Alec lunged. Jack got in his way. Lily was somehow knocked down onto her butt. She winced, pulling herself up as the guys struggled together. Lily didn't even know they were fighting about.
Lily pulled herself up and went to the door. She looked over at Ronnie.
"Get out," she said. "Get the fuck out of my house. Your son doesn't even want you around. That should say enough about you as a mother."
"You stupid bitch," Ronnie said.
"No, you stupid bitch," Lily snapped. "Why are you even here? Let me guess. You want money." She rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised? You need a handout again? You realize children are not supposed to take care of their parents until you're old and decrepit and unable to help yourself? Are you just too ignorant to understand that? Why even have a child? That's what I want to know. Why have a child you are incapable of taking care of on your own? You're selfish. God, you're so fucking selfish."
"Well, you're just a—"
"Whore," Lily said. "Sure, you can call me a whore if you want. I'm glad that makes you feel better. It really must say something if your son would rather be with me, a whore, than with his own mother. You are nothing but trash, Ronnie, and that's all you'll ever amount to. I feel sorry for you."
Without warning, Ronnie leapt for Lily. Lily felt like she was in a scuffle the way Jack might be during a hockey game—or any fight Jack had ever been in. She had no idea how to defend herself and, quite honestly, she didn't particularly care to. Ronnie was a skinny woman, all bone and no bite. Her slaps were brittle, though Lily did have to admit that they stung.
In a manner of seconds, Ronnie was hoisted into the air by none other than Jack. Alec, breathing roughly, offered Lily his hand and Lily took it.
"You were never there," Jack bellowed as he put his mother on her feet. "And I'm done. Now, you want to show up because I signed a fancy contract and I'm actually making money. Now, you want to show off to your addict friends, thinking you can score Mayhem tickets or whatever the fuck you think. I don't even know what's going on in your head. And I'm done caring. If you bother me—or my family—again, I will call the cops. Not just for trespassing or whatever bullshit that'll get you out. I will call them on you with possession with intent to distribute. You've already been arrested twice. Third time, and you're in prison."
"You wouldn't do that to your mother," Ronnie said slowly, though Lily could tell she wasn't so sure.
"You're not my mother," Jack said. "Now, get out."
This time, Ronnie didn't hesitate and moved to the door. There, she stopped, turned. She opened her mouth, ready to say something. Probably apologize. Jack cut her a look that sent a shudder through Lily. Ronnie closed her mouth and left. Jack locked the door behind her.
"Either one of you want to tell me what the fuck is going on here?" Alec asked, looking between Jack and Lily. "Why is she calling Lily a whore? What video is she fucking talking about? And what the hell happened to you?"
"I beat the shit out of Andrew Corwin," Jack said. He dropped down on the couch, cradling his right hand with his left one.
"What the fuck?" Alec asked. "Why would you—?"
"It's my fault," Lily said. She stepped out of the living room and into the kitchen. Her head was swimming with muddled thoughts too deep for her to explore. She busied herself with opening a drawer and pulling out a plastic bag. She opened the wrong drawer with shaking hands before moving onto the next one.
"What are you talking about?" Alec asked.
"It's not your fault," Jack murmured.
"Okay, can you guys fit me in to this inside-secret thing you've got going on?" Alec asked. He was standing in the doorway as Lily turned and headed to the fridge. "I know I'm not the sharpest tool in the box, but cut me some slack and spell it out for me, okay?"
Lily stopped the minute her hand touched the ice in the freezer. It was like the cold sent a shockwave through her system. She took in a deep breath and calmly removed a few pieces and placed them in the Ziploc bag. When she turned, she saw Jack looking at her. She could instantly read the look on his face. He was going to let her handle this. Whatever she decided to do, he would support.
"When Andrew and I were dating back in high school, he filmed us having sex," Lily said as she walked over to Jack. It was easy for her to get the words out when she was around Jack rather than near her brother. She dropped to her knees and took Jack's hand in hers. "And before you say anything about it, no, I didn't know he was doing that." She narrowed her eyes on Jack's fingers. It was only now that she saw them up close, held them in her hands, did she realize how long they were. Piano player fingers, her mother would say. Elegant. Very attractive on a man.
"Okay," Alec said, his voice tight. Lily could tell he was trying to be patient. "Is that it? Do I have to kick his ass too?"
"I hope you don't," Lily said. "As much as I appreciate Jack standing up for me, I already handled the situation on my own."
"I beg to differ," Jack said. "You didn't leave him bleeding."
Lily sighed. "Look, Andrew texted me a few days ago, trying to blackmail me," she continued. "He wanted money and then he would delete the video. I thought this was one of his shady ways of trying to get money when he had nothing. I thought he was lying. So I told him to fuck off. The next day, he sent me a text with the link to the video. Apparently, some porn site wanted it. So I confronted him this morning."
"That's where you went?" Alec said. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why didn't you say anything to me?"
"Or me?" Jack put in.
"I am fully capable of handling things myself," Lily snapped.
"Are you?" Alec asked, throwing his arm out. "Because now the whole world has the opportunity to watch you having sex with some asshole."
Lily flinched at Alec's words and stood up.
"Hey, man," Jack said in a low voice.
Alec glared at Jack but shook his head and stepped back. He raised his hands and interlocked his fingers, placing them behind his head.
"Fuck," he said. "Fuck, fuck, fuck. What the fuck are we supposed to do? Jack, you risked your career to beat up this asshole. My sister is fucking ruined."
"Alec—"
"You are on a scholarship, Lily," he pointed out. "Have you thought of that? Besides Mom, you are the only person in our family to go to college. This video, whether it was made with your knowledge or not, could ruin you." He stepped back into the kitchen and then shoved his hands into his pocket.
Suddenly, a soft chime rang, cracking the silence.
"What's that?" Lily asked, trying to control her voice.
"Nothing," Alec said. "Just an alarm I set to remind me about ice today. They had to push it back to eleven because some idiot scheduled public skate right after figure skating. Probably lost a shit load of money because why would anyone go to public skate at seven o'clock in the morning?" His eyes fell on Jack. "You coming?"
Jack nodded his head and stood. He didn't even look at Lily.
As they disappeared into Alec's room, Lily collapsed onto the couch. Maybe Ronnie was right. Maybe this video had ruined everything between her and Jack. And now, there was nothing she could do about it.
17
Jack
It didn't surprise Jack when the police showed up at the ice a few hours later. They asked him a few questions and arrested him when Jack admitted what he had done. He was booked at the police department. The jailor was professional but friendly. After he was booked, he was placed in a holding cell. He had the option to make three phone calls, but the only person he would call, he didn't want to worry. He thought about calling Mrs. Sinclair because at least she would hear him out and listen to what happened from his perspective before making any snap judgments, but he couldn't face her. Plus, she would want to know why Jack felt the need to defend Lily in that particular way, and Jack did not want to have to break it to her about Lily's video.
Instead, he would wait for them to transfer him over to the Orange County Jail and hopefully, th
ey would release him there.
When Rigo slid open the gate and brought him out, Jack was surprised.
"What's going on?" Jack asked.
"Someone bailed you out." He placed cuffs behind Jack's back. "I'm releasing you to her."
"Her?" Could Lily already know? And if she did, where could she get that type of money?
Rigo didn't say anything else. Once Jack was properly cuffed, he led him out of the department through the back where none other than Seraphina Hanson was waiting. She was dressed down in skinny jeans and a collared shirt, Chucks on her feet, and her hair pulled back into a messy ponytail. Jack felt himself look around—at the large courtyard where the American flag was waving, at the red bricks that made up the courtyard, over at the city building next door.
Anywhere but at Seraphina.
After Seraphina signed the last bit of paperwork, Rigo nodded his head and headed back inside the station, leaving Jack alone with Seraphina.
"Well," Seraphina said after a moment of silent awkwardness. "You hungry?"
- - -
The last thing Jack expected was for Seraphina Hanson to take him to a burger joint in Irvine, but that was exactly what happened. It was a small place that promised grass-fed burgers and non-frozen French fries. Jack couldn't believe she was paying for him. Between the two of them, the meal nearly cost forty dollars, but she didn't even bat an eye. It probably had to do with the fact that she was a billionaire.
Once they placed their orders, they took a seat in the back.
"So," Seraphina said. "Want to tell me why I'm here, bailing you out of jail? I'm almost positive it has to do with you fighting, but I want to know why you were fighting in the first place."
Jack grabbed a napkin from the dispenser and started to run it between his fingers. "It's kind of personal," he said, glancing out the window.
"Of course it is," she agreed. "Fights are always personal." She picked up the glass of water and brought it to her lips. "I'll wait."
Jack glanced away, hunching forward. He was tempted to drink his own ice water. The glass was already started to condense and he didn't realize how thirsty he was until after it was brought out to him.
Seraphina sighed and set down the glass. "Look, Jack," she said, "can I tell you something? I didn't pick you up because you're a fighter."
"I know that," Jack said. "You already told me that."
"Good, because I think you need to hear it again," Seraphina said. While Jack wouldn't exactly classify that as her snapping at him, he couldn't help but be startled by how firm her voice was. It wasn't typical of her—at least from the little that he knew of her. "Jack, what could be more important than hockey?"
Jack flashed his eyes up at her. "There are plenty of things in my life that are more important than hockey," he said.
"That's not what I meant," she said quickly.
"Why do you think you have any right to what's my business?" Jack asked. "What, you think just because you have money to throw around, you get to know everything? You get to know what I do in my personal life?"
"You were arrested on my ice," Seraphina said. "You wear my jersey. That's my logo on the front of your shirt. Once you signed my contract, your actions are allowed to be scrutinized by this organization. I do understand that this is personal and I understand that I'm probably the last person you want to talk to about this. And no, just because I have money to throw around doesn't mean I'm trying to take advantage of you or trying to lord my power over you. Once you sign with me, you're family. I'm sure every organization promises something similar but it's not just about promises and words, it's about action. You need anything? We will take care of you and your loved ones." She released a sigh from her nose.
Jack continued to tear the paper napkin into tiny ribbons. Instead of shutting her out, he opted to listen, to give her a chance. The fact of the matter was, she was right. She took a chance on him. All she was asking in return was that same level of trust. At the very least, he could hear her out.
"Did you hear about Brandon Thorpe being suspected of murdering my grandfather?" Seraphina asked, her voice low. She laced her fingers together and rested them on the surface of the table, leaning forward so she couldn't be overheard. "I know it was a few years back. You were probably PeeWee, maybe starting Bantam."
"I remember Ken Brown being murdered," Jack admitted, "but anything else…I know some numbers guy did it."
"Our accountant," Seraphina nodded. "Former, I should say." She cleared her throat and traced the rim of the glass with her finger. "Anyway, Brandon Thorpe was the number one suspect. And, honestly, he had a logical motive. He wanted more money. He wanted a trade. And my grandfather wasn't going to give him either of those things." She cleared her throat and dropped her hands. "I was a kid when I got the team. Barely graduated college. I had no idea what I was doing and I was so scared I was going to let my grandfather and this legacy he crafted for himself down. But I didn't sit Brandon."
"Wait, what?" Jack dropped the shredded napkin in his hand and started scooping the pieces together in a small circle. "He still played?"
"It was my call," Seraphina said. "I could have sat him, but what message would I be sending the team if I did? Guilty until proven innocent? He played. When Alec Schumacher was accused of rape, I did the same thing. I played him."
Jack's eyes widened. He scoffed in surprise.
"Trust me, I got a lot of flak for that decision," she said. "And yeah, I understand why. We need to protect women, especially those who come out with something awful that happened. And there's no really knowing someone, if that makes sense. I could say I've known Alec since high school but that doesn't mean shit. So what? There are things I don't even know about my own sister. I trusted my gut with Alec, and I was right."
At that moment, the waitress came by and delivered the food. Jack's stomach let out a groan and Seraphina shot him a grin that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Anyway," she said as she began to bunch pesto penne onto her fork. "The reason I'm even telling you this in the first place is that, whether you want to believe it or not, you're family. I see you as family. And I will always have your back unless I find out that you've screwed me or someone I care about, or my team over. When I ask you why you got arrested, it's not because I'm trying to punish you. It's because I genuinely care. So, I'll ask again." She popped the penne into her mouth and chewed. When she swallowed, she raised her eyebrows. "What happened?"
Jack huffed a breath. He hadn't been expecting to tell Seraphina anything. He still didn't think it was her business, but he did understand why she was asking.
"Lily Sinclair," he said, his voice soft. It wasn't as though he thought anyone could overhear their conversation in the first place but he wanted to be sure.
"Alec's sister," Seraphina said. She took another bite of the penne.
"Yeah," Jack said with a nod. "Something happened to her and I…"
"You took care of it." Seraphina pushed her lips together. Part of the green pesto sauce stuck in the corner of her lips until she reached up with her napkin to dab it away. "Can I ask what happened? I might be able to help."
Jack looked down at his chicken. It smelled succulent and yet, he made no move to touch it. He wasn't even hungry, which made no sense considering Jack was always hungry and would eat practically anything.
"Back in high school, her boyfriend taped her without her knowledge," Jack said. He didn't know why he was suddenly comfortable talking to Seraphina Hanson about this, but the words came easier and they continued to flow out of him. He couldn't bring his eyes up from his food just yet, but at the very least, he was getting everything off of his chest. "He blackmailed her, asking for money to keep him from putting up the tape. She refused. He sold the tape and it was uploaded onto a website by the next day. I found out because of my mom."
"Your mom?" Seraphina stopped stabbing the pasta to look up at him. "The mom who didn't even come to your draft?"
"Yeah, well,
she decided since I'm a big-time hockey player now, she finally wants to be more involved." He rolled his eyes. "My mom doesn't matter. I went after Andrew because—"
"Because you care about Lily," Seraphina acknowledged with a small nod.
"Because Lily is family," he said. "Maybe it was stupid of me. I know I risked a lot doing it, but the thought that someone like Lily who's so sweet and warm and just…she is generous and takes care of people and she does things she doesn't have to do. For someone to do something like that to her—"
"The asshole deserved it."
Jack finally snapped his eyes up. "Yeah," he said. "That was my thought."
Seraphina nodded. "Look, I'm not a fighter," she said, "but I do understand that drive to protect. It's how I feel about my players, my sister, my grandfather's legacy. I know the whole videotape amateur porn stuff laws are tricky. What can help us is whether or not Lily was underage when she was filmed."
"Andrew said she wasn't," Jack said, "but if I remember correctly, Lily was seventeen at the time when she dated Corwin."
"I can work with that." She took a long drink of her water and set down the glass. "I can't promise anything, but my lawyer will look into this. At the very least, I might be able to get Andrew Corwin to drop the assault charges. I don't know about the video, though."
"Thanks," Jack said, a small grin on his face. He didn't feel happy, but it was a start. "I appreciate it."
"If you appreciate it, show me," Seraphina said, gesturing at his food. "You're letting good food go to waste!"
18
Lily
"Is Alec here?" Jack asked, brushing past Lily and heading into her room like he belonged here. "Never mind, it doesn't matter." His head was down and he kept pacing back and forth, just in front of her bed as Lily closed the door.
She hadn't even heard Jack come in. She watched him for a couple of moments. He would stop, open his mouth, then shake his head and shut it again. At one point, he ran his fingers through his hair. Another time, he shoved his hands in his pockets so his shoulders nearly touched his ears.
Rookies Do It Better: Book 1 in The Minor League Mayhem Series Page 10