Twenty-Two (Assassins Series Book 12) Read online

  And who was he to say no to the birthday girl?

  When the party ended, the mess was overwhelming. But Fallon was inside with Audrey and the kids, ignoring it, while Tate and Lucas shared a cold drink on the porch. They were supposed to be cleaning, but yeah, that wasn’t happening. He hadn’t seen his best friend a lot lately. With his injury, Tate had been hiding out, which was something he'd always done, like a dog licking his wounds. Especially now that the new guy was killing it in his place. Though, that was why Elli had brought in Jensen Monroe—to play to the standard Tate had established.

  And Monroe was doing that and then some, with ease.

  Which was not good for Tate.

  As they sat in comfortable silence, Lucas kicked his legs up on the table. “Shea was the one who called Bellevue about Aiden.”

  Tate nodded. “Sounds like something he’d do.”

  “Yeah.” Chewing on his lip, Lucas couldn’t shake the look that Shea’d had on his face when he brought up re-signing. When Tate looked over to him, Lucas shrugged. “It’s good, though.”

  “Real good. He’ll do great.”

  “Yeah, and then we’ll get Philippe in there.”

  Tate nodded. “Philippe has some years.”

  “He does.” He took a drink of his soda, hating the silence that continued to fall between them. “Dude, you’re killing me.”

  Tate laughed ruefully. “I know, I’m sorry. I suck lately. I’m driving Audrey insane.”

  “Yeah, that’s what Fallon said.”

  “I’m waiting for her to leave me.”

  Lucas reached over, punching him in the shoulder. “Never. Audrey is loyal to a fault. She also loves the fuck out of you.”

  Tate nodded, but Lucas could see the sadness in his eyes. “My head, it’s fucked.”

  Lucas exhaled hard. “Is Wren not helping?”

  He shrugged. “Yeah, but I hurt. All the time, and it scares me.”

  “Fuck, man, that sucks.”

  “I know, and I don’t know what to do. Audrey says she’ll go with whatever. She loves me. And Elli, she says she will support whatever I want—but I don’t know what I want. I feel like a failure. And I look at my children and don’t know how, one day, I can tell them I had to give up.”

  Lucas’s heart stopped dead in his chest. “You won’t give up.”

  “I can’t play in this pain.”

  “Then you’ll retire with fucking grace, Tate. You aren’t a quitter.”

  Pulling in a breath through his nose, he nodded. “You’re right.”

  “I am, but that’s not an option yet. You’re still healing.”

  “They say I shouldn’t still be in this much pain. What if I’m done?”

  “Then we’ll cross that bridge when we get there, damn it. But right now, you’re going to get better. Okay?”

  A small smile covered Tate's face. “Okay.”

  “And don’t be such a Debbie downer.”

  He laughed. “I hear you.”

  “Things are going to be fine. We’ll bring the Cup home for you, and then we’ll start new next year.”

  “Or we could retire.”

  Lucas whipped his head to him.

  “What?”

  “Yeah, go off on a trip, me and you. Be home for the kids. With Aiden making the moves he's making, we can be there for him. Coach him, y’know? Take some of the load off Audrey and Fallon.”

  Lucas scoffed, though Tate’s logic was sound. Lucas was getting old, and he had been playing for a long while, but he wasn’t ready to retire. He had some playing to do. Some more Cups to bring home. “We aren’t retiring.”

  “You’re old.”

  “And you’re a brat, shut up.” Tate laughed as Lucas shook his head. “I’m here lifting you up and giving you a great inspirational speech, and you tell me I’m old. Fucker.”

  Tate laughed. “You are.”

  “Fuck you,” he said, laughing, and Tate shook his head.

  “Just saying, your boy is going to be in the NHL before you know it, taking your place.”

  Lucas took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Again, that’s another bridge we’ll cross when we get to it.”

  Tate nodded sagely. “Okay, be in denial.”

  “What? My contract is up. They’re re-signing me this week.”

  “Then I’m wrong,” Tate said, holding his fist to Lucas’s. “You go kick ass, and I’ll cheer you on.”

  “You’re not done, Tate.”

  He shrugged, and Lucas could tell he felt defeated. “I’m getting there.”

  “No, you’re not. You’ll come back from this.”

  Tate met Lucas’s gaze. “I hope.”

  Tapping his fist to Tate’s, Lucas smiled. “Wish you were out there with me.”

  “Me too.”

  As they both took sips of their sodas, Lucas held his to his lips a little longer. He was getting older. Way older than Tate, and his body was hurting. But he wanted to re-sign. He had another year in him, maybe two. His time wasn’t up yet.

  At least, he hoped it wasn’t.

  4

  Game Four

  Fallon held a half-eaten snow cone in one hand and her phone in the other with one earbud in as she watched Aiden rush down the ice, the puck under his control. He caught the defense on a change, somewhat of a breakaway, before he shot the puck hard toward the net, hitting the back of it with ease.

  “Woot!” Audrey called from beside her.

  “Yes!” Fallon fist-pumped as the girls stood by the glass, bouncing up and down in their way too big Brooks jerseys. Looking over to Asher, who was on his computer, she said, “Your brother scored.”

  “Attaboy!” he called out, but he didn’t look up, which only made Fallon shake her head as she watched Aiden hug his teammates. “What’s the score on Daddy’s game?”

  “Two-zip, Assassins,” she said as she waved her hand in the air when Aiden looked up at her, like he always did. Like he always had, and a part of her was excited about his future. But the other part just made her heart ache. When he was in college, would he be able to see her? And in the NHL? Crap, she knew he wouldn’t be able to see her then.

  “This is game four, right? They win, they go to round three?”

  “Yes, baby. Emery! Get off there! Come eat this snow cone. It’s melting.”

  Emery continued to climb on the rail of the bleachers as she looked up. “I don’t want it.”

  “Then come get it and throw it away.”

  She pouted. “I don’t want to.”

  “Emery Elaine,” Fallon warned. “Get over here. Right now.”

  “I want my daddy!”

  “That’s new,” Audrey commented as Emery stomped up the stairs, her little brow furrowed.

  “That’s Emery, who has stayed close to her dad every moment he’s been home,” she muttered as Emery stopped in front of her. “Do you want that tail wore out?”

  “No, ma’am.”

  “Then what do you need to do?”

  “Throw away the snow cone and watch my mouth?”

  “Exactly,” she said, handing the snow cone to her trying child before looking down at her phone to see that the Assassins were on the penalty kill. They were probably playing the best hockey she had seen them play in her many years of supporting and loving the team. She was excited, but her gut was in a knot, not only for the Assassins but also for Aiden. Because across the rink, she could see the Bellevue representatives, watching her little boy with intent.

  “Aiden is playing great,” Audrey said then, and Fallon nodded.

  “I know, the best he’s ever played. Just like the Assassins.”

  Audrey beamed. “We’ll close out tonight and then get a nice break before round three. They need it.”

  “They do.” Looking down at her phone, Fallon watched as the second period ended, and she let out a long sigh. One more period. Twenty more minutes, and if the Assassins could hold the Hawks, they’d move on to round three. She couldn’t b