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"Hey." I tip her head back, catching her gaze. "You came when I needed you most. That's not wrong, little one. I refuse to let you think it is. Having you here tonight meant everything."
"I didn't think Jonas would flip out in front of everyone," she admits. "I don't know what I thought, really. I'm so sorry."
I press my lips to her forehead, trying to soothe her. "Everything will be okay, Rebel. I promise it will."
She sighs quietly.
A few seconds later, the locker room door opens, and she tries to pull out of my arms. I tighten my grip on her, refusing to let her go. We're not going back to the hiding shit. Not now. Jonas will just have to find a way to live with the fact that I'm in love with his sister.
He doesn't have to like it. Hell, he doesn't even have to like me. He can be as pissed as he wants to be. But it's not going to change the way I feel about her. It's not going to scare me away. She needs to know that right now. She's spent too many years watching people run because of her brother. I won't be one of them.
He ducks out of the locker room a few minutes later, his gaze immediately landing on us. He tenses, sighs, and then heads our way.
"Breathe, little one," I murmur to Parker.
She sucks in a deep breath, pulling out of my arms to face him. I wrap an arm around her waist, offering her my strength.
"Hey, baby sister," Jonas says, his voice quiet, unreadable. "Um, can we talk?"
Parker bursts into tears and flings herself at him. He catches her, meeting my gaze over her head. His expression is somber, regretful.
Neither of us says a word, but we don't have to say it. We're Predators. We play hard and love harder. We'll work our shit out because the woman standing between us means too goddamn much to both of us to do anything less.
"I love you," Parker whispers hours later, curling up against my side on the plane. Ordinarily, she wouldn't be allowed to fly with us, but given everything that happened, an exception was made this time. Charlotte, Laney, Jamie, and Camila are flying back with us too. Management thought it would be safer to have us all on a chartered flight than for them to be bombarded by reporters trying to fly out commercial.
Everyone wants to know about Kris and Kelsey, and about me and Parker and the words Jonas and I exchanged. It's a shitshow. But it's our shitshow. We're always in the media for something.
This time, we'll solve it without Kelsey's help, but we'll solve it nonetheless. One way or another, we always do. We're not just a team. We're family. We stand united, no matter what.
"I love you too, little one." I lift Parker's hand, running my lips across her knuckles. Her ring finger is bare, but I'm hoping it won't be much longer. She's my future. As soon as she tells me yes, I'm giving her my last name.
I want it more than I want the Cup. I don't tell my teammates that, though. I think a few of them would understand. But the rest would think I'm crazy. I know what I want, though. She's sitting right beside me, holding my hand while she talks to her brother.
Chapter Twelve
Kellan
A Few Weeks Later
I jump over the boards, landing on my feet as Theo launches himself onto the ice in my place. Sweat rolls down my back as I fall onto the bench, exhausted. It's the Stanley Cup Final, and we've been playing our asses off.
In about thirty seconds, it'll all be worth it, though.
Wes sees Theo coming and sends the puck zinging down the ice toward him. Theo catches it on the edge of his stick without slowing as he sprints toward the goal. Everyone in the box is on their feet, screaming as one of the Ravens chases after him.
There is no catching Theo, though. Not when he's on a mission.
He skids to a stop a few feet from the goal, lining up the shot. His stick connects with the puck, and the goalie leaps forward to catch it. Except he didn't take a shot on the goal.
Kris stops the puck with the tip of his stick. He's in the left corner with a perfect shot. It's the last game of his career. It's only fitting that he brings home the Cup.
Kris doesn't hesitate. His stick connects with the puck, sending it careening toward the goal. The goalie dives toward the open space, trying to stop the puck. He almost manages to do it. The puck glances off the side of his glove and slides into the goal.
For a split second, the crowd goes silent, almost in disbelief. And then complete chaos erupts in the arena. Dean jumps up from the bench, screaming and shouting. Coach MacAthie roars his approval.
