“What? It’s not like…”
“Boy, if you’re about to out someone, I suggest you zip your lips,” Asher said, the Dom voice making the ‘or else’ crystal clear.
Shane’s eyes widened, and Bauer looked between Asher and Shane, smirking as his eyes landed on Gavin, whose expression mimicked Bauer’s. Daddy’s throat cleared, drawing my eyes to him.
“Can we get back on track? The dick measuring and punishments can wait ’til later.”
A chuckle burst from someone. Soon we were all laughing. When things quieted down, I said, “Well, looks like I’m gonna be a Nighthawk. Where do I sign?”
EPILOGUE 1
SASHA
“I can’t believe you told them to give me the job,” Will said as we made our way out to the rink for the last game of the season.
Aiden’s initial enthusiasm to sign on the dotted line waned once he realized his college playing days would end immediately. He refused to leave the team after only just returning. But when my boy made the move, I refused to be forced to stay behind, so I moved all the puzzle pieces into place as soon as I could. Will bitched and moaned from the moment I made the call to tender my resignation in January.
“You should’ve taken the damn job to begin with. You’ve done it all season.”
“No, Sasha, you’ve…”
“Been a fucking figurehead, and don’t fucking deny it.”
“So you didn’t do the paperwork shit, that doesn’t make you a bad coach. It means you know how to delegate.”
“You’re splitting cock hairs, bud.”
“There are times I think you and I were switched at birth, because you sound so much more like my brothers than I do.”
I laughed at that. Unlike his brothers, Will was strung tighter than a virgin in a orgy. “I know a fix for that.”
“What, me not sounding like my brothers?”
“Yes, and being so wound up. You give a prude a run for their money.”
“I’m not prudish.”
I snorted, laughing so hard. Instead of commenting, I smacked him on the back and shook my head as I moved ahead of him to enter the tunnel.
He called, “I’m not a prude,” as the team made their way out of the room and into the tunnel.
Laughter echoed so loudly my head began to throb.
“It’s okay, Coach, we love ya anyway,” Isaiah Huston said.
“Goddammit. I’m not a prude.”
“Thou doth protesteth too mucheth,” Trey replied, patting Will on the back.
I’d miss The U—the team, the staff, and the atmosphere of this barn, just like I had when I left for the NHL. But this place had always only been a stopping point for Aiden. Falling in love with him meant my days here were numbered, too. Asher and Bauer had flown Aiden down to Nashville twice since offering him a spot. Aiden loved Nashville, but to stay in the good graces of the league and the school, he also entertained offers from New York, Vegas, and Seattle. All good teams. Alllooking for a starting center. But I knew he’d go south, instead of east or west.
During our last trip south, I went on the hunt for a place to live. The three-story, three-bedroom luxury townhome with a two-car garage, a rooftop deck, and views of the city ticked all the boxes. We wouldn’t even need a decorator since all the furniture in the fully staged home came with the place. The only downside to the property was the lack of yard, but there was an enormous park a block away. Hell, we’d been living at EDGE for months without issue, so a townhouse a block away from a park wouldn’t be a problem. Especially not when the arena sat a mile away.
“Fuck all of you.”
“Coming from someone else, I might take that as a threat.”
Luckily he took the joke as intended and I received two fuck you fingers in response. Before I could smart off again, the PA system announced the team.
