Luke:And tonight?
I stared at the screen, pulse hammering.
Mila:Tonight I’m trying to survive calculus.
Luke:Liar. You’re thinking about me.
I bit my lip hard enough to sting, but my fingers betrayed me.
Mila:Delete my number.
Luke:Cute. Pretend you don’t want me.
Three dots blinked again, then disappeared. Reappeared. Stalled. As though he had more to say but wasn’t sure if he should.
I set the phone down before I could be the one to cave. But the truth had already sunk its claws in. I wanted him, had always wanted him, and pretending otherwise was just another lie waiting to shatter.
CHAPTER SIX
LUKE
There was something about post-practice exhaustion that made truths come easier. Maybe it was the sweat. Or the fatigue. Or the bruises we never talked about. Or maybe it was just the fact that no one wanted to be the first to leave.
The four of us lingered outside my SUV, hockey sticks leaning against the bumper, gear bags dumped on cracked pavement. The lot had mostly cleared, overhead lights buzzing faintly, throwing shadows that made the asphalt look even rougher.
Theo tossed his water bottle into his unzipped bag, the plastic bouncing off a pile of pads. He leaned back against the fender, lazy on the outside, but I knew better—there was always calculation running under the surface with him.
“You gonna say whatever’s eating at you?” Chase asked, stretching his long arms overhead, “or just keep pacing trenches in the asphalt?”
I stilled, realizing I had been pacing.
Jax smirked, cracking his knuckles. “Told you. He does that when something’s up.”
I rubbed the back of my neck then dropped my voice low. “Dunn Industries is moving. Quiet, steady—funneling assets through shell companies, buying up King Enterprises stock, positioning themselves for something bigger.” The words felt heavier out loud than they had in my head, but keeping it to myself wasn’t an option anymore.I couldn’t keep the guys out of the loop, not when their families were tied to King Enterprises just as tightly as mine. If Dunn was coming for us, they were in the line of fire too. “Doesn’t matter if it’s side contracts or hidden acquisitions. They’re building leverage, and they’re doing it under the radar.”
That got their attention. Silence stretched, heavy, different. No smirks. No jokes. This was where we stopped being just teammates and became what we really were—sons of the ruling circle, each one of us carrying shadows bigger than our own names.
“All of our families are tied to King Enterprises,” I pressed. “You think that makes us safe. But what if it doesn’t?”
Jax shifted his stance. “How far is the movement?”
“Far enough,” I answered. “And it’s not just the properties. Mila told me her mom was brought back for bookkeeping. Old accounts. Legacy ones. Now Dunn’s got fresh auditors digging around.”
Theo’s brows rose, but he didn’t crack a joke. He knew what that meant.
“My dad and brother are already circling the wagons. Chase, your dad’s on the board, so maybe he’s aware. The rest of you?” I shook my head. “I can’t say for sure. But Dunn’s playing a long game, and if they’re buying up King stock, that makes all of us collateral damage whether our families admit it or not.”
Chase’s jaw flexed, the easy grin gone. He gave a short nod—confirmation.
I turned toward Jax. “Your dad handles contracts for King’s construction arm. He’d know if something’s shifting with the land grabs.”
Jax’s eyes narrowed. “He hasn’t said anything. Yet.”
“Then either he doesn’t know,” I muttered, “or he’s not saying.”
Theo’s mouth curved wryly. “That’s our town, isn’t it? Even family only tells you what they want you to know.”
“Exactly,” I said. “And right now? Dunn’s moving under the surface, and Elise is still lurking.”
