Page 122 of Never Bet Against A Hockey Player

“Is she still at work?” August asked.

I heard the rev of an engine seconds later. He didn’t give them much as he whispered reassurances to me. I didn’t hang up the phone, I just sobbed quietly.

All the years of pent-up emotion spilled out of me, and I couldn’t seem to stop it. Then I was hit with a wall of my pack.

Shockingly, Lachlan was the first to find me.

He pulled me close, the scent of pine, blackberry, and rain. It was sharp and electric, breaking through the panic enough to reach me.

“Lach...” I sobbed again. “She’s trying to take him away.”

“Who’s trying to take him away, baby?” Conrad was here now. The scent of toasted coconut, vanilla, and ocean air washed over me in a calming wave that settled the tears enough that I could speak.

“My mother.” Then I gave them the entire story in one breath. Their reaction was as visceral as mine, though without the tears.

“She’s not touching him,” August said. He pulled me from Lachlan’s arms, placing his hands on my cheeks and forcing me to look at him.

His green eyes were vibrant and full of fury. His lime scent was so sharp that it almost drowned out the cedar and basil.

“We have evidence and history on our side. We have stability.”

“My brother sent me everything he had just in case,” Lachlan said. “I’ve got images of her in Vegas and a few other times that she simply disappeared. I made sure they were casual photos that looked like they were taken out on the street, and I sent him money so it looks like we hired him as a private investigator. That way everything is above the board and legal. Our lawyer has already agreed to take everything I’ve gathered, and he’s checking it over.”

“And remember, Gavin has a say in this,” Conrad reminded me. “He’s going to tell the same story you do in that courtroom. If not worse, because while you were busy protecting him, he was watching you take every hit, skipping meals so he had food to eat, and giving everything you had to him. That kind of impact doesn’t just get washed away because your mom has a few random connections and some corrupt cops.”

“She’s never going to touch him again,” I vowed, finally letting their confidence reassure me past the moment of panic.

“No, firecracker. She’s not,” August promised.

Something about the dangerous quality to his voice told me that no matter what was left unsaid, they meant every word.

They’d promised me once that we’d run if we had to.

I had a feeling they’d follow through no matter how this trial turned out.

Gavin was going to be safe.

No matter the cost.

Chapter

Thirty-Four

Lachlan

Playing hockey while Dhara sat in the stands worried about Gavin didn’t sit right with me, but there was truly nothing we could do to fix this. The trial was going to happen whether we liked it or not.

In fact, the trial needed to happen so the ghost of their mother didn’t loom over us with every move we made.

Dhara and Gavin were sitting front row. My number was on Dhara’s back, and I wasn’t about to lose this game over something we couldn’t change.

There was plenty that we still had to talk about. We had a call with the lawyer in the morning and had to come up with a gameplan, but that didn’t change tonight. We still had lives and obligations. I wasn’t going to show my mate and our kid anything but confidence. I couldn’t. They deserved stability in their lives, and that’s what we were fighting for.

The familiar cold air was harsh against my heated skin. Adrenaline pumped through my veins. We were facing the Defenders tonight, and they were what everyone considered one of the rising stars in hockey at the moment.

Tonight, it was an apt description. They were holding their own against some of the best players in the league.

For so long, I couldn’t imagine myself on any other team but the Narwhals, but South Lake had quickly become my home, and not just because of Dhara, though her being here definitely sweetened the deal.