Page 99 of The Sin Bin

"No. No. You can't." Lauren stared at him, disbelief giving way to something darker, more wounded. "It's bad enough you want to play hurt, but you're going to single out Wilson. Hurt him? Take him out for the rest of the finals?"

Jax set his jaw. "I don't have to play the whole game to do that. I can finish this right after the puck drops."

"Stop." Lauren held up a hand, her entire body rigid with tension. "Just stop."

"Lauren, try to understand—"

"I understand perfectly," she cut him off, her voice trembling with emotion. "I understand that you've already made your decision, regardless of medical advice, regardless of the risks, regardless of..." She trailed off, swallowing hard.

"Regardless of what?" Jax pressed, something in her expression sending ice through his veins.

"Regardless of what it does to me," Lauren finished, voice barely above a whisper. "Regardless of what it means for us."

Her words hit him like a body check. The raw hurt in her eyes made him want to backpedal, to reassure her, but the pressure of responsibility—to his team, to his identity—pushed back with equal force.

"That's not fair," Jax said again, an edge creeping into his voice. "This isn't about you. This is about my team, my responsibility."

"It is about us," Lauren countered, rising to her feet. "Because your decisions affect both of us now. Because I care about what happens to you. Because I can't just sit by and watch you potentially sacrifice your health, your future—our future—"

"I can take Wilson," Jax interrupted, frustration building. His head throbbed with each heartbeat, pain mixing with mounting anger.

"Yeah," she gave a half laugh that contained no humor. "But should you?"

"He needs it."

"And what about what you need?" Lauren challenged, tears gathering in her eyes. "What about your brain? Your vision? The orbital fracture is millimeters from your eye, Jax. One bad hit and you could—"

"I know the risks," Jax repeated, his own voice rising as he struggled to his feet. "I've been playing this game my entire life. I understand what's at stake better than anyone."

"Clearly not," Lauren shot back, her voice breaking. "Because if you did, you wouldn't gamble your future on one game. On one stupid, pointless act of revenge."

"Wilson's the problem." Jax towered over her now, the pain in his ribs and face forgotten in the heat of the moment. "I take him out. I can sit out a few games. I can't walk away now."

"I'm not condoning your assassination plans, but isn't there anyone else on the team who can take on Wilson? Someone who doesn't have a fucking concussion?"

He blinked at her language. "Now, you're becoming a WAG."

"Don't joke with me. Kane's a big guy."

"It's not Kane's job to set the tone. It's mine. I'm dispensable."

The words hung in the air, revealing more than he'd intended. Lauren stared at him, her anger momentarily giving way to shock.

"Is that what you think?" she asked quietly. "That you're dispensable?"

Jax looked away, suddenly exposed. "On the ice, we all have roles. Mine is to protect the team, whatever it costs."

"And off the ice?" Lauren pressed, moving closer to him. "Are you dispensable there too? To me? To us?"

"That's different," Jax muttered, uncomfortable with the direction this was taking.

"Is it?" Lauren challenged. "Because it sounds like you've spent so many years being the enforcer, the guy who sacrifices his body for others, that you don't know how to value yourself anymore. Like you don't believe you're worth protecting."

Her words struck too close to home, hitting a vulnerability he rarely acknowledged even to himself. "What do you want from me, Lauren?" he demanded, his voice raw. "To sit out while Wilson runs our guys? While he targets Ethan again? While he tries to derail our playoff run?"

"I want you to care about yourself as much as I care about you!" Lauren cried, the tears finally spilling over. "I want you to see that you have value beyond what your body can endure! I want you to understand that watching you deliberately put yourself in harm's way is tearing me apart!"

The naked emotion in her voice momentarily silenced him. She'd never been this open, this vulnerable about her feelings for him.

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