickly realized we could all ride together back to the arena where our vehicles were parked. No one said anything on the short drive and once we walked into the garage, we said our goodbyes to Sexton, and then I drove Kaylee home.

What started as an epic night had ended in bloodshed, and that fucking sucked. My heart ached for Coop and Ford—mostly Ford—and my mind churned over what might happen if that guy did call the cops and Coop went to jail.