Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

I didn't want to leave her. I hate even the thought of not being here for her. There hasn't been a single night she hasn't woken up screaming. I've arranged to have a counselor specializing in domestic violence come out and see Montana at the house. Starting next week.

I know that it's going to take a long time for her to fully recover from this, if she ever does. Three fucking years. She's been living in hell for three fucking years, and I had no idea.

Powering on my phone, I send her a quick message. We're about to take off but I need her to know that even though I'm not there, I'm still there . My mind is still on her. With her.

Me:

Just about to take off. How you feeling?

She replies with a smiley face emoji. Just a smiley face.

Me:

Tanna? I want you to sleep in my room when I'm not there. I left something on the bed for you.

Montana:

You need to stop buying me things. What did you leave?

Me:

I'll keep buying you anything I want, but this isn't something I bought. It's just something I thought you'd like to have.

Montana:

Thank you. Have a safe flight.

Me:

Don't thank me yet. You don't even know what it is. I'll message you when I land.

Montana:

Okay.

"You know you look like you're being tortured in the worst possible way," Gray says from where he's seated beside me.

"I feel like I am," I grunt.

"Welcome to the club." King turns to peer over the headrest in front of me.

"What club?" I ask him.

"The I can't breathe without her club," Travis says. These away games suck.

I laugh. "Your wife goes wherever we go."

"Yeah, but we don't get to fly together, and she's always bringing one of her cousins along for the ride."

"The Valentinos always travel in pairs," Gray says. "They're a bunch of paranoid fuckers."

Travis glares at him. "That's my family you're talking about, asshole. "

"I know. I don't pity you. That's for sure." Gray shrugs.

Grayson has been friends with Travis's wife since the two were kids. Their fathers are business associates. Liliana's family is, well, one of the largest mafia families in the States. While Gray's dominates the Canadian underground.

"It could be worse. You could have my in-laws." King throws a thumb back, gesturing to Gray, who is in fact his brother-in-law.

"Yeah, I'll stick with mine," Travis deadpans.

"Fuckers," Gray mumbles under his breath. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and dials someone before putting them on speaker.

"Gray, don't you have a flight to catch?" Aliyah's voice comes over the line.

"On it, but I have a question for you, Lia. If Liam and I were in a burning building and you could only save one of us, who would you save?" Gray asks her.

All four of us keep our mouths shut, waiting for her answer.

"Easy," she says. "I'd save you." Grayson smirks at King, who looks utterly stricken. " Because I know my husband is more than capable of saving himself. He doesn't need me to drag him out of a burning building. He'd drag himself out because if he didn't and he was dumb enough to die on me, then I'd have to remarry. And there's no way Liam King is letting some other guy fuck his wife."

"Damn right," King says.

"Aliyah, that wasn't the question," Gray grumbles.

"Well, you shouldn't ask me to choose between my brother and my husband. Keep in mind, I only have one husband, Grayson Monroe, but I have three brothers, so…" She allows the implication to hang in the air.

"My god, Pops should be training you to take over instead of Vinny. You're a hell of a lot more cutthroat."

"Yeah, not a job I want. But thanks for thinking of me. Gotta go. I just got to Luke's place."

"Okay, talk later," Gray says before hanging up the phone.

Liam leans over the seat and smiles at him. "She loves me more than you."

"She didn't say that," Gray grunts.

I reach for my EarPods, plug them in, and turn on a playlist. Tuning out the idiots surrounding me.

The arena is loud. So fucking loud. My head pounds, probably from the lack of sleep. I stayed up all night thinking about Montana. Wondering what she was doing… if she was okay… Fighting with myself for not being able to stop thinking about her. Hating the fact that she's so close and yet so far away at the same time.

I've come to terms with the realization that I'm no longer going to let Sean's ghost come between us. I know he'd be pissed if I started a relationship with his baby sister, but he's going to have to wait until I meet him in hell for him to do anything about it. I should have said something sooner. I should have picked her years ago. I never should have let my friendship with her brother stop me from claiming her as mine. If I had, she'd never have gone through the hell she's been forced to endure over the past three days.

"Hey, Vinny just sent this through." Gray flips his phone in my direction, a photo of a guy in his mid-twenties on the screen. "This is your man. Andrew Glenn. He owns a bar called Slime's. "

"Who the fuck names a bar Slime's ?"

"My guess, some slimy-ass motherfucker." Gray shrugs.

"Right." I tap the end of my stick on the ground. We're about to go out on the ice and he's just dropped this on my lap. I can't do a fucking thing about it. I have to play. Although what I really want to do is run out of this arena and get on the first flight home so I can pay this Andrew cocksucker a visit.

"I know you want to go get him. But take that anger out there. Use it to win this game and then we'll swing by your hometown and show ?em what we think about cowards who beat on women."

"Okay." I don't really have any choice but to agree. I mean, I could leave. I'd pay the fine and probably get benched for a few games. But then I'd have to explain to Montana why I didn't play.

I pull my phone out of my bag and send her text.

Me:

Are you watching the game?

Montana:

I am.

Me:

Are you wearing my gift?

She sends me back a selfie, and seeing her in my jersey does something to me. It's almost primal. Like wearing it is the same as marking her as mine.

Me:

It looks way better on you than it does on me.

Montana:

I'm sure there'll be a thousand puck bunnies waiting for you after the game who would disagree.

Me:

The only girl I want waiting for me is you.

She reads my message but doesn't send a reply. I might be coming off too strong. But fuck it. I've stayed away and look where that got us. It's time we both stop fighting what was always meant to be. Us.