16. Maddox

Chapter 16

Maddox

My knuckles were split open and bleeding, and I stared down at them as Jenner and Cal shoved me toward the back exit of Pipes. There was a buzzing in my ears, the adrenaline still surging in my veins. For as long as I lived, I would never forget the sight of Bristol's terrified face as she was pinned helplessly against that wall.

It seemed almost foolish now that I had freaked out over being excluded from the night's festivities. Braxton had stopped by my office before he left for the day to let me know he wanted a group of his closest teammates from past and present there when he proposed to Dakota. To think I almost punched a wall over it.

As it turned out, I found a much more deserving target for a pummeling.

I was still in shock that Bristol's ex was a professional player. From the brief interaction I'd witnessed, Levi Nixon didn't care about her. Hell, he hadn't listened when she said no or when she asked to walk away. No, he'd used his size to intimidate her, trying to get her to give up the fight and give in to what he wanted.

Almost more shocking than his actions were his words. She was an object to him, nothing more. A soft place to stick his dick when the mood struck for years on end. And I hated that it had taken her asking for something more for him to cut her loose. Who knows how long she would have remained in his clutches if she'd continued to play along, never complaining that he had a steady string of women warming his bed.

Couldn't she see that she deserved so much better?

The shock of the fall night air did nothing to cool my temper. I was still in a fighting mood. So much so, that when Cal pushed me out of the way so the metal door could swing closed, I turned on him next.

I was mid-lunge when Jenner stepped between us. "Hey!" he shouted. "He's not the enemy here."

"Fuck!" I roared. My chest heaved as it struggled to draw in air.

"Take a minute. Walk it off. Then you need to explain what the hell happened."

Running both hands through my hair, I tugged on the short strands hard enough for a bite of pain to reach through my rage-fueled haze. Pacing the back alley, I kicked a dumpster, and my foot's collision with the unyielding metal sent a shockwave up my leg.

I wanted to feel something. Guess I got my wish.

"Feel better?" Cal's voice said as my vision finally cleared.

"No," I grumbled, returning to where they leaned against the brick exterior of the bar.

I reached for the handle of the exit door, but Jenner slid in front of it, blocking my path. "Not so fast."

My first instinct was to fight my way through him. I needed to get to Bristol, to make sure she was okay.

Seemingly reading my mind, that redheaded bastard cocked a smirk. "You gonna hit me too? "

One half of my brain warned that I was in enough trouble, but the other half figured that if I was already in a hole, what did it matter if I dug a little deeper?

"I need to see her!" The frantic need to see her safe settled in my chest, making it difficult to breathe.

"Who?"

"Bristol, who else?"

Jenner looked at me like I'd lost my mind, shaking his head. "Unreal. You couldn't stay away. Now look at you."

I charged at my best friend, my chest pressed against his. "Are you fucking telling me that if you saw some asshole pinning Evie to a wall, you would just stand there and do nothing?"

His nostrils flared, and he gritted out, "Leave her out of this."

"No. I need you to know where I'm coming from. It doesn't matter that we're not together. She said no, multiple times, and he ignored her. Thought because they had a history, she was playing hard to get. And then, he had the balls to act all chummy with me when he discovered I'd been with her too. Tried to warn me that she might want more than meaningless sex because that's all she was good for."

A muscle in Jenner's jaw twitched. "Fine. You've made your point."

"Now let me pass."

"No." He refused to back down.

"Goddammit!" I screamed. "I need to make sure she's okay!"

Cal stepped in. "No, what you need to do is lay low until we can make sure the little shit has been handled."

"Fine," I huffed. "Can one of you go in and check on her, then?"

"When we pulled you off Levi, Jaxon grabbed her. She's shaken, but she's okay."

"How did she end up alone with him?" I needed answers .

Cal shrugged. "Honestly, I didn't know he was here. He wasn't invited. And as for Bristol, were we supposed to follow her into the bathroom?"

I scoffed. "Don't women usually travel in packs in that regard?"

A shadow passed over his blue eyes, and he softened. "She seemed like she needed a minute alone."

Instead of his words setting me at ease, my concern shot through the roof. "Why?"

He looked skyward and blew out a breath. "Let's just say I'm not the only one bothered by your night with Hannah."

"Who fucking told her?"

"She asked Hannah point blank how you two knew each other. And my wife doesn't know when to keep her damn mouth shut. Poor girl looked like she wanted to cry. The idea of other women is a trigger for her. I'm sure you can imagine why."

"Yeah," I breathed out.

"I don't know what the two of you have going on, but it's clear that she cares."

"That's not the story she's been selling. Keeps telling me she's done with hockey players."

"Can you blame her?" Cal challenged. "You saw what the last one was like."

"I'm nothing like him," I spat back.

"You're right. You're not. But she's been hurt. She's protecting herself."

"I fucking hate this." I began to pace the alley, needing an outlet for my frustration.

There was a knock from the other side of the metal door, and Jenner stepped aside as it cracked open. Benji Mason poked his head out, declaring, "Okay, we've got it handled."

"Bristol?" I asked hopefully .

"No, saving your dumb ass." He shook his head. "I've never been more thankful I only have boys. With a girl, you gotta worry about all the horned-up idiots out there who wanna get in their pants and lose all sense of reason."

"Yeah, but with boys, you gotta worry about them knocking up the preacher's daughter at sixteen." Cal showed Benji no mercy.

Benji scoffed, rolling his eyes. "That happened one time."

Cal chuckled. "That's one time too many."

"Fuck off," Benji grumbled. "Knox is awesome, and I don't regret his existence for even one minute. You're just jealous."

Jenner cut them off. "Okay, so what's the plan?"

Benji stepped through the door. "I talked to Larry, the owner. He checked the security cameras from the bathroom hallway and confirmed that Levi was holding Bristol against her will. And since he's apparently a big fan of Maddox's, he agreed to hand over that footage to us. Which we will now use as leverage should Levi threaten to press charges. If that's the route he wants to take, then we will make sure Coach ends up with that tape. I'm willing to bet he will see the light. We all know how protective Ace Moreau can be over young women. Isn't that right, Cal, buddy?"

Cal only growled in response.

"That's what I thought." Benji smirked. "So, you're free and clear, Maddox."

The relief at knowing I hadn't flushed my career down the toilet over a woman who wanted nothing to do with me was only a slight comfort when Bristol was scared and hurting.

"Thanks, man." I sighed, dragging a hand down my face.

Benji lifted a shoulder before letting it drop. "Eh. It's been a while since we had any drama in Hartford. Guess we needed to come to Indy to outsource some." A smirk crept onto his lips. "You know . . . If you really wanted to thank us, you could throw the game tomorrow night."

I snorted. "Fat chance."

"Was worth a try." His unique gray eyes sparkled in the dim light.

Tilting my head toward the back door, I asked, "She still inside?"

"Nah. Dakota took her home."

Fuck. I'd completely forgotten why we were gathered as one at Pipes tonight.

"Shit. I ruined the proposal, didn't I?" Guilt burned through my veins.

Cal's hand came down on my shoulder. "No. Levi did that. Not you."

Leaning against the brick wall, I closed my eyes and dropped my head back, letting the rough bricks scrape against my scalp. But even with my relaxed posture, my fists were still tightly clenched, pulling at the skin of my knuckles, raw from fighting with Nixon. I still wanted to hurt him for hurting her, not just in the past but for reopening the wounds when he showed up tonight.

Jenner was the voice of reason. "She's got her support system here. You need to give her space."

Blowing out a breath, I opened my eyes to glare at him, even though I knew he was right. As desperate as I was to make sure Bristol was okay, running to her now would be a mistake.

It made more sense than ever why she'd sworn off hockey players if that idiot was her most recent experience.

The responsibility rested solely on me to show her I was different.

When Bristol skipped the game between the Comets and the Speed, I was forced to take action.

Flashes came to mind of her in my office, begging me to keep our one night a secret because of how badly she needed her new job and the fresh start it provided. To this point, she'd been dedicated, attending every single practice, and never wasting an opportunity to speak with the players or staff to gain as much information as possible for her articles about the team.

One brush with her ex in a darkened hallway, and she was hiding, putting her hard-won position at risk.

Once the arena cleared and the press was handled, I hopped in my car and drove to her house. I'd dropped a pin the morning after our night together, just in case. And we would pretend I hadn't spent many a night staring at the location on my phone, memorizing the address until I knew it as well as my own. That obsessive behavior came in handy now. That was the important part.

The tiny ranch-style home was as quaint as I remembered from nearly six weeks ago. My cock stirred at the memories of what had transpired within those walls, but I told him to calm the fuck down. Today's visit was about ensuring her emotional well-being after the trauma of last night.

Stepping up to her front door, doubt nagged at the back of my brain. What if she was avoiding me instead of her ex? If that was the case, showing up at her house uninvited could blow up in my face. But I couldn't stay away. I needed to see with my own two eyes how she was doing.

Honestly, it was a miracle I'd been able to wait this long.

For the past twenty-four hours, I'd been restless, the uncertainty driving me insane. Whenever I heard heels in a hallway at the arena, my heart raced, anticipating her presence. But I was disappointed every time. Pretty sure Alyssa thought I was going insane because I kept bumping into her in hallways with how fast my feet moved, trained toward the sound.

It was no small miracle the Speed topped the Comets by a score of three-to-two because my head wasn't in the game. Thankfully, rivalry games were charged, and my players rose to the challenge to beat their divisional opponents. There would be a round of beers on me the next time we hit the road as a thank-you for covering my ass and making me look good behind the bench.

As I raised my hand to knock, I pictured the last time I'd seen Bristol—pale and trembling—and my fist came down harder on the wood than I intended.

Great. An aggressive knock would set her on edge. That was the last thing I wanted.

Tentative footsteps sounded on the other side of the door, and the deadbolt turned moments before light from inside filtered onto the front porch.

My eyes had been cast down but snapped up at Bristol's soft sigh. Backlit as she was, she looked like an angel. And maybe she was, sent here to bring me back to life. But as my vision adjusted and I saw the sadness etched on her beautiful face, my heart shattered.

Leaning against the doorframe, she asked, "What are you doing here, Maddox?"

That organ inside my chest that had been frozen since the last time I saw her, suddenly beat again hearing her say my name.

Shoving my hands into my suit pants pockets to keep from touching her, I replied, "You didn't come to the game. I needed to make sure you were okay." When she stood there, staring and not speaking, I squirmed, adding, "And to apologize."

One of Bristol's eyebrows rose. "For what? "

I blew out a heavy breath, looking skyward. "For being an asshole."

A tiny huff flew from her lips. "Which time?"

Snapping my head to meet her eye, relief stole through my chest when I saw the tiniest hint of a smile tip up on one corner of those plush lips. "All of them?" That earned me the other corner turning up. "But mainly last night."

Bristol nodded. "Okay. You want to come in?" She rubbed at her exposed arms, only clad in a tank top and leggings. It was early November, and the nights were moving past cool into cold as fall sped closer to winter. She had to be freezing with the door open.

"Yeah." I gripped the back of my neck. "If that's all right?"

Stepping aside, she shrugged. "Yeah, it's fine."

I crossed the threshold, allowing her to close the door behind me. Removing my suit jacket, I tugged on the tie around my neck, loosening it before rolling up my shirt sleeves. Most people felt suits were stuffy, and they might be right, but having been forced to wear one almost daily since I was a teenager—it being a requirement for travel and before games—I was used to it. Sure, it didn't hurt that they were all custom-tailored, made for my uniquely muscular frame.

Scanning the living room, I noted that all the boxes from the last time I'd been there were gone. The walls were still white, but Bristol had made it her own. There were cute throw pillows on the couch, framed art on the walls, and pictures of what I assumed were family and friends scattered along the end tables.

"Do you want to sit down?" Bristol said softly from behind.

Whipping around, I was reminded of the purpose of my visit.

I sized Bristol up, noting how she seemed unsure of herself, chewing on her lower lip, her eyes darting around the room, looking at anything but me. This was not the confident woman I'd grown to care for, even if those feelings were one-sided. I wanted to beat the shit out of Levi Nixon all over again for doing this to her.

There was a magnetic pull between us, and I decided to stop fighting it. Closing the gap between us, I reached a tentative hand to hover an inch away from her cheek. When she didn't flinch or move away, I cupped the soft skin of her face, stroking my thumb over the curves slowly.

A stuttered breath flew past Bristol's lips before she relaxed against my touch. She had to feel this connection between us, right? I couldn't be imagining it.

"First, tell me if you're okay," I commanded softly.

Those beautiful blue eyes searched mine before dropping under my intense gaze, her lashes tickling my thumb. On an exhale, she asked, "Physically or emotionally?"

Dread squeezed my heart in a vise grip, and my voice came out rough, choking on the words. "He hurt you?"

Bristol's eyes fluttered open, and there was a beat of hesitation before she said, "He didn't."

"I don't understand." My forehead wrinkled as I tried to make sense of what she was saying.

"You did."

Those words slammed into me with the force of a sledgehammer, and I stumbled back, my legs nearly collapsing at her admission.

"Me?" I forced out.

Ducking her head, she whispered, "Seems you have a habit of leaving my ass bruised."

I gaped at her. "What—How—I—" My brain was misfiring, racing to put the pieces together but coming up empty.

"You don't remember?" Bristol tilted her head, eyes sharp as she witnessed my confusion .

Mute, I shook my head.

When she took a step forward, I held out my hands to stop her. If I didn't remember hurting her, it wasn't safe for her to be closer.

Bristol took a deep breath. "When you were on top of Nix." My jaw ticked at the sound of his name. "You were out of your mind with rage. I knew if I didn't stop you, you might kill him. And as much as I hate him, I didn't want to see him drag you down too. So, I pulled on your arm, and when you shrugged me off, I fell hard on my ass. I know you didn't do it on purpose, but I didn't realize you didn't remember it."

It finally clicked, and I explained, "Rage blackout. My vision didn't clear until they got me outside."

"Oh. That happen a lot?"

"No." I needed her to know I wasn't a violent man. I would never willingly put her in harm's way or intend to injure her myself—consensual bedroom activities aside.

I dropped onto her couch, placing my elbows on my knees and cradling my head in my hands.

Her small hand stroked my back. "I'm not upset with you."

"You should be," I scoffed, not looking up. "I just—" I stopped, unable to continue, the weight of hurting her crushing my soul.

"Just what?" she asked, no hint of accusation in her tone.

"Fuck." When I finally dared to peek at her, her blue eyes were wide but not scared. "I just saw his hands on you after you told him no, and something inside of me snapped. Then, when I realized he was your ex? I lost my damn mind. Knowing he's the reason—"

Bristol sighed, breaking my gaze. "You know he's not the only reason we can't be together."

"You're telling me that if you didn't have a history with a player who abused his status, you would have still shut me down flat? You've mentioned more than once that you've been down this road before. What if you hadn't? What if this was the first time? Would you have been open to exploring this pull between us?"

"I don't know." She kept her eyes down, tucking her feet beneath her knees.

Gripping her chin, I turned her face, not allowing her to hide from the conversation—one we should've had long ago.

"I've never felt like this before, Bristol. I need you to know that. I can't stop thinking about you. I see you every time I close my eyes. I nearly tore my best friend apart when he wouldn't let me go to you after your ex had his hands on you. I was that desperate to see you safe."

Her lips parted on a soft exhale.

"What's it going to take for you to see that I could be the man to wipe him from your memory? To show you how a real man takes care of his woman? That you're worth so much more than he made you believe? That you deserve to be cherished outside of the bedroom and worshipped inside of it?"