The Keeper: Chapter 20

Fitz always has the team meet for a nine a.m. skate the day of a game. We hit the ice light for half an hour, then have to be back at the Battleground Arena two hours before puck drop. Max Kingston gutted this place while I was in high school. It had been falling apart before he bought it. Always on the list of worst arenas to play in. But now . . . Now it rivals any new arena in the country.

We’re moving slow this morning, but we don’t typically move at anything close to even half speed before games. Today is a little different for me though, because tonight, we play the Vipers. Nobody wants to go up against his former teammates, but especially not while it’s still so fresh.

“You got anything to add, Hayes?” Fitz asks after he calls us off the ice for the morning.

“Yeah. We’ve all watched the tape. You know these guys are good. You’re better. You’re more seasoned. They brought in a lot of new guys this year to try and stay under the salary cap and still keep their center happy. But they know me. They know my game. They know how I move. I’ve trained with them for ten years. I’m gonna try not to be predictable for them, but I could use your help tonight.” Nobody wants to look like they need help from their teammates, but I need to make sure they’re thinking this way if we’re gonna win.

Jace nods and looks around at the team. “You hear that, guys? Our goalie is laying it on the line. Are we gonna let him down?”

Boone throws an arm around me. “Fuck no, we’re not.”

“Fuck no, we’re not,” Jace echoes. Guess we’ve come to an understanding after all.

He follows me out of the locker room after practice. “Hey, Easton. Wait up.”

“Yeah, man,” I slow down as we head for the door. “What’s up?”

“You going with Lindy to meet with Sam today?”

“Yeah. I’m picking her up now, and we’re going over together.” I push through the door and stop in the parking lot. “Why?”

“Just glad she’s doing it.” He opens the door to his SUV and throws his bag inside. “She might not have needed that level of security ten years ago, but she needs it now. I appreciate you convincing her.”

“I didn’t convince her of anything. I told her I wanted her safe, and I wanted her in control. She needs to look at security as a tool that lets her live her life without being afraid of getting bombarded every time she leaves the house. I need her safe, man. But it’s gotta be on her terms.”

“You know I fucking hate when I’m wrong, Hayes.”

“Yeah, man. Most of us do.” I shoulder my bag, ready to get out of here and get to Lindy.

“Yeah, well it’s worse when it’s in front of the kid who could barely talk to me he was so starstruck the first time we met. I let Lindy down, and I didn’t really worry about letting you down in the process. I should have. She’s just always clouded my judgment. She’s my baby sister, you know?”

“Listen, I wouldn’t exactly say I was starstruck,” I laugh. “But I guess I get it. I’ve always wanted to protect her. The idea of letting her down has haunted me for fucking years. But I’m not the one you need to worry about hurting her. I never will.” I shove his shoulder, not sure what else to say. “I think she’s planning on coming to the game tonight. Maddox said he’d come with her if she doesn’t have security in place yet. Any chance you could try to smooth shit over a little with your family?”

“You’re good for her, ya big fuck. You know that?”

“Yeah, man. It might have taken me a few too many years to accept that. But she’s not getting rid of me. So I hope I’m good enough.”

“None of us are good enough for the woman who falls in love with us, man. None of us. We just have to do our best to earn it every day.”

Jace gets in his SUV, shuts the door, and waves as he pulls away.

None of us are good enough.

Guess it’s a good goddamn thing hard work doesn’t scare me.

Sam Beneventi’s office isn’t a place I expected to ever find myself.

I’ve watched my fair share of mob movies in my life. Read a few books. Heard a few stories. You can’t avoid them. Especially when you live in Las Vegas. But none of that prepared me to sit in this office and ignore the fact that Lindy’s brother-in-law, Maddox’s dad, is the head of the Philly mob. From what I’ve heard over the years, he owns a shit-ton of legitimate businesses too. But the Beneventi crime family has run this city for a century.

Sam’s in his forties. But other than a little gray mixed in with his dark hair, he doesn’t look much older than Maddox. Power rolls off him in waves. He’s intimidating as fuck.

When he speaks, you listen.

“Explain to me what you want handled differently, Madeline, and I’ll let you know if we can do it. I’m going to be honest with you. My team are professionals, and they make the final calls. You know that. If my men feel like they need to handle a situation a certain way to keep themselves and you safe, they’re going to do what they have to. But they’ll protect you at all costs.”

Lindy sucks in a breath. She knows that fact all too well. One of Sam’s guys, Marco, was her bodyguard on duty the night I took her home from a Kings game. I remember it like it was yesterday.

“Easton . . .” Lindy lays her hand on mine, bringing me out of a past I try really fucking hard not to revisit. “You okay?”

I look at my beautiful wife, alive and happy, and kiss the top of her head. “Yeah, princess. I’ve got everything I need.”