Page 27 of Hard Ruck

Storm insisted on taking me home and staying with me until Frost showed up to explain. Storm told the other two to go and get some rest before the morning’s training session. Dallas and Atlas objected, but I insisted I was fine. Neither liked it, especially Dallas, but they left us to it. That is to say, Dallas only left so Atlas would. Otherwise they’d both have stayed, and Storm would have lost his shit.

No, it was better this way.

I made coffee for Storm and me. We sat on the couch staring at the TV without watching.

“What do you think happened?” I asked, to end the silence.

All I knew was he was with my brother, sorting something out. I had a reasonable idea of what ‘something’ might entail, but not what that had to do with Frost.

“Not a clue, but it better have been important,” Storm growled softly.

I glanced over to him. His brow was creased, eyes like thunderclouds about to split open.

I’d never seen him look worried before.

“My brother wouldn’t let anything happen to him,” I said. That was the one thing I was certain of. Frost may get in over his head, but Ice wouldn’t let him die. Unless he killed him. After our last conversation, I wasalmostcertain he wouldn’t do that.

“I don’t know what—” Storm was interrupted by the sound of the key in the lock and the opening of the door.

A smile on his face, my brother stepped through. He was followed by a grim-faced Frost.

“You waited up for us.” Ice stepped over to the kitchen and started to make a fresh coffee.

“We waited up for Frost,” Storm said, his eyes still on his teammate.

Frost didn’t meet either of our gazes. He sat in the arm chair opposite us, his head down like he carried a truck load of trouble on his shoulders.

My blood froze in my veins. I glanced at my brother who gave me a slight nod.

Fuck.

I reached over to put my hand on Frost’s knee. He flinched, but didn’t pull away.

“What’s going on?” I asked gently. “Is everything okay?”

“Nothing is okay,” he said, his face still down. “I did something.”

“We all do things,” Storm said dismissively. “Sometimes even things we’re not proud of. If you think that will change the way we feel about you, think again.”

Frost slowly raised his head. His green eyes were rimmed with red and laced with regret. “It’s easy to say when you don’t know what it was.” His voice was barely above a tortured whisper.

“What did you do?” I asked gently.

In the corner of my eye, I saw Ice take the seat beside Frost. The irony of their matching names wasn’t lost on me. Both were some of the warmest people I knew.

“You remember Ivy, from Flirts,” Frost said in a hollow tone.

Storm’s body stiffened. “The one you fucked. If you went there again, I’m personally going to?—”

“She’s dead.” Frost’s words cut through Storm’s intended threat.

Storm frowned. “So what?”

I closed my eyes for a moment. There was no love lost between me and Ivy, but if Frost was implying what I thought he was implying… It wasn’t what I expected to hear tonight.

I opened my eyes. “What happened?”

His voice breaking every few words, Frost said, “She tried to get me to go home with her. I told her no. I tried to walk away, but she insisted. And then… And then she was dead.”

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