Page 65 of Face Off

One weekend. No promises. No forgiveness. Nothing that followed us to the airport.

I could let Charm be mine where everyone could see it, take one honest memory back to Milwaukee, and finally put the suffering to bed.

The reasoning should’ve felt reckless. Instead, it was the first thought I’d had in fifteen months that sounded anything like peace.

I finished dressing before I could examine that too closely. The black shirt Charm probably helped Bliss choose fit across my shoulders without needing adjustment, and the suit jacket carried enough tailoring to prove someone had obtained my measurements without permission. That someone was Briggs who was at my apartment enough to have the building considering adding him to the lease. I fastened the silver tie bar Cade gave me and ran my thumb over the hidden coordinates before grabbing my phone.

The private dining terrace glowed beneath strands of lights when I arrived. Flowers and candles ran along two long tables overlooking the darkening gardens while servers moved through the crowd with champagne. The Bennetts filled the space with enough noise to make the estate feel less like a castle and more like someone’s overcrowded backyard.

Daniel stood beside Harrison near the bar, laughing over a story involving Coach Little, a golf cart, and an incident Harrison claimed had been omitted from the insurance paperwork. Elenore listened with one hand wrapped around a glass of champagne, her warm expression changing the moment she saw me.

“My beautiful Ryan.”

“You’ve been drinking.”

“One glass of champagne.”

“You become affectionate after half a glass.”

“I’ve always been affectionate with you.” She wrapped both arms around me, and I kissed her cheek before she pulled back to inspect me with the careful attention mothers perfected. Hers carried no claim beyond years of knowing I belonged beside her son. “Milwaukee agrees with you.”

“Milwaukee pays me to play hockey. Our relationship remains uncomplicated.”

Harrison offered his hand before pulling me into a brief embrace. “How’s the Inferno treating you?”

“They give me ice, equipment, and permission to hit people. I’m thriving.”

“You look good, sweetie.” Elenore said.

“That’s the mezcal.”

Her eyes narrowed. “How much mezcal?”

“Enough to make dinner with this many Bennetts and an ex seem manageable.”

“No amount of alcohol makes that manageable,” Harrison said.

Daniel approached in time to hear him and clapped a hand against Harrison’s shoulder. “You say that as if your family is quiet.”

“My family is a fraction of the size of yours and knows how to use an indoor voice.”

“Your wife does. Cade’s been yelling since he met me and I kicked his ass weekly in the rink.”

“He had to compete with you. Competition makes him loud.”

“I improved his communication skills,” I said.

“You taught him profanity in Spanish,” Elenore replied.

I shrug with a laugh. “He was going to learn eventually. I gave him proper pronunciation.”

Daniel shook my hand before pulling me into a hard embrace. “You made it.”

“I heard there would be free liquor.”

“You heard correctly.” He released me and glanced toward the terrace. “Wait until tomorrow. Bliss hired a grill-master chef because my children have spent years destroying my reputation.”

Harrison lifted his whiskey. “We have evidence. We all have attempted to eat your version of barbeque.”