Page 5 of Second Shot

Good. Let him feel it in every cell of hisbody.

I let the thought grow, let it fester, because I want him to hurt. I want to be the one to pierce through his cold, callous heart and make him feel the same brokenness that he’s left mewith.

When I turn to leave, I half expect, half hope he’ll try and stopme.

Hedoesn’t.

I shut the door behind me, my heart beating wildly in my throat, and the tears I’ve been holding back finally fall free across mycheeks.

I focus on why I came here tonight –I hate KaneMadden.

Chapter 1

One YearLater

Kane

“You all right, old man?”Austin Branson chuckles as he unlaces his skates on the bench beside me. Dark blonde hair falls over his eyes before he does his signature head-flip thing that all the girls go ape-shitover.

The kid looks like he should be in a boy-band, not the starting forward for one of the best teams in theNHL.

I grunt and roll my shoulder, wincing when I hear the pop and crackle of my joints. I’m only eight years older than the kid, but today my body feels ancient and beatendown.

“You’d be feeling some pain, too, if you didn’t have me protecting your ass out there.” Today was only a practice, but even with our own guys, Coach has me watching the kid’sback.

At twenty, he’s the youngest starter on the team, and a damn good player. But there’s something wild, almost volatile underneath his cocky playfulness. He reminds me a little too much of myself at his age. Which means one thing –trouble.

Austin grins at me. “You coming to the Landing Striptonight?”

“No.” He’s referring to the team’s preferred strip club. The kid isn’t even old enough to be in the damn place, but playing for the Annihilators has its perks. Free alcohol and easy women are just acouple.

“Guys are starting to spread rumors about you, bro. And I’m starting to wonder if they’re not true. Haven’t seen you with a chick since I joined theteam.”

“Fuck off, Branson.” I toss my dirty towel at his face, and head to theshowers.

Turning the water on, I step under the frigid stream, not adjusting the temperature, allowing the iciness to bite at myskin.

The kid is right. I’ve heard the guys talk. Wondering what my problem has beenlately.

But it doesn’t matter how many pairs of tits they try and push in my face, there’s only one girl I can’t stop thinking about –Brynne.

I fucked up, bigtime.

That night, a year ago, I knew she’d been drinking, and I knew how vulnerable she was. But I’d wanted her. Hell, I’ve always wanted her. For years I’d fought against the temptation to touch her, kiss her. Knowing I’d never have her. What it would mean to my career. My relationship with her family if I ever let myself have even a singletaste.

I loved the woman more than was rational or sane. And she hated me inreturn.

Not that I hadn’t given her reasons. I’d spent the past ten years making sure those beautiful brown eyes never looked myway.

Brynne was in the kitchen the first time I saw her. Sitting at the table, legs curled up under her, light brown hair hanging over half her face, nose deep in a textbook and scribbling furiously on a notepad besideit.

“Dork, say hi to Kane,” Sam flicked her ear as he passed, before opening the fridge and pulling out two bottles of beer, then handing me one. “He’s going to be staying with us for a couplemonths.”

Because I was still underage, Coach had made a deal with my foster parents to bring me into his house while I trained with the Annihilators’ farm team. It was a good gig, and I wasn’t about to screw itup.

Hockey was my life. The only thing that made me feel alive. Like I wasn’t the fuck-up I’d always believed I was. On the ice, I was a god. And if the signing bonus the Annihilators were offering me was any indication of the money I’d be making, I was about to become one rich-ass motherfucker.

This house, and everything in it, could be mine one day. No more living off macaroni and cheese and ramen noodles. I was flying. Soaring to the top. And nothing was going to stopme.

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