Rookies Do It Better: Book 1 in The Minor League Mayhem Series

by Myers, Heather C.

  Rookies Do It Better

  Book 1 in The Minor League Mayhem Series

  Heather C. Myers

  Contents

  1. Jack

  2. Lily

  3. Jack

  4. Lily

  5. Jack

  6. Lily

  7. Jack

  8. Lily

  9. Jack

  10. Lily

  11. Jack

  Untitled

  12. Lily

  13. Jack

  14. Lily

  15. Jack

  16. Lily

  17. Jack

  18. Lily

  19. Jack

  20. Lily

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  Acknowledgments

  Also by Heather C. Myers

  Also by Heather C. Myers

  Also by Heather C. Myers

  Also by Heather C. Myers

  Also by Heather C. Myers

  Also by Heather C. Myers

  Also by Heather C. Myers

  1

  Jack

  "Don't ever fucking get in my fucking face again." Jack Ruby ended his pummeling with a good old-fashioned spitball, landing it straight on his opponent's cheek.

  "Goddamn." Alec Sinclair said, slapping him on the back. "If that's not one way to show that you're ready to be a professional hockey player, I don't know what is."

  Jack let his best friend's words enter in one ear and out the other. He knew what people liked to say about him. He knew people thought he was dramatic because he handled things with his fists rather than with his words. Jack didn't particularly care. This, he felt, was more effective.

  "They only picked you because you're a goon," someone in the bar said.

  Despite the fact that Jack was nineteen and Alec was eighteen, they were both allowed in Obsidian, a trendy bar on Pacific Coast Highway in Newport Beach, across the street from the Pacific Ocean. Nobody checked ID and it was a hockey hotspot, perfect for kids who just signed with the Newport Beach Seagulls.

  Jack wasn't much of a drinker. His dad did enough drinking for his entire family and he wanted to stay far away from it, almost afraid he'd become addicted to the drink just like his father and his grandfather. Like it was some kind of sick family legacy. In fact, he didn't even like to be around bars, let alone inside them, but Alec insisted.

  This was what people did to celebrate something, Alec had said.

  Jack knew that was bullshit, but Alec was the one person Jack trusted more than anyone. Alec stood by his side after he got expelled from school after school. Alec's mother—a single mom who worked two jobs and still was at every single hockey practice and game no matter where or when it was—constantly invited Jack over for dinner, even insisting he spend the night when things got rough over at Jack's home. She was the mother he wished he had. Jack's mom, Ruth, was more of a mother who looked after her own survival. He couldn't necessarily blame her. When his father got rough, Jack could fight back. Ruth, on the other hand, could not.

  Jack stepped back. The adrenaline was wearing off and his right hand started to throb.

  "That wasn't very smart."

  He looked up and saw blue-gold eyes staring down at him, her long blonde hair in a high ponytail.

  Shit.

  This was Seraphina Hanson, owner of the Newport Beach Seagulls. She drafted him yesterday. What was a billionaire like her doing in a bar like this one? Granted, it was somewhat sophisticated, but Jack didn't think she seemed like the type to go bar-hopping. Especially when it was rumored she was dating the Gulls’ star goalie, Brandon Thorpe.

  "Oh, shit." Alec vocalized Jack's thoughts before realizing he probably shouldn't have. Typical Alec. Women thought he was charming. Really, he was an ass. But an ass Jack would defend no matter what. "Um, hello ma'am. How are you this evening?"

  Seraphina's eyes never left Jack's. "Let's you and me go to that booth over there." She nodded her head to a velvet crimson-colored booth in the corner of the room. It had to be after eleven at night and somehow, the booth was still available.

  Jack knew this wasn't a request. He cleared his throat before clenching his jaw. He sucked in a deep breath and nodded his head. Instead of defending himself, he curled his fingers into fists and flexed them, hoping it would help him relax.

  No such luck.

  There was a pinch in the back of his neck. Was she going to fire him? They had just signed the contract but he knew there was a clause about public representation of the team and beating up an asshole who called Alec a faggot after he complimented the bartender's workout regimen—Alec was into working out—was not a good look for a barely-rookie hockey player. Even if the asshole deserved it.

  Seraphina led him to the booth where she took a seat. No one came over to tell her the booth was reserved for anyone. Hell, Jack wouldn't be surprised if it was reserved for her.

  "Jack Ruby." Her voice wasn't raised, and yet, Jack could hear it clearly, even among the gentle murmur of the bar. "What are you doing here?"

  Jack glanced away from Seraphina Hanson, away from those penetrating blue eyes that seemed to know more than they did. She made him feel uncomfortable even though they had met a few times before. He liked her, but he knew she could read people. And he didn't like to be read. His secrets were his and his alone. He didn't need anyone feeling sorry for him or passing judgments on things they didn't know the full story of.

  "Can I take a guess?"

  "I can't stop you." The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them and he clenched his teeth together once again. He shouldn't have said that. This was his boss. Just because he was frustrated did not give him the right to take that frustration out on her. Not when she had done more for him than most—and she didn't even know it. "I'm sorry, ma'am."

  "Let's stop with the ma'am," she said. "I'm Seraphina. You're Jack. And you're better than this place."

  Jack opened his mouth. This time, he was ready to explain. This time, he was going to tell her that he wasn't here because he wanted to be. He was here so he could keep an eye on Alec. Jack liked to fight, but Alec got himself into a lot of trouble with that mouth of his. He was an instigator, and not many people liked that about him.

  "Wait." Seraphina's eyes were like shards of glass. "Don't BS me, either. I don't care what you think you're here for. You still made that choice to come. You are in control of your choices unless there was a gun to your head." She wrinkled her brow. "Was there?"

  Jack shook his head. He released a heavy breath from his nose like he was some kind of bull. He balled his hands and rested them on his thighs. She softened.

  "Do you want to know why I drafted you?"

  Jack picked his eyes up from the surface of the table. It was shiny and black, wiped down recently, with embedded sparkles in the hard material. In the dim lighting, it reminded Jack of the stars against a night sky.

  "Jack, you're a good fighter, obviously," she continued, "and the way you and Alec work together, you guys are definitely prime first or second line material in the NHL—after a few years in the AHL for your development. I know rookies don't want to hear that. I know the dream is to start as an NHL player and there are a few who get to do that, usually due to unforeseen circumstances. But many rookies don't understand what a blessing it is to have time simply to develop their skills, to get better, before advancing to the league."

  A waiter came by and asked Seraphina if she wanted something. He didn't even bother to look at Jack. Jack couldn't blame the guy. Seraphina was stunning and Jack was a no one from a now
here place in Kentucky.

  "That's why you drafted me?"

  He hadn't meant to sound like a smartass but he wasn't sure he understood her correctly. She was jumping from point to point and he wasn't even sure the points she was making were the ones he needed to here. Truth be told, he wanted to be back in his tiny apartment in Irvine, under the sheets, snoring by now. He didn't want to be at a bar, and he certainly didn't want to be lectured by his boss—even if he should be. Jack wasn't an idiot. He knew what he had done wrong. He was surprised the bartender hadn't called the cops. His eyes narrowed slightly at Seraphina and he wondered if she had anything to do with it.

  "I drafted you because you're hockey smart," Seraphina told him. Her forearms rested flat against the surface of the table and she leaned forward, making sure to keep her eyes in Jack's. It was almost unnerving, like she could see through him and to the very heart of the matter. "When Alec positions himself one way, you position yourself the other. When you have the puck, you already know where Alec is. You know when to fight. And, with some work, you have a good set of hands on you."

  "I'm not exactly known for my goals."

  "Because you're a playmaker," Seraphina pointed out. "You think Alec would be as good as he is without you as his linemate? I don't. You make Alec look better than he is. And that's not saying anything bad against Alec. I'm just telling you he's better because of you."

  She released a breath and sat back in the booth. Her left hand dropped back into her lap and her right began drumming against the table.

  "I think you sell yourself short, Jack, and in order to succeed in this league, you need to realize what you offer." She threw her arms out. "This place, this is not what you offer. I know kids who get drafted come here because they don't check ID. But this is the wrong place to start your career."

  "And where's the right place?" he asked. He rubbed his palms up and down the denim of his jeans and cocked his head at her.

  "In your bed, sleeping," she said. "Free skate is tomorrow for you rookies. Work starts right away. You want to be sure you make the AHL? I expect everyone I drafted and those who haven't yet made the Gulls but want a shot at a roster spot to dedicate their summer to hockey. Live it. Breathe it. Do whatever you can to improve who you are here"—she touched her heart—"here" she touched her head—"and who you are as a player. Beating the shit out of some asshole is not improving yourself in any capacity. You're lucky they didn't call the police."

  "I'm assuming I have you to thank for that?" he asked.

  "Actually, the bartender heard what he said about Alec and decided to allow it," Seraphina said, her voice getting firm. It sounded as though she was running out of patience with him. Again, he couldn't blame her. "But spitting on him? Really? Don't you think that's a bit much?"

  "He called my best friend a faggot," Jack said, scooting up so he sat on the edge of the booth. "No one talks to Alec that way."

  "Alec should learn how to defend himself," Seraphina responded. "And while no one deserves to be called any name, I am also aware that Alec has a bit of a mouth on him. It's one of the reasons I drafted him."

  "If you drafted me for fighting and Alec for being a smartass, why are you upset when we're doing what you drafted us for?" He crossed his arms over his chest, the leather of his old, worn jacket crunching as he did so.

  "Because I expect you to be vicious on the ice," Seraphina explained. "Not off of it. You have nothing to prove to anyone. You're better than some asshole who thinks being gay is insulting. You have too much on the line." She raised her brow again, only emphasizing her point. "You, more than nearly anyone, have more depending on you to make this team than anyone else. And I don't want you to throw that all away because you think you're adhering to the bro code or whatever bullshit kids your age believe in."

  Jack nodded once, some of his hair falling into his face. He wasn't sure how to respond to that so he thought it would be better if he didn't respond at all.

  "I can help you," Seraphina told him. "Give me a chance. Give Mayhem a chance. And, if it helps, anyone from Mayhem who isn't twenty-one yet, who shows up here again and I find out about it, is suspended indefinitely."

  2

  Lily

  Lily Sinclair rubbed her face with her hands as she heard her brother walk into their small apartment. She let out an annoyed groan as his deep voice filled the small place, like he had no concept that it had to be after three in the morning and his loud, booming voice could wake her up. Considering this had been her apartment first and she was letting him crash with her until he got his role on the hockey team situated, Lily would have thought he would have been a little more considerate.

  Then she remembered that this was Alec Sinclair. He was devastatingly good-looking—at least, every single friend she had had some form of crush on him—and there were fleeting moments when he could actually be charming.

  But considerate?

  Yeah, right.

  "…Hanson shows up to lecture you."

  Lily had no idea who he was talking to, but judging from the second set of footsteps on her carpet, she realized he was speaking with someone else. Lily clenched her jaw and threw her legs off of her bed. Once she had on pants, she would storm out there and give Alec a piece of her mind. How dare he come home this late? Did he not realize she had orientation at the University of California, Irvine today? Did he not care that she still had to work at Jamba Juice afterwards? This was her apartment, after all. One she managed to save up for all by herself after she found out she had been accepted into UCI.

  Lily stomped over to her hamper and pulled out her pair of striped pajama pants. Her feet were still coated by mismatched socks and her hair was messy from sleep. But she didn't care. Whoever Alec had brought over—and, to be honest, Lily expected Alec's guest to be a woman because they always were—would leave.

  Lily made it down the short hallway only to emerge and lose all the confidence and anger she had just accumulated. Alec's guest was not a woman at all. It was Jack Ruby, Alec's best friend since elementary school.

  Well.

  That was not who she expected it to be.

  "Lily?" Alec said when he noticed her, crossing his arms over his chest and quirking a brow. Despite the fact that they were only thirteen months apart, Alec was a head taller than she was, with a strong, sturdy build. "What are you doing up? Don't you have some college thing going on in a few hours?"

  From the corner of her eye, she saw a ghost of a smile touch Jack's lips—a rarity on someone as stoic as Jack—and look away, as if to say he wanted no part in the inevitable argument that would stem from this interaction.

  "Yeah, it's called orientation, Alec, and it's kind of a big deal," she said. It was at this point that Lily wished she had a cute matching pajama set on and not her old Punisher shirt. At the very least, she wished she had on matching socks. "What are you doing back so late?"

  "I didn't realize I had a curfew, Mom." Alec leaned against the arm of the couch and gave Lily a look.

  "It's called respect, Alec," Lily said. "If you knew I had something important going on, why would you barge home, talking all loud and—" She stopped herself, flaring her nostrils. She took a step closer to Alec and then another. "You've been drinking."

  Jack cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. He looked away. Lily didn't pay him any attention, however. Her focus was solely on Alec.

  "You know better than to be drinking, Alec, come on!" She stepped back and threw her arms out. "You think that's smart? You just got drafted into the National Hockey League. Now is not the time to party."

  "I disagree," Alec said. "I think the timing is perfect." He crossed one legs over the other. "And why aren't you giving Jack crap? He got into another fight again."

  Before Lily could stop herself, her eyes found Jack's. Without meaning to, she immediately felt her cheeks start to turn red. It was no secret that all throughout middle school, she had had a crush on Jack. He was the big tough g
uy, one grade ahead of her, always keeping an eye out for her unruly, mischievous brother. There were a couple of times he kept an eye on her, too.

  Of course, that all changed when she got to high school. She started dating Andrew Corwin and he had been her whole year until he broke up with her once he graduated. Then, going to all of Alec's games, helping him with his traveling because their mom couldn't, got to be too time-consuming and she didn't date.

  That didn't mean she still didn't retain her attraction for Jack Ruby. He wasn't the tallest guy, or the bulkiest. But he had this aura about him, one that insisted he was as dangerous as he was powerful, one that insisted no one underestimate him because of his size. He fought because he felt he had a lot to prove. The thing about Jack was, no matter who he fought, he always won.

  It didn't help that Jack and Alec were always together. Even now, it had been three days since Alec had moved in by announcing he was living with her now, and in those seventy-two hours, Jack was here nearly sixty of them by her estimation.

  "Jack is not my brother," she forced herself to say. She ripped her eyes away from Jack's dark brown ones and turned her attention to Alec. "You are my brother. I would expect that you have more respect for me and for my house, considering you invited yourself here. Alec, I have neighbors underneath me. I have classes that are going to start in a month or so. I'm really trying to keep everything together. I need your help, especially if you've decided you're going to stay here."

  "She's not wrong, man."