LOGINElliot POVThe high beams shine really bright in the tunnel. I squint because it hurts my eyes. Our armored SUV is stuck on the side of the road. Three black cars are blocking our way. The doors open. Men get out into the rain. They are wearing vests and carrying big guns."Aris!" Sebastian yells. He pulls out his gun from under his jacket. "Fix the car. Get us moving now.""The computer is locked," Aris says. He rips off a plastic cover. Pulls out a bunch of wires. "I have to connect them by hand. Give me ten seconds.""We do not have ten seconds," Sebastian says. He looks at our driver. "When the car starts, you hit the gas. Go between the two cars in the middle. We will push through their line.""Yes, sir," the driver says. He holds the wheel tight. His hands are white.The men outside raise their guns. I put my hand on my stomach. My heart is beating fast. The air in the car feels thin. I close my eyes. I get ready for the crash."Wham!"A bullet hits the window next to my head. I
Sebastian POVThe border on the tablet screen was flashing like a warning light. It was shining against the wood of the boardroom table, making the message look really scary.FACILITY COMPROMISED. PRISONER ESCAPE IN PROGRESS. TARGET DETAILEE DEVEREUX ACCOUNTED FOR MISSING.Elliot stared at the screen, his face turning completely white. Before I could grab him, he backed away, shook his head, and bolted out the boardroom doors to get to his team."Tell me," I said to Aris, my eyes staying on the open doorway. My voice was really quiet.Aris swallowed hard. He used his thumb to scroll down the screen to refresh the feed. The information did not change. "It happened twenty minutes ago when they were moving him from the courthouse to the maximum-security wing. They attacked the vehicle three blocks from the exit ramp.""How many people were hurt?""Two guards are dead," Aris said quietly. His fingers were shaking against the edge of the tablet. "Both of them were really good at their jobs
Sebastian POVThe thick cardstock felt cold in my hand. I stared at the target painted on the Toronto Wolves logo. The paint was fresh. Left a small smear on my skin. Someone had walked into this facility, bypassed the locks, and put a threat in my husband's gear bag.They got too close to Elliot. They got too close to our pup.The air in the office filled with a strong, heavy scent. It smelled like cedar and crushed ice, with a bitter edge. My chest tightened as I looked at the security monitors. The screens showed hallways and corridors. The staff walked around without a care. They had no idea how close a threat had just come to the captain."Get the head of stadium operations in here now," I told the guard. My voice was low and flat.The guard didn't ask questions. He just tapped his earpiece and left the room.I looked back at the card. My mind went through every scenario. Commissioner Devereux was behind bars. He still had a lot of power. He had people on the payroll and inside t
Elliot POVThe air inside the Toronto Wolves facility smelled bad like old ice and cheap wax. I held onto the edge of the rink, my knuckles turned white because I felt sick to my stomach. I clenched my jaw and swallowed the bad taste.The players on the ice were practising. The sound of the puck hitting the sticks was loud and familiar. Today, it hurt my head."Keep moving, Nathan!" I yelled. My voice was not as loud as usual. The players started moving faster anyway. They knew I was under a lot of pressure. Everyone knew.The TVs in the lounge had been showing the news for a day. Commissioner Devereux got arrested. He did something with money. The news people wanted to talk about that. They also wanted to talk about me, the Toronto Wolves captain, who is going to be a dad and is married to the Kings' captain.The side door to the rink opened. Aris walked in. He looked serious as he was checking his tablet.I did not turn around. I kept looking at the ice. "How many reporters are outs
Sebastian POVThe silence in the boardroom was tight. The wood beneath my hands felt cold. Across the table, Commissioner Devereux stared at me, his eyes wide. He was trying to look calm. His right hand was pressing hard into the leather of his chair."You think you can scare me with a threat of prison, Sebastian?" Devereux said. He pulled his shoulders back, trying to look strong. "You are an owner, nothing more. You do not make the rules of this league. The bylaws stand.""The bylaws do stand," I said, straightening up slowly. I did not raise my voice. A quiet leader does not need to shout to get attention. ". You no longer have a board to enforce them."I reached into my pocket. Pulled out a small black flash drive. I placed it gently on the center of the oval table. The tiny piece of metal slid across the polish, stopping right in front of the heavy-set owner from Boston."What is that?" the Boston owner asked, looking from the drive to my face."That is why Arthur wanted a distra
Sebastian POVI put on my silver cufflink. It clicked into place on my wrist. It was a sound in the quiet car. Outside the car window, I saw the league headquarters building. The rain had stopped . The stone walls were wet and dark.I looked at my hand. I could still feel the warmth of Elliot's skin. My thumb rubbed against my finger. I could almost feel his heartbeat. The word "pup" was in my mind. It was like a drumbeat in my blood.I wanted to protect Elliot. I had already taken steps to do that. I had left three guards outside our home. They answered to me, not the league. Nobody was going to hurt my husband.Aris spoke up from the seat. "The Toronto board members are already inside, sir," he said. "They signed the agreements. You have a lot of voting power right now. Devereux cannot call a vote.""Devereux does not need votes if he uses the health clause." I said, my voice was flat. I did not sound happy. "He wants to make a scene. He wants to hurt Elliot. He wants to say that th
Sebastian POVThe private elevator rose in absolute silence, the numbers on the digital panel ticking upward toward the penthouse suite. The air inside the glass capsule felt different from the stadium, warm, filtered, and heavy with the scent of polished wood and leather. Elliot leaned against the
Sebastian POV The concrete corridor under the stadium made a metallic sound as the security gates rattled. Eighty thousand voices still rumbled through the ceiling. Down here, it sounded different. It sounded like a trap closing. Reporters filled the space between the locker room and the exit. Ca
Elliot POV The puck flew off my blade. It whistled past the goalie's blocker and struck the inside upper twine of the net with a sharp ping.The red light exploded behind the glass.The stadium erupted into madness. Eighty thousand people screamed simultaneously. The sound waves vibrated through t
Elliot POV The weight of Sebastian's words hung in the freezing air between us. It was sharper than the sub-zero wind cutting through the stadium.If we lose this game, Devereux wins the narrative.I looked at the linesman's hand. I blocked out the eighty thousand screaming fans. I also blocked ou







