LOGINCHAPTER 144Marcus didn't give him a chance to say another word. He just hooked a fist into Liam’s jersey collar, yanked him backward, and shoved him straight into the dark equipment closet at the end of the hall.The heavy metal door slammed shut behind them, cutting off the noise from the rest of the guys coming off the ice.It smelled awful in there—stale sweat, old leather, wet tape, and that sharp metallic tang of rubber pads that had been sitting in hockey bags way too long. The only light coming in was from the thin crack beneath the door.Liam’s heart was slamming against his ribs so hard he could feel it in his freaking teeth. He dropped his hands onto his knees, his shoulder pads feeling like they weighed a hundred pounds, and just tried to breathe. Shit. Shit, shit, shit. The fucking moment of truth.Marcus didn't say anything at first. He just leaned his back against the closed door, crossed his arms over his broad chest, and stared down at him. His face was totally unrea
CHAPTER 143The screech of Alex’s tires echoed down the street, fading into the distance until the parking lot fell dead silent.Raphael stood shivering in the biting wind, his split knuckles dripping fresh blood onto his boots, his chest heaving. Beside him, Liam felt like the ground beneath his feet was caving in.Marcus slowly turned around, adjusting his collar, his expression totally unreadable."Marcus..." Liam started, his throat so dry it felt like sandpaper. "Marcus, look, I can explain—""It wasn't his fault!" Raphael blurted out instantly, stepping in front of Liam, his raw hands clenching into trembling fists. "It was me. I forced this. I... I made him—"Marcus paused, looking at Raphael with a flat, deeply unimpressed brow. "You made him what? You made the straight guy gay? What are you, Raphael, some kind of witch or wizard of oz?"Raphael blinked, entirely thrown off. "Uhm...I... I don't know—""Marcus, please," Liam cut in, stepping past Raphael, his voice tight with a
CHAPTER 142The words hung frozen in the bitter morning air, echoing off every fucking wall in the parking lot.Liam is gay. And he’s been fucking Raphael.Marcus stood totally motionless at the top of the concrete steps, his mouth slightly open, his hockey gloves dangling uselessly from his right hand. He blinked, the freezing wind stinging his eyes, his brain stuttering as he looked from Alex’s bleeding, swollen face to the blood that had spilled to the floor."What?" Marcus rasped, his voice dropping an octave, utterly stunned. "What the hell did you just say?"Alex spat a glob of thick, crimson blood onto the floor again, a manic grin splitting his ruined lips. He loved the shock on Marcus’s face. He leaned forward, swaying unsteadily, making sure every word was dripping with venom."You heard me!" Alex cackled, his bloodshot eyes wide and unhinged. "Your golden boy captain! Your straight little leader! He likes it up the ass! And Raphael gives it to him every night! That's your
CHAPTER 141Raphael froze, his hand hovering an inch from the heavy metal door handle.He turned around slowly, his chest heaving, his jaw clenched so hard his teeth groaned under the pressure."Stop playing stupid fucking games, Alex," Raphael snarled, his voice a low, lethal vibration in the freezing air.Alex didn't flinch. He just threw his head back and laughed—a bitter, mocking sound that echoed off the concrete walls of the arena's parking lot."It's not a game, Raph!" Alex taunted, taking a unsteadily swaying step forward, wiping a drop of sweat from his forehead. "It's the truth! Look at you! You're standing out here freezing, running errands for him like a damn dog, while he sits inside where it's warm! Is that what you are to him? His shameful little secret?!"Don't do it, Raphael warned himself, his fists balling tightly in his coat pockets. Do not fall into the viper's trap. He wants you to lose it. He wants a show.For a split second, a tiny, toxic seed of doubt tried to
Chapter 140Raphael swung his gear bag over his shoulder, his boots crunching on the dirty, slushy ice of the arena parking lot. Liam was walking right beside him, hands shoved deep into his jacket pockets, the cold air turning their breath into cute little white clouds."I'm telling you, the third-period line shift was garbage," Raphael grunted, bumping his shoulder lightly against Liam's. "Marcus was gassed. You had to cover his back door twice.""Marcus was fine," Liam replied, a faint, lazy smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "He just needs to stop eating burritos before morning skate.""It's a medical hazard—" Raphael started saying before he stopped dead in his tracks. His jaw dropped. He aggressively slapped his hands against his coat pockets, then his pants, a look of pure, unadulterated horror washing over his face. "No. No, no, no."Liam stopped a few paces ahead, turning around with a raised eyebrow. "What?""My tape!" Raphael gasped, clutching his chest like he’d ju
Chapter 139 They walked back down the dark hallway, the floorboards cold under their bare feet. When they stepped back into the bedroom, Raphael stopped. He looked at his own empty bed across the room, then over at Liam’s. After everything that had just spilled out in the kitchen—after the awkwardness, the secret, and the weird, hysterical laugh about bread—that six-foot gap between their mattresses looked completely absurd and definitely not needed. Liam pulled his blanket back and climbed in, propping himself up against his pillow. He looked over at Raphael, who was just standing there in the middle of the floor, staring at his own bare feet like he was afraid to move. Raphael swallowed hard, his throat tight. "Can I..." Raphael started, his voice barely a breath in the quiet room. He looked up, meeting Liam’s eyes. "Can I lie with you tonight? Please?" Liam didn't say a word. He just shifted over toward the wall, lifting the corner of the heavy duvet as response. Raphael didn
Liam’s eyes snapped open at 4:07 AM, the same time his internal alarm had gone off for years. The room was still dark, the city outside the window quiet except for the occasional distant hum of traffic. He lay there for a few seconds, staring at the ceiling, before the weight of the new realit
Liam paced the length of his apartment like an animal on heat, the city lights glittering mockingly through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The victory high from last night had curdled into something sour and heavy in his chest. Every time he closed his eyes, he heard Raphael’s voice, low, mocking, f
The locker room smelled like sweat, icy gel, and adrenaline. Liam Lannister sat on the bench, lacing his skates with sharp, precise tugs, jaw tight as he listened to the distant roar of the crowd filtering through the tunnel.Frostbite Wolves versus Shadow Reapers. The biggest rivalry in the league
The bass thumped through the walls of The Icehouse, the team’s favorite upscale club downtown. Neon blue and white lights pulsed across the crowded dance floor, reflecting off glass tables and mirrored columns like shards of ice. The Wolves had reserved the entire VIP section — bottle service flowi







