I haven’t said more than two words to him since the night I left our childhood home, and whatever he has to say doesn’t matter. Cooper and Beau Hendrix aren’t my brothers; right now; they are my enemies. They are the two people standing in my way of making all my dreams come true.
I watch as Harvey warms himself up, stretching his legs and arms so he’s prepared for whatever Cooper might throw his way. He’s no stranger to Cooper’s slap and backhand shot, but you never know which he’s going to choose. There is no rhyme or reason to what my brother does. It’s as if he can, in the moment, feel the exact thing to do in order to get his desired results, and I fucking hate his guts for it.
“Cooper Hendrix hasn’t played most of the season because of a knee injury, but he battled back to lead his team to another Western Conference Championship.”
“Like I need more of a reminder,” I mumble to myself as the announcers continue their conversation over the microphone.
“That’s right. I’m sure Timberwolves fans were worried about their chances of even making it to the conference championship without Cooper. He’s the heart and soul of the Timberwolves team. The fact that his team was able to rally around him, giving him another chance at the cup, is a testament to their dedication and heart.”
For fuck’s sake. Cooper wasn’t the first person to tear his ACL from a hard hit, and he won’t be the last. However, the way the announcers talk about him, you’d think he was a god who just turned water into wine. Cooper Hendrix is nothing special. He put in the work and made it back on the ice. Just like all the rest of us have done. Period.
“Hendrix hasn’t had a shootout attempt in the last two seasons. Let’s hope he can put the puck in the back of the net this time and put the Timberwolves in the lead.”
Silence descends over the entire arena, everyone on the edge of their seats waiting to see what happens. Instead of watching, my head drops to my knees as I mentally prepare myself to go out onto the ice. I inhale deeply, attempting to center myself. I need to score this goal for a multitude of reasons. For my team, for a chance to win the Stanley Cup, but most of all, for myself. For a chance to silence the nagging voice in the back of my mind telling me I’ll never be as good as my oldest brother, Cooper Hendrix.
The Timberwolves’ bench erupts into a series of loud cheers as Tom’s booming voice fills the arena. “Welcome to the Cooper Hendrix Show! Now everything rests on the shoulders of Cole Hendrix.”
“Of course, it does,” I mumble before pushing to my feet, shoving my hands into my gloves, and grabbing my stick.
There are no words of encouragement from my teammates, just complete silence. I expect nothing from my team. Their thoughts are written all over their faces. They wish Cooper was on their team instead of me. They used to be better at hiding it, but it’s always been there. Now the question is, will I still be welcome if I miss this shot?
Management has been threatening not to renew my contract for months because I refused to convince Cooper to come over to the team. I never told anyone about their threats, deciding to put my head down and work harder, but Remy found out. There’s no doubt in my mind that he told Cooper. Thankfully, my brother has gotten over his white knight complex and has left me alone to deal with this myself, but I don’t know if I can hold management off any longer.Focus, Cole. Score the goal, and win the game. They can’t bitch if you’re the hero.
“Sending good vibes to Cole Hendrix as he skates toward center ice. He scored both of the Wolverines’ goals today. Let’s hope he can score one more and send his team to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in years.”
No pressure, asshole.This isn’t the first time we’ve had to face off against our biggest rivals, the Timberwolves, for the conference championship. Ever since I entered the league, we haven’t won one championship. We’ve gotten to this final game against the Timberwolves, and then nothing.
“The only thing standing in his way is his older brother, Beau Hendrix. Cole has not had a shootout attempt this season, but if anyone can score on Beau, it’s him.”
Can they just shut the fuck up? I don’t need the constant reminders that I’m chasing my brothers. I’ve been one step behind Cooper and Beau my entire life. For once, I want a chance to stand out, to show the world that I’m an individual, not just the little brother to two future hockey legends. This is my chance.
I take a deep breath as the referee blows his whistle, signaling me to proceed. Nothing else matters but putting the puck into the back of the net.
I sprint forward, straight toward Beau in the center of the net. His eyes are focused on the puck, not paying attention to anything I’m doing. I could try something fancy to grab his attention and knock him off balance, but I’m not one to play games when my future is on the line. Beau has been a little slower with his trapper than usual, so my best bet is to try a backhanded shot. If I skate in close and lift it enough, I can get it up and over his glove before he even knows what happened.
“Here comes Cole with speed, heading toward Beau Hendrix. He pulls back, stopping to—wait… no, he goes in for the backhand. Oh, no! I can’t believe it!”
Fuck. I can’t believe it either. I missed. Denied another chance at the Stanley Cup. My shoulders slump forward in defeat as the noise of the crowd weighs on me, feeling like a million pounds. My knees threaten to buckle, but I will not give them the satisfaction. At this moment, I know my hockey career is over. Not unless I can pull some miracle out of my ass.
“Good game, little brother.” I school my features as I turn toward my brother, wiping all emotions from my face. “If it were anyone else, that would’ve gone in for sure, but I taught you everything you know, remember?”
Of course, I fucking remember. No one will ever let me forget that my brothers are some of the greatest hockey players of all time. That everything I have is because I have them as brothers. Fuck me. When am I finally going to beat one of my brothers? Once the third-best Hendrix brother, always the third-best Hendrix brother, I guess.
“Good game, Beau,” I grumble just as I feel someone tug hard on the back of my jersey before something comes smashing into the back of my head. My body lunges forward, and my face smashes into the ice. I see stars as I try to push up off the ice, but I’m immediately pressed back down.
“Get your goddamn hands off my brother!” Cooper bellows, the sound of his voice echoing in my ears as my head ricochets off the ice a second time.
With the way Cooper is acting, I doubt that it was anyone from the Timberwolves that sucker punched me from behind, so that only leaves one other option: my teammates. I knew they had it out for me, but never in a million years would I believe that something like this would happen.
“Come on, Cole. Let’s get you up off the ice,” Beau whispers, grabbing my left shoulder and attempting to lay me on my back, but my right arm is pinned under me. My torso twists, and I hear a loud popping noise as excruciating pain rips through my shoulder and down my arm, causing me to clench my eyes closed tightly.
“You wouldn’t even have a place on the team if they didn’t want your damn brothers so badly. Too bad we got stuck with the throwaway Hendrix,” Leon bellows before something connects with the right side of my head, and my mind descends into darkness.
ChapterTwo
Cole
Muffled sounds fill my ears as I try to make sense of where I am. I’m not wet or freezing, so I’m definitely not lying on the ice of the arena. It’s way too quiet for that. My eyes feel like there are weights hanging off my eyelashes as I struggle to force them to open. After a few failed attempts, I pry my eyes open, but immediately slam them shut again. White orbs flash behind my eyelids as blinding pain shoots through my head.
