13. Cope

13

COPE

Fury pulsed through me like waves of fire. It took everything in me to keep my hold on Sutton gentle and not haul her over my shoulder to get her and Luca into my SUV and safely home. But it was more than anger at what that asshole, Rick, was putting her through.

It was that she was out of options. Sutton planned to move her and Luca into a tiny one-room guesthouse because it was the only safe option she thought she had. But it wasn’t.

When I had Shep design my house, he’d rolled his eyes at how over the top it was. But the truth was, I didn’t spend my money on much. I had a ridiculous vehicle, sure, but I invested in my homes—my penthouse in Seattle and my place here in Sparrow Falls.

Here, I got wide-open spaces. A place to breathe. And I wanted the house to have that same comfort. That meant a gym and a screening room. Massive living, dining, and cooking spaces. A library and an office. Ten bedrooms, thirteen baths, a pool, and a hot tub.

Plus, the space I’d created for Arden, giving her the job of property manager. She had a small guesthouse and a large workshop big enough to house her monster sculptures and other over-the-top art pieces. And finally, a small barn and paddock to care for her two horses. It all came together to create a place where she hopefully felt safe.

I wanted to give that to Sutton and Luca, too. I just didn’t want to look too closely at the why of it all.

Sutton gaped at me, those beautiful turquoise eyes widening with shock. “Cope, I can’t?—”

“You can, and you are. I get that you’re used to going things alone. But you’ve got people around you who care. Let us help.”

She worried her bottom lip. “I can sign the lease for that guesthouse tomorrow and?—”

“Warrior,” I growled. “Five hundred square feet for two people isn’t enough space. I’ve got a whole wing that you and Luca can have to yourselves. There’s tons of property for Luca to explore. A pool and a pond. He’ll love it.”

Sutton tugged harder on that lip, and I sensed her wavering.

“If you don’t feel comfortable staying with me, then stay with Mom and Lolli. You know they’d love to have you.”

Her eyes glistened. “Why are you all so nice?”

Those unshed tears broke something in me, and I pulled Sutton against my chest. “You deserve more than nice, Warrior.”

She shuddered against me. “You don’t know that.”

My hands stilled on the back of her neck, and then I picked up my kneading again. “I may not know what you’ve been through, but I know it’s something.” Every instinct I had told me that. And the idea of hardship hurting her, or worse, that pain coming at the hands of a human being, slayed me. “You deserve a break. Let me help you.”

Sutton’s hands fisted in my tee as if she were holding on for dear life. “I’ve worked so hard to stand on my own two feet. I can’t give that up.”

“You’re not.” My fingers sifted through her silky blond strands. “Just because you let someone give you a place to rest for a while doesn’t mean you aren’t standing on your own two feet.”

Sutton’s head tipped back, those hypnotic eyes clashing with mine. She was searching, looking for something I couldn’t identify. I just hoped like hell she found it.

Her throat worked as she swallowed. “You’re sure? It wouldn’t be for long. Just until I can save a little more and?—”

“Stay for as long as you want. My house is empty most of the year anyway. It’d be nice if it got some use.” If it got some life injected back into it. Just admitting that out loud was a reminder of how empty I’d let my existence become. Hockey, training, appearances. Rinse and repeat. There wasn’t fun anymore. There wasn’t even connection beyond the ridiculous siblings’ text thread.

Something shifted in my chest, the uncomfortable grind of bone against bone because it felt like nothing else was filling the cavity. And for the first time in a long while, I wanted there to be.

Sutton stared at me for a long moment. “I have to get up before the sun, and Luca needs someone to watch him?—”

“Warrior,” I cut her off, giving her neck a squeeze. “I can wake him up and get us both breakfast. I do it for myself every morning. And I’m already up early to get in a workout before camp.”

She let out a long breath. “He’s cute, but he’s a lot,” Sutton warned. “He’ll talk your head off and try to convince you all he needs to exist is sugar for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”

I chuckled at that. “Little man after my own heart. But I’ll remind him we need protein to build those hockey muscles.”

Sutton’s perfect lips twitched, and I wanted to trace the pillowy softness with my tongue, to know what they felt like wrapped around my— nope . Not going there.

“I pay some sort of rent,” Sutton began.

“Hell, no.”

“Cope—”

“No. You wanna pay me? You let me be your taste tester for whatever cupcakes you’re working on next.”

A flicker of a smile rose to Sutton’s lips. “That’s Luca’s job, and he’s pretty partial to it.”

“Two sets of taste buds are better than one,” I countered.

She was quiet for one beat, then two. “Okay. ”

The sensation of victory swept through me, better than when we’d made it to the Cup two years ago, and I couldn’t help the absolutely ridiculous grin that spread across my face. “Really?”

Sutton lifted one shoulder and then dropped it. “Just remember you asked for this when Luca’s trying to wake you up at five in the morning to practice sports puck moves.”

I barked out a laugh. “Sports puck?”

She grinned up at me, and the action hit me right in the solar plexus, stealing the air from my lungs.

“I’m up on all the lingo. Clearly.”

I shook my head. “Come on. Let’s get you two packed.”

Flipping on my blinker, I turned onto Cascade Avenue. I glanced in my rearview mirror to make sure Sutton and Luca were behind me. She had the address plugged into her navigation system, but I didn’t want her to feel like she was making any part of this journey alone.

Once we were on the main drag out of town, I hit a button on the steering wheel. “Call Anson.”

It wasn’t a move I made often. I had his number in my phone, but it certainly wasn’t on my Favorites list. The truth was, I’d been skeptical of my sister’s boyfriend at first. But the ex-profiler had been there for her in the worst moments of her life, so I was slowly coming around.

“Cope,” Anson greeted. The broody bastard might’ve shown more signs of life lately, but it still didn’t make him warm and fuzzy.

There was no point in beating around the bush, so I just cut to the heart of it. “Need a favor.”

“What kind of favor?”

Anson was right to be suspicious. I could’ve been asking him to dissolve a body in lye for all he knew. My grip on the wheel tightened. “ You have a friend who’s a hacker, right? Someone who can dig up dirt on people?”

His friend had been instrumental in bringing Thea’s ex down and getting justice for countless women the guy had tormented.

“I don’t have friends,” Anson muttered.

I choked on a laugh. “Whatever makes you feel better, dude. An associate?”

He was silent for a moment. “What do you need?”

That familiar rage pushed at the box I’d tried to force it back into. “As much dirt on Rick Anderson as you can find. Something that will make him sell all his properties to me—and on the cheap because that fucker deserves to lose some money.”

The sounds of a construction site faded, and I knew Anson had walked away. “Who is he, and what did he do?”

“Does it matter?”

“If you want Dex’s help, it does. He’s a crusader these days. Only gets motivated for a cause he thinks is just.”

My jaw worked back and forth. “He’s a local asshole who’s messing with Sutton. Trying to raise her rent over and over. When she pushed back about her legal rights, he kicked her and Luca out of the apartment above the bakery. She can’t afford somewhere decent to stay right now.”

A low growl sounded across the line. “You’re not serious.”

“I am.” But I wished like hell I wasn’t.

“Her cupcakes are fuckin’ heaven,” Anson muttered.

I choked back a laugh. Of course, Sutton’s cupcakes were the thing to win the cantankerous prick over. “That mean you’re helping?”

“I’ll get Dex on it ASAP.” Anson paused. “Where is she going to stay for now?”

I shifted in my seat. “Takin’ her and Luca to my place.”

There was a beat of silence. “You like her.”

I could hear the smile in Anson’s words, which only pissed me off. “That’s what you got from all of that?”

“Pretty much.”

“Fuck off and help me fix this. ”

“Done,” Anson clipped and hung up before I could even say thank you. Typical.

I pulled up to the massive gate Shep had installed at the mouth of my property. It might’ve seemed like overkill, but I got the occasional overzealous fan trying to sneak in. And I liked the extra protection—for Arden more than me.

I waited until Sutton’s small, navy SUV pulled up behind me. I’d already given her the code to the gate, but it would be easier if she could just pull in after me. I hit the opener on my visor and wished I could see the property through her eyes.

In my mind, it was the perfect patch of land. Removed from town and with epic views of the Monarch Mountains and Castle Rock. The quiet stillness out here helped put my restless mind at ease. I hoped she felt the same.

The moment the gate was open, I stepped on the gas, and Sutton followed right behind me. You couldn’t see the majestic views yet. The only thing in front of us was a winding lane flanked by aspen trees. It wound through the landscape for several minutes, leading us across a bridge over a creek until it finally opened to the vast spaces.

I took a moment to really take it in. The golden stone faces of Castle Rock, and the staggering peaks of the Monarch Mountains that were still capped with snow. It was the perfect reminder of how small we were compared to the rest of the world.

The house itself stood as a complement to the surrounding scenery. A blend of deep reddish wood, stone, and glass, it was massive for sure, but when the backdrop was endless nature, it didn’t look overly ostentatious.

I rounded the curved driveway and came to a stop by the front doors. I’d get Sutton a remote for the garage so she could bring her SUV in out of the elements, but for now, here was good. I cut my engine and slid out of the vehicle, only to find Luca already jumping out of Sutton’s.

“Coach Reaper! This is your house?” he called.

The awe in his voice was clear, and it sent a feeling of pride coursing through me. “It is, Speedy. ”

“This is freaking AWESOME!” Luca jumped and then proceeded to do some sort of dance that had very little rhythm involved but was fucking adorable.

Sutton shut the door to her SUV, her gaze moving from the house to me as she swallowed. “It’s certainly beautiful. And big.”

“Is big bad?” I asked her, my brow furrowing.

“Depends,” she said, dropping her voice.

“On what?”

Those turquoise eyes flashed. “If you can remember what’s most important.”