Page 130 of Revenge Puck

Declan skates back a step, giving him space.

Storm looks between us. “We playing hockey or having a pissing contest?”

“Pissing contest.” I laugh, eyes not leaving Declan’s face.

Storm’s gaze bounces between us. “Fantastic. Love this energy before the puck drops.”

Declan exhales through his nose, fogging up the glass on his face mask. “Stay out of it, Storm.”

“Oh, I amnotstaying out of it,” Storm says dryly. “You two look like you’re about to take off your gloves and go at it. What the hell happened?”

“Ask him,” Declan mutters.

I tilt my head. “You sure you want to go there?”

Storm squints at us. “I’m sensing some tension.”

“There was a misunderstanding.” Declan shifts his weight, resting an arm on his stick.

I push off slightly, circling once before stopping again, close enough that the rookies drifting nearby slow down.

“Misunderstanding? That’s one word for it.” I laugh. “Ask him who he was fucking the last time I showed up unannounced at his apartment.”

The rookie’s eyes go wide. “I’m scared to.”

Declan shifts, directing his comment at me. “It wasn’t like that.”

“It was exactly like that,” I reply calmly.

Storm looks between us again, putting it together. “You’re telling me what I think you’re tell?—”

“I’m telling you,” I cut in, “that loyalty means different things to different people, and you should keep your girlfriend away from certain people or they’ll accidentally fuck them.”

Storm’s mouth opens. Closes. Opens again.

“Jesus.” He scrubs a hand down his face. “So, you two hate each other because you?—”

“Because loyalty has a sliding scale.”

Declan’s eyes flash. “You weren’t there for her.”

Her. Meaning Bailey?

Oh, for fuck’s sake.“All we need to know is I didn’t sleep withyourgirlfriend.”

It’s a brutal thing to say, stunning both my teammates.

Silence.

Storm looks at Declan. “Holy. Shit.”

Around us, players from both teams continue warming up, oblivious to the tension at center ice. A ref skates past with a whistle in his mouth, toward the bench to speak with our coaches.

Meanwhile, the ice below us feels thin, about to crack.

“And now Bishop is dating my sister. Does that seem like a coincidence?”

There it is.