Shootout (Northbrook Hockey Elite Book 6)

by Sophia Summers

  “It’s going to be epic. Coach might cry.”

  “He deserves it.”

  Jax popped in. “Yo! Hey, we have the guys from Chicago. That’s something.”

  Zane, Rocco and Declan all popped up at once. Rocco had a toothbrush in his mouth. “Kinda early.”

  “Dude, you’re on mountain time.”

  “Yup.” He swished water in his mouth. “But now I smell minty fresh. What’s up?”

  Trane looked at all the guys. Zane’s phone was focused on the ceiling. “Zane. You here?”

  “Yup. I’m here.”

  “Dude, why can’t we see you?”

  “What, you don’t believe it’s me? I’m busy.”

  “Doing what?”

  “Oh. Zane’s got a secret.”

  “I don’t…”

  “Show yourself.”

  The phone adjusted, and Zane’s face filled the screen. He had crooked lipstick on, blue eyeshadow, and lots of red on his cheeks.

  “Doesn’t Daddy look pretty?” Hope’s voice made Trane smile.

  “He sure does, pumpkin.” Rocco held a hand over his mouth.

  The guys razzed him and laughed.

  “You should see his nails.” Hope’s small face filled the screen, and Trane wanted to squeeze her. She might be all he ever had as far as children. All he trusted himself to have.

  “Let’s see ‘em.”

  Z eyed them all for about ten seconds and then held up his fingernails. Alternating pink and purple nails on his large hands made everyone call out.

  “Those are so pretty.” Rocco held up his hands. “Do you think you could do something to fix mine?”

  Everyone wanted Hope to do their nails next. Trane just sat back and watched it all with a smile. This was the family he wanted to bring Janae into. For the first time in a long time, he felt content.

  Declan backed up his screen. Looked like he was in the car. “I think Hope should do Diesel’s next.”

  All the guys went quiet.

  And he choked. “Of course, Bug. I’ll see you tonight maybe.”

  “Ok. What color do you want, pink or purple?”

  “Pink for sure.”

  Her little lips pursed, and she placed a finger on her chin. “Wait, no. What color’s your uniform? They should match.”

  The guys laughed, and Zane moved the camera away. “We’ll talk about Diesel’s makeover later. What’s up? I gotta run drills with the team in a minute.”

  They talked about the plans for that night. Then Trane said, “Guys. This means a lot. I think Coach is going to appreciate it too.”

  They all held up fists and seemed like they were about to sign off just as Trane added, “And I’m bringing Janae.”

  All eyes were back on him.

  “That’s big for you.” Clint eyed him. “You sure about this?”

  “I think he’s sure. If he’s bringing her.” Declan smiled.

  “Isn’t she a Comets ice girl?” Z shook his head. “You have rules against that.”

  “I know, dude.” He didn’t love their tone. “She’s so much more. We’re not doing the casual thing. She danced on Broadway. She’s making waves in the dancing world.” He heard his words and didn’t recognize himself. But he couldn’t help his excitement about her success and couldn’t help how proud he was of her. “Anyway, that’s that. Be on your best behavior, and no sharing scary stories about me.”

  They all laughed. Trane remembered when Declan had brought a woman to one of their events, everyone thought it was so funny to share crazy stuff about him. Trane’s stuff might be crazy, but it would be real. And he wasn’t ready for Janae to have to see that side of his life.

  “Got it. Nothing but gold stars.” Jax pulled a sweatshirt over his head “I’ll see you guys tonight.”

  When they all hung up, Trane breathed in satisfaction. Tonight was going to be special.

  He picked up Janae at her apartment. When she opened the door, he had to take a moment to appreciate what he saw. She was one stunning woman. Her hair piled around her face in a mass of red curls. Her clothes fit snug but classy. Her eyes were bright, and her smile showed off her gorgeous white teeth. “You look beautiful.”

  “Thank you.”

  She always did, but there was just so much more to Janae that he hardly mentioned it. “You ready for this?”

  “I think so. Sounds like a lot of fun, actually.”

  “Should be great. The guys might bring dates too, so you won’t be the only woman or anything. And I think the moms of the current team, old alumni. It’s going to be around one hundred people.”

  “That’s amazing.”

  “He’s amazing. Made a big difference to a lot of people.”

  “And you planned this whole thing?”

  “Yea, I called in some help. Bree, who helps us with some event planning and nonprofit work, stepped in with the invitations and the catering. She’s great.”

  Janae nodded.

  “And taken.”

  Her smile grew. “Good.”

  His laugh shook his insides. “You thinking there’s something to worry about, Janae Terry?”

  “Not anymore. Should I be thinking that?”

  He reached for her hand. “Nope.”

  When they landed in Chicago, he took them straight to the hotel that was near the Northbrook Center. “Meet me in the lobby in an hour. Does that work?”

  “Yep.” She stepped up close on her toes, and he pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her beautiful mouth.

  “See you soon.”

  On his way back to the elevator, his phone dinged.

  It was the Pit. Rocco. Just saw your dad.

  His stomach turned. Doing what?

  He’s at the center. I guess he was on the old alumni mailing list so he got an invite.

  Tell him to leave.

  Bree tried, and he said he’s staying.

  Declan joined the conversation. I can get him to leave.

  Me too. Let’s all convince him to leave. Zane sent a fist emoji.

  I think it needs to be me. Trane knew the confrontation was inevitable.

  What’s he want?

  He came around asking for money.

  You didn’t give him any…

  No, but then he talked to Janae. I haven’t heard from him since I told him to back off.

  Coach Fenwick saw him. His face reminded me of the time we had to run fifty down-and-backs after we lost the game to the Swans.

  Trane hated that the coach had to worry about his dad in the middle of what should be a celebration for him. Is he still there?

  I think so.

  Trane texted Janae. Something’s come up at the center. I’m heading over early. I’ll have a car waiting for you.

  You sure? I can come now.

  The last thing Trane wanted was for Janae to have to be in his father’s life. Just relax. I’ll see you in an hour.

  She sent a thumbs up.

  He texted the Pit. I’m heading over.

  He arrived at the center, and as soon as he walked in the front door, he saw his dad. He stood with his arms folded across his chest. One of the staff was trying to talk to him, but his dad wouldn’t acknowledge the man.

  Then he saw Trane. “Ah, there he is.” He pushed past the staff member and came at Trane like he might raise his hand in the air and send it toward the back of Trane’s head.

  Trane fought the urge to duck. A thousand memories of his dad’s hand lifting up, ready to come down on Trane’s head, flashed through his mind.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I was invited.”

  “That was a mistake.”

  His eyes flashed. But he crossed his arms again. “I’m not leaving.”

  “Why? You don’t even like the coach?”

  “Don’t like him? Of course I like him. I sent you to him so you could become a star, and now look at you.”

  “I was on scholarship.”

  “I got you here.”


  “I took the bus.”

  He stepped nearer. “I allowed you to come.”

  “I snuck out. Look, nothing about this place applies to you at all. You should leave.”

  “I’ll step out of your life forever, if that’s what you want, but I need some money to start over. I want to get out of Detroit, you’ll never see me again.” The look of pleading that had come over his expression suddenly made Trane ill. He preferred the stronger-than-life version of his dad than the weak and grasping one.

  “No.”

  His face immediately went chill—sharp. “No?” His hands opened and closed once, twice, and Trane knew that on the third time, his fist would connect somewhere.

  But this time it didn’t. “You would be nothing without me. I pushed you. I made you strong.”

  Trane shook his head, refusing to admit his father had any kind of positive influence on him. “Just get out of here.”

  “What are you going to do? Kick me out?”

  Trane nodded.

  “You’re a wuss. You’re never going to kick me out. All that big hulking nothing just hides the most scared kid I ever saw. I don’t know how you ever got that ice girl slut to date you. She must be as easy as she looks.”

  Trane saw red. Belatedly, he remembered hands on his arms, but he shrugged them off as if they were nothing. His fist connected with his dad’s face, bones cracking under his knuckles. The man stumbled.

  “I knew it.” His dad held a hand up to his face. “You’re just like your old man.” His laugh tore through Trane with his worst fears paralyzing his tongue, but not his fist. He slugged the man in the stomach, and he would have continued if Coach hadn’t called his name. “Trane.”

  He breathed heavily, hatred steaming in the coach’s direction, but he lowered his fist and turned back to his dad. “Get. Out.”

  “This isn’t the last of me.”

  As his dad turned and walked out of the arena, Trane knew he needed to do something about him. Something more. Something permanent.

  “You should just pound him. Every time he shows up. I bet that felt good.” Declan was at his side.

  “I’d do it for you.” Zane growled.

  All the guys joined him. Clint lifted his chin. “At least press charges.”

  “I can do that?”

  “Oh yeah. File a report. Press charges.”

  Trane nodded, trying to slow his breathing. Then he looked to his right and left, trying to smile at the guys. “Where did you guys come from?”

  “We were close, ready to jump in if things needed a little encouraging.”

  Trane laughed. “Thanks.” He reached out and bumped fists, or tapped shoulders. They came at him in a huddle like they used to.

  When they all said, “Break.” His laugh came easier. He started to feel normal again, mostly.

  “Aren’t we here for a party?” Rocco wiggled his hips.

  “Oh, please. We don’t need to be seeing any of that.”

  They made their way to the team room. They had all come early because Coach had called a meeting before the party.

  As they headed toward the back, Trane did one more check around the arena and saw Janae; all his breath left. She stood across the hall, but instead of a smile, her face held fear.

  Chapter 16

  “I’ll be there in a second.” Trane waved to his teammates and walked toward her, slowly.

  She couldn’t get his expression from moments ago out of her mind, the anger—not just anger, the rage.

  Suddenly her image of Trane as a soft giant flipped on its head, and she realized he was a towering inferno, kept in check only by a strong mental presence of mind.

  And she’d just now witnessed what happened when he lost it. That potential might still be inside him, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Images of her mother, the cruel look in her eyes when anger surged. Janae shivered. This might not be a road she wanted to walk down.

  He approached slowly, carefully, as if she might run in a flighty fit of fear.

  She’d considered just such a thing, but she held her ground. And searched his eyes. With some relief, she saw the Trane she’d come to trust staring back. She saw the kindness there, the hope, the vulnerability, and remorse. “So…”

  “Yeah. So…I guess you saw that?”

  She nodded.

  “The guys say I should be proud of it. But I’m not.”

  She didn’t answer.

  “You okay?”

  “I don’t know.”

  He nodded. “That’s fair.” He stepped back. “I’ve got a team meeting with Coach. The party will be in the main hall in about twenty minutes. See you there?”

  “Yeah, I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Okay. Okay, good.” He stepped back a few more steps then turned around to jog away. Watching him be limber on his feet, and quick even though he was humungous, made her smile. Maybe he was as great as she thought.

  Or maybe not.

  She made her way to the main hall where the party would take place. A woman she’d never seen before stepped up beside her. She was friendly-looking and turned a ready smile in Janae’s direction. “Are you Janae Terry?”

  “Yes, I am.” She smiled back, ready to like this woman with her easy grin and her large, sincere eyes.

  “I’m so happy to see you here. I’m Bree Stone. I help the guys plan events like this one.”

  “Oh, right. Trane mentioned you.”

  “I’ve been paying attention, and you’re making quite a storm over the Comets. People are tuning in just to catch the ice girls show.”

  Pleased, Janae looked to see if Bree was sincere. She seemed it. “I’ve been working hard. I hope we just keep this going and get better and better.”

  “I do too. You’re really a sensation. I was wondering, if you’d like, I can set up some television interviews. I have some ins, and you’re just the kind of story these people would be looking for.”

  “Oh.” Janae felt her face warm. “Yes. I’d like that. Thank you.”

  “You got it.” She handed Janae a card. “Here’s my number. Reach out and I’ll be back in touch with what I find.”

  “Thank you.”

  They walked together a little longer in silence. “I hear you’re with Trane?”

  “Yeah, are you guys close?”

  “Not the same kind of close I hear you are.”

  Janae laughed. “Oh really, and just how close do you hear we are?”

  “Close enough the Pit is all aware they need to be gentlemen.”

  Janae laughed, pleased.

  “I work with them, help them with…well, a lot of things apparently. Including the birthday party of their former coach.” She shook her head. “But I love it. Best group of guys you’ll ever know. Them and the Belltown Six Pack.”

  “The who?”

  “Oh, a group of baseball players, just like these guys. They’re tight, the best of friends, and good guys. They’re a dying breed. There’s some crossover between the groups. We’re all friends, really.”

  “Oh.” She was happy to hear it, and it made her want to be closer to these people, to be a part of their family. But Trane. She searched Bree’s face. Even if Bree was totally biased, she wanted to see her reaction. “Does Trane often…get angry?”

  Bree sighed. And then shook her head. “No. But what you saw, that was a long time coming.”

  “It looked like maybe it should have not happened at all.”

  Bree shook her head. “You don’t know. None of us know how bad the abuse was for Trane, what he had to deal with all growing up. But every one of the guys has been wanting Trane to stand up to his father for years.” She held the door open for Janae. “I know that might not help, and it might be hard to believe. Trane is the softest guy you’ve ever seen when it comes to the underdog, but if you pit him against a bully, well, you might see something like you saw today.” Bree shrugged like it was perfectly fine, and Janae knew she had a lot to think about. “That
’s somebody I’d want on my team any day.”

  Janae imagined that was true. But she couldn’t erase from her mind the anger she saw in his face or the triggers from her growing-up years she thought she had let go.

  She sat, and Bree waved as she left and hurried to talk to someone at the front of the room who was messing with the microphone.

  Janae watched the room begin to fill, wondering who some of the guys were, wondering if she’d recognize the Pit if she saw them.

  Then a large, stocky, handsome man sat beside her. He held out his hand. “Janae? I’m Rocco DeLuca.”

  “Oh, hi!” She placed her hand in his and appreciated the callouses on his hand and the honesty of his expression. “Did I see you with Trane earlier?”

  “Yeah. I’m one of the Northbrook guys in his Pit group.”

  She nodded.

  “So, you saw all that went down?”

  “Yeah.” She looked away.

  “For what it’s worth, I’ve known Trane a long time. He’s like a brother, and this is the first time I’ve seen him really lash out in anger.” He eyed her until she looked into his face. “And do you know what set him off?”

  She shook her head. “I couldn’t hear anything.”

  “His lowlife scum of a father insulted you.”

  Her eyes widened. And she swallowed twice before she could say anything.

  “He’s been working on his control on the ice. You’ll never see him in fights, nothing. Guys razz him all the time, he just takes it, brushes it off. He’s a giant. But when a mention of you came out of that foul man’s mouth, that was too much. And to be honest, if Trane hadn’t done something, the rest of us would have.”

  She was stunned. Then she tried to smile, but her lips wavered. “Thank you for letting me know.”

  Rocco nodded. “I’ll talk to you more later. Right now, I’ve got to go help the guys.”

  Then a group of men walked into the room, and Janae knew immediately it was them. They were tall, broad shouldered, and standing heads above the others. They were confident, handsome, and smiling together. Trane joined them. The others stepped aside, giving him room but staying close. They razzed each other. Their heads were high. Then Bree moved them to chairs at the front of the room to the side of a larger armchair. And then Bree returned to sit beside Janae.