Chapter 18
Jaxon
I step off the ice after a late training session and am utterly exhausted. The boys and I all head to the locker room with only a few quiet conversations between us. I whip off my training gear followed quickly by my skates and consider just grabbing my shit and leaving. I can shower when I get home.
“Fuck,” I groan, knowing myself too well. I’ll get end up crashing and going to bed stinking of sweat. I grab a towel and rush through a quick shower before packing up my shit. I reach into my locker and grab my wallet, phone and keys.
I hit the home button on my phone to find a missed call from Dad, which is promptly ignored, a message from Cass and a YouTube notification, telling me Cass has posted another song today. Wow, two in one day, Cass is really getting back into it and I could not be prouder.
I open her text and realise it is from over 2 hours ago.
Cass – Night. Xx.
I don’t want to wake her so I don’t reply, instead I open up my YouTube app and find the notification of Cassie’s song. I hit play on the video and my eyes immediately land on her beautiful face which is framed by her long, wavy chestnut hair.
She turns towards the camera and starts introducing the song, the same way she has been doing for years, only this time, it’s different. I turn up the volume on the side of my phone, just to make sure I’m hearing her correctly, I mean, it’s pretty damn late at night and I’m freaking exhausted.
She didn’t just say this was an original song, did she?
I hit pause on the video and grab my shit off the floor. I duck past Bobby without a second glance and fly through the door, desperate to be in the peaceful silence of my truck where I can concentrate on her song one hundred percent, no distractions.
I slam the door behind me and turn on the ignition, only to have to wait the slow, agonising few moments for the Bluetooth in my phone to connect to the media system of my truck. The moment I am finally prepared and ready. I hit play on the video.
It starts with Cass playing the keys, only it doesn’t show that, I just know she would have composed the music herself and pre-recorded it so she could record her song with her own music. The melody takes me away before she has even sung a word.
The moment she opens her mouth, I am completely blown away and I know without a doubt this song is for me.
The beautiful notes and melodies come from the heart as she sings about forgiveness and regrets, how she tore up a love and devastated her own heart. She looks deep into the camera with tears pooling in her eyes as she tells the world that she will fight for me until her dying breath and won’t stop until she has finally earned forgiveness for her mistakes.
But what she mustn’t realise is that she has already been granted that forgiveness and I will never let her slip through my fingers again. She is my world, always has been and always will be.
She absolutely belts out her song, giving it every ounce of passion and dedication she possesses. There is no doubt in my mind, that had she wanted to, she would be selling out stadiums night after night, performing for her fans, she’s just that good but I stand by her decision. Her voice is hers and hers alone, to do with it as she pleases and I swear, after seeing this video, her decision has never made me so damn proud. This is Cass, the real Cass, finally showing herself and her gifts to the world in her own way and on her own time.
I listen to her song twice more before peeling out of the arena parking lot and driving straight to her.
I find the spare key under a planter box and let myself in, making sure to lock the door behind me. I make my way to her room and watch her sleep peacefully for a moment before stripping down to my boxers.
I gently lift the covers, not wanting to wake her as I slide in behind her and wrap my arms around her, pulling her close, the way my body has craved for the past three years.
“Hmmm, what are you doing here?” she murmurs in her sleepy haze.
“I need to hold you,” I tell her as I nuzzle into the soft skin of her neck and close my eyes. “I saw your song, it was beautiful.”
“It was for you,” she explains on a yawn.
“I know,” I murmur. “I love you, Cass. You hold my heart in the palm of your hand and I promise you, I will never let you go.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” she says as she turns in my arms and places a feather soft kiss to my lips. “You’re stuck with me forever.”
“There’s no one else I’d rather be stuck with,” I say with a smile against her lips.
“I love you,” she whispers, catching my lips in hers once again.
“I love you, too,” I murmur as I start playing with her hair, knowing it helps her to sleep. “Good night, Cass.”
“Night,” she says as she falls back into a peaceful sleep, staying there, all night wrapped in my arms.
----------
It’s been a few weeks since Cass and I sorted our shit out and to say the time has flown by is a damn understatement. She has just slotted back into my life like she was never gone, like her being by my side every day is as natural as the sun rising in the morning.
I know the girl like the back of my hand yet every day we’re figuring out the kind of people we have become over the last three years, though, I consider myself one hell of a lucky bastard to be able to experience all these things with her for a second time. And at the risk of sounding like a fucking pussy, I’ve never been happier.
I push across the ice, my blades cutting in as I shoot myself forward with only 10 seconds on the clock. Coach Harris screams, his face turning red as he makes us fight until the very last moment. We already know we’ve won with the score 48 to 36 but I refuse to give in just yet, playing it safe is how you lose.
I hear the crowd around me chanting and cheering, already celebrating for their favourite team and I know without a doubt that Cass is one of those people, most likely already on her feet, probably jumping up and down with my number on her back. The thought pushes me harder.
I watch as Bobby gets cornered and open myself up for him to shoot the puck across, my stick scoops up the speeding puck with practiced ease and I sprint myself forward. Xander and Shorty cover my flanks and protect me from the oppositions defense.
With 2 seconds on the clock, I see my opening. I shoot the puck forward and the little bastard goes flying past the goalie's pads and straight into the back of the net right before the buzzer sounds.
The crowd roar as I get tackled by every member of my team. Fucking A, halfway through the season and we are still undefeated. Not a single bastard can bring us down. The boys eventually climb off me and I get to my feet, only to be assaulted by the guys once again, except this time its excited high-fives and slaps on the back.
I can hardly hear their excitement over the roar of the crowd but I see it plain as day on their faces. I look up into the crowd to find my girl, only to see she isn’t there. Brianna stands in Cassie’s vacated spot, gives me a grin and points towards the aisle of the grandstand.
My eyes swivel in that direction to find Cass rushing down the stairs, elbowing past the spectators trying to exit the grandstand. She pushes past one last fat guy and makes her way to the ground level but she doesn’t stop. She pushes forward with her eyes locked on me.
I pull off my helmet as I skate to the edge with a grin. I jump the barrier and before I know it, the sexiest little minx I’ve ever met is flying through the sky and catapulting herself into my arms.
Her lips crash down on mine and I’m distantly aware of the camera crew to my left. I pray this moment doesn’t end up on ESPN but even if it does, it’s not going to stop me from kissing my girl.
“You were awesome,” she says before diving back in with another kiss. “I’m so freaking hot for you right now.”
I kiss her until Coach is yelling at me to ‘put the girl down and get your ass in the locker room’. I feel her grin against my lips. “Got to go, babe,” I murmur.
“K,” she says as I put her on her feet. “I’ll see you after.”
With that, I head back to the locker room but Bobby and I are thrown in front of camera’s and end up giving spontaneous interviews before we finally make it back to the locker room.
Coach gives us all a brief chat and congratulations before yelling at us to make sure we’re on time and pushing ourselves harder for the rest of the season. We are finally dismissed to shower and get ready for our traditional night out at Micky’s.
Half an hour later we pull up at Micky’s and the boys pile into the pub to find our usual table reserved. The waiters instantly come around and drop drinks into each of our hands before taking any food orders, which after the game we just played, each and every one of us order a main meal, I even make sure Cass and Bri get a side of fries as I know the boys will still be hungry after that.
Our night goes just as any other post-game night goes. We drink, we eat, we party and we pick up. Well, at least the single guys at the table try their best to pick up but with the label of being the undefeated Dragons, it’s really not too hard for these guys to find a willing chick around here.
Cassie and Brianna disappear onto the dance floor and I give her the ‘be careful’ speech, though I know it’s not needed anymore, she hates drinking too much when we come here now.
A text draws my attention and I pull my phone from my pocket.
Miller – Fucking awesome game, man.
I hit reply.
Jaxon – Pretty sure I broke a few of your records during that one.
Miller – Don’t count on it, bro.
With a grin, I slip my phone back in my pocket and relax as I watch my girl dance. Xander getting up from the table has my eyes suspiciously following him. I watch as he weaves through the crowd, past the dancers and takes a seat at the bar far away from any of the guys. Hmm, that’s strange, if he wanted another beer all he had to do was wave over a waitress and it would have been placed in his hand within seconds.
I watch with narrowed eyes as the new chick behind the bar approaches him and instantly places a glass down in front of him with a knowing, flirty smile. They talk for a while before I realise it’s too comfortable like they know each other somehow.
“Oi,” Bobby says as a French fry bounces off the side of my face.
I zone in on Bobby with a scowl. “What?” I grunt.
“What’s up with you? You’re looking at the bar like you’re fucking lost or something.”
“Nah, man,” I say with a shake of my head as my eyes return to Xander. I nod towards him with a lift of my chin and watch as Bobby’s eyes follow my gaze. “Something’s going on with the kid,” I tell him. “He was covered in bruises the other week but denied anything happened.”
“Seriously?” he asks. “He in some kind of trouble?”
I shrug my shoulders. “Don’t know man, but I know he sure as fuck doesn’t want to talk about it.”
I see scenarios ticking over in Bobby’s mind and I’m sure it’s probably all the same stuff I’ve already considered. His eyes flick back towards Xander, the same way mine have been doing for the past 10 minutes when I decide I’ve had enough.
I grab my beer off the table and weave my way through the crowd and take a seat on the empty stool beside him. “Hey, man. What are you doing all the way over here? There’s a party going on and we’re the guests of honour.”
He gives a regretful smile as he continues to nurse the glass on the table. “Just chilling out with Charli here,” he says, motioning toward the chick behind the bar, who lifts her chin in acknowledgment before getting back to work.
Xander looks down at his watch before grabbing the glass on the bar and throwing back what is left. “Let me guess,” I say. “You’ve got somewhere to be?”
“Yeah, sorry man,” he cringes.
“There something you need to talk about?” I ask. “You’re not in any kind of trouble, are you? I can’t have shit coming down on the team, especially now we’re getting closer to the finals.”
“Nah,” he says with a shake of his head. “No trouble, just got stuff going on,” he adds before his eyes quickly flick to Charli’s.
“Alright, man,” I say getting up off my stool and giving him some space. “You know where to find me if you need anything.”
He gives a tight nod before getting up off his own stool. “Thanks,” he says before turning away.
“Hey,” I call after him. “Don’t show up for training covered in bruises. I need your head in the game if we’re going to take out the championship again.”
“Sure thing, man,” he says with a grin before turning away and ducking out the side door of Micky’s. I look back to the bar to acknowledge Charli before leaving for my table when I notice Xander has left his wallet on the bar.
I duck through the crowd after him and slip through the side exit. I look up and down the side alley but don’t see him anywhere. I pull my phone out and quickly send a text.
Jaxon – Dude, left your wallet on the bar.
His response comes through almost instantly.
Xander – Shit. Be there is a sec.
I wait in the side alley, guessing he will return to this spot. A guy in a dark hood comes up from the bottom of the alley and I mind my own business, figuring he will walk on by, which is my biggest mistake today.
My eyes are trained down on my phone when the guy grabs me and slams me up against the brick wall. My head rebounds off the solid wall but I’ve had worse hits in hockey to be affected by it, especially with the sudden burst of adrenalin surging through my veins.
I push the guy back and the move has his hood falling off, revealing his face. It’s dark out in the alley but there is enough light from Micky’s that I can recognise the sick fucker, “What the fuck?” I growl at him as I push off the wall to get in his face. I notice his hand buried deep in his pocket, shaped in a fist as if he is holding something in there.
“Karma is a fucking bitch,” he snarls just moments before his fist comes hurtling towards my face. I try to duck but the amount of alcohol in my system has my reflexes on holidays. The guy nails me in the jaw and my body falls back against the wall. My head starts to spin and the world goes slightly blurry before righting itself again. Shit, had this guy knocked me out or damaged my vision, I would have been fucked for the rest of the season and who knows what that would have done for my career.
By the time my vision is cleared, the guy is coming for me again. I push myself up from the wall there is no chance in hell this guy is getting a second go at me.
I bend at the waist and charge at the guy. His body is lifted off the ground and I slam him into the opposite wall. The move forces his fisted hand out of his pocket and I notice a pair of black lace panties that I would recognise anywhere.
He rubs the panties between his fingers as his eyes light up in a sick, excitement before giving them a good sniff. That mother fucker. I see nothing but red. There is no doubt in my mind that they are Cassie’s missing black panties. The tiny pink bow at the top is a dead giveaway and I’m sure if I got them off him, I’d even see the tear in the fabric from where Cass stopped me from ripping them off her body.
My fist goes flying before I even realise what I’m doing. I nail him in his eye socket, enjoying the sound of his head rebounding off the brick wall behind him but I don’t stop there, I swiftly deliver an uppercut that has him folding over and gasping for breath.
“Stay the fuck away from her,” I warn the sorry bastard as I steal the panties from his clenched hand.
He growls in frustration and it’s then I realise, he is here to have another crack at Cass. The thought alone has my knee coming up and nailing him in the guts once again.
“She’s fucking mine,” he spits as he straightens himself out and tries to come at me again but the guy is too winded and I catch him by the scruff of his shirt and pull him up to my height.
“I’ve fucking warned you once already,” I snarl. “Don’t make it do it again.”
The guy scoffs at my warning and I let go of his shirt. He drops to his feet and my fist comes hurtling towards his temple. It slams against his head and the guy drops to the ground like a sack of shit.
There, that should do it.
Anger pulses through my veins with a desperate need to get Cass back in my arms where I know she is safe.
“Dude,” A voice comes from behind me, sounding half impressed, “Didn’t realise you had it in you.” I turn to find Xander in the alley, looking over the guy and taking in his injuries. “Everything good here?”
“Yeah, man,” I say, stepping away from the guy, “Just had a little misunderstanding is all.”
He lets out a small scoff. “Right,” he says before searching the alleys and finding his wallet laying on the ground. “Thanks for this,” he says, holding up the wallet and disappearing down the alley at a jog.
The side door flies open and Shorty comes barging out with a chick on his arm. He looks at me with a grin before noticing the unconscious guy on the ground. “The fuck happened here?” he questions.
“Same dickhead I knocked out last time, coming back for round two,” I explain.
“Shit,” he grunts before turning his attention to the chick who is trying to slide her panties down her legs. He looks back to me. “You done with the alley, man?” he grins.
“You know, it’s a lot more hygienic in a bed,” I remind him.
He shrugs once again, “Nah, this’ll be too quick to worry about a bed,”
I roll my eyes and glance back at the guy, making sure he is well and truly out before I leave. I head on through the side door and my eyes immediately search out Cass. She’s still on the dance floor and relief pours through my veins. I come up behind her and wrap my arms around her body. “You ready to go, babe?”
She turns in my arms and her eyes widen in shock. “What happened?” she gasps, gaining Brianna’s attention and not to mention a few of the guys. Cassie’s hand instantly finds my face and I try my hardest not to shrink away from her touch because let’s be honest, it fucking hurts.
“Nothing,” I tell her. “Just some dickhead wanting to settle an old score.”
She presses her lips together and I see the look in her eye. I know she is not convinced by my casual attitude towards it but there is no way in hell I am telling her who the guy was. It would freak her out knowing he was here, though I’m pretty certain my warning was enough this time. There’s no way this dickhead would try for a third round, not unless he valued his life.
“Seriously, Cass. It’s ok,” I tell her.
She pulls me into her arms and holds me tight, “Are you ok?” she murmurs just for me to hear.
I look into her eyes and see nothing but concern. “Yeah, babe. I’m fine.”
She presses her lips together once more as she considers my answer, before taking my hand and leading me to the bar. She orders a bottle of water and wave’s goodbye to Brianna, who confirms Bobby will take her home.
We get out into the street and she hands me the water. “Ah, thanks?” I say as my eyes discreetly move up and down the road and alleys.
She rolls her eyes but grins at me anyway. “It’s not for you to drink, you moron. It’s cold. It’s to soothe your face and stop the swelling,” she tells me. “And besides, you wouldn’t want everyone thinking your girlfriend beats you up. I think that would damage your cred,” she laughs.
I scoff but can’t help smirking at the little she-devil. “First of all, I highly doubt anyone would think someone as… petite as you would even be capable of beating on me and secondly, if anyone asks, I’d just say it happened in bed. They’ll assume we play rough and I’ll still come out the hero. Winners all around.” I laugh.
“I hardly see how I come out a winner in that situation,” she laughs.
“Babe,” I grin. “I’m a freaking beast in bed, everybody knows it, I have a whole reputation built on it, so basically as long as everyone knows you’re the one I’m with then they all know that you’re getting your world rocked each and every night, which you are,” I explain. “Therefore, you’re a winner.”
“Oh geez,” she laughs as she rolls her eyes. “I was nervous your ego might have inflated with that punch but seems it’s ok, in fact, it might have even grown,” she smirks as we turn onto her street. “Be careful, you might not fit through the door anymore.”
I grab her around the waist and pull her back into my chest. “My ego isn’t the only thing that’s fucking big,” I murmur into her hair as I nuzzle in to find her neck.
“And hard…”
“And ready…”
I feel her thighs clench together as her bottom lip slips between her teeth. “Hmmm, I don’t know,” she teases as she pretends not to be affected by my wicked charm. “I’ve had better.”
“Liar,” I murmur as I scoop her up in my arms and rush her down her driveway. My lips crash onto hers and she is stripped bare before we even make it into her room.