Page 60 of Penn

I watch with almost morbid curiosity as Lucky—fully geared minus his helmet—sliding in his socks across the slick tile floor, doing exaggerated body rolls and pelvic thrusts like some kind of deranged male model on ice. He nearly wipes out trying to spin, but catches himself dramatically, arms flared like a peacock. Then he does a full-body shimmy and drops into the splits.

“Jesus Christ,” I mutter, wincing at what should be dislocated hips.

The locker room erupts in cheers and before I know it, I’m clapping right along with them.

Boone’s practically choking with laughter. Rafferty is filming it, howling. King mutters something about needing bleach for his eyes. Even Coach West—who walked in mid-thrust—freezes in place, one eyebrow raised so high it practically vanishes into his hairline.

Lucky just points a finger gun at him. “Don’t worry, Coach. That one’s for the algorithm.”

West stares at him, completely deadpan. “The only algorithm I care about is the one that calculates your ass getting benched if we lose tonight.”

More laughter and Lucky is still chuckling as he packs away his phone and tripod, taking a seat on the bench where his expression morphs into one of fierce competitiveness.

He glances at me. “Ready to kick ass, Captain Vengeance?”

I don’t even mind the nickname. “Ready,” I affirm.

West steps into the center of the room, planting his feet shoulder-width apart and clapping his hands once.

“Bring it in.”

The team gathers around him, energy buzzing. My heart rate kicks up, part nerves, part adrenaline.

“We’re on the road. That means we’ve got distractions. Travel fatigue. Hostile crowd. But you know what else we’ve got?” He pauses, lets the moment hang. “Each other. And momentumwe’ve been building on during every shift, every period, every game. I like what I’m seeing—tight formations, communication, discipline.”

He looks around the circle, eyes locking with each of us.

“This is where we keep pushing. Stay smart. Stay physical. Keep that pressure high. Penn, Stone, Boone—I want you setting the tone on that first shift. Fast. Hard. Clean.” He points to us individually, and I give a tight nod.

“Defense—don’t overcommit. Stay between the puck and the net. You know how Edmonton likes to cycle in deep. Don’t get cute, just get it out.”

We all nod, murmurs of agreement rippling through the room.

“And one more thing,” West says, glancing my way. “I don’t think I need to say this, but I will. We’ve got a brother in here who put it all on the line this week—for justice, for what’s right, and for the people he cares about. That takes guts. And that’s the kind of character I want on this team.”

It’s quiet for a beat. Then Stone clears his throat and steps away from the huddle. “Speaking of that…”

We all watch as he walks to his stall and pulls out something purple and shiny. He unfolds it, shakes it out, and I tilt my head, confused as to what it is.

It looks like… a cape?

“Penn,” Stone says, and I jolt as he looks at me directly. “This isn’t the snazziest thing and Harlow worked hard on it last night to get it ready, but we…” He motions around to indicate the team. “We wanted to let you know how much we respect what you’re doing. And how grateful we are that you’ve decided to open up to us.”

With a flourish, he turns the cape around and I read the words crudely cut out of what looks like felt:Hero Status: Unlocked.

My mouth drops open. I’m speechless. It’s so fucking ridiculous and ugly, and yet… I know deep in my gut I’ll cherish it for the rest of my life.

Several of the guys whoop and Lucky yells out, “Captain Vengeance! It’s about damn time someone got a cape around here!”

Stone steps over, holding it out to me. “Not all heroes wear capes, my man. But we all think you should.”

The whole room cheers. I actually have to rub a hand down my face to keep from grinning like an idiot. I take the cape, shake my head in disbelief, and drape it over my shoulders.

“Feel free to make fun of me later,” I say dryly.

“Nope,” King says. “We’re making this a thing.”

It’s just so fucking ludicrous. And also one of the best fucking moments I’ve ever had in a locker room.

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