21. Chapter 21

As the final whistle blew, I grabbed my phone from my gym bag and saw a strange message from Ashlynn. Coach had just announced that we were confined to our rooms for the night, citing early morning press conferences and an important tournament game the next day. But I couldn"t shake the feeling that I needed to find Ashlynn at the club before calling it a night.

Ashlynn doesn't typically text me, and something feels off.

"Hey, you want to grab something to eat before curfew?" Jace asks, as he jogs to catch up with me.

My stomach growls. We had a grueling practice, and Coach really pushed us. I should take him up on his offer, but I can't stop thinking about Ashlynn's text.

"Nah, I'm going to go to my room." I hate lying to Jace, but I can't tell him that I'm going to look for Coach's daughter. He wouldn't understand, and I'm not ready to have that conversation with him yet.

"Okay, well, if you change your mind, hit me up," he offers.

I wave goodbye as I leave the arena. I grab an Uber and try to text Ashlynn, but she isn't reading or responding to my texts. I can't get this gnawing feeling to go away that something is off with her right now.

It takes forever to get to the hotel. Once I'm there, I rush inside and search for the club. One thing about Vegas is that every hotel has nightclubs and casinos. They are like mazes that make you feel like you fell through a rabbit hole and ended up in Wonderland, only with drunk people and gambling.

As I approach the hotel, the dull thump of bass fills my ears and grows louder with each step. My phone buzzes in my hand as I push past groups of partygoers, desperately searching for Ashlynn"s familiar face. The strobe lights and loud chatter make it difficult to see or hear anything. Then, through a sea of writhing bodies, I spot her blonde hair and make my way towards her. She"s slumped over on the dance floor, her eyes shut tight, her head lolling to the side. A tall figure towers over her, shaking her shoulder frantically.

Rushing over to them, I shove the girl aside as I move to pick up Ashlynn. Only, this girl looks nothing like the Ashlynn I know.

Dressed in a skintight black dress, her body is lax, and her hair is drenched in sweat as it lays plastered across her face. She reeks of alcohol, and I can't seem to understand why she would be here.

"Hey, leave her alone," the girl says to me as she moves to stand. Her movements are sloppy, and it's clear that she's had way too much to drink, too.

"What happened to Ashlynn," I bark out.

The girl"s eyes go wide. "We were just having some fun. She had a few too many drinks is all."

"How the hell do you know her?" I yell, moving the hair out of Ashlynn's eyes.

People continue on with their fun all around us. No one seems to be bothered by the girl passed out on the dance floor.

"We are old friends. I saw she was in town, so we met up. Look, Ashlynn used to do this all of the time. You should know that. She will be fine in the morning as long as her parents don't find out. Looks like you've got this covered," she says, starting to walk away.

"Hey," I yell, stopping her. "What's your name?" I want to be sure to tell Ashlynn about her shitty friend who left her on the dance floor.

"Ally," she yells over her shoulder before disappearing into the crowd.

I stare down at Ashlynn, still feeling a strange series of emotions. Anger seems to be at the forefront right now, but I need to tame it down. I need to get her out of here, and then I need to get some rest. We have a big game tomorrow, and Coach will kill me if I'm not rested.

Lifting her body, I carry her in my arms. She's as light as a feather. Once I'm out of the club, it hits me that I can't just carry her through the hotel. If someone sees us, this could be really bad for both of us. Sighing, I move us to a darkened hallway and do the last thing I want to do.

I call Topher.

***

Ten minutes later, I spotted the guys heading my way.

They all look pissed and rightfully so. We should all be in bed right now, but instead, they are coming to my rescue.

"What the hell is going on?" Tripp grunts as he stops in front of me. His eyes quickly dart down to where Ashlynn lies against the wall. Her soft breathing is the only sign of life within her.

"Logan, you better start talking now," Jace orders, as he bends down to check on Ashlynn.

Topher just stands here, his arms crossed and an angry scowl marring his face.

"I will explain everything once we get her to my room. She's drunk, and I can't find her room key."

I bend down, pick Ashlynn back up, and hold her tightly to my chest. She feels so good in my arms, but I hate the circumstances that we are under.

The guys all look at one another, and I can see the trepidation warring in their eyes. They think this is a bad idea, but none of them will leave me alone. We may not always agree with each other, but we never give up on our brothers.

"Fine, but you better start fucking talking as soon as she is safe," Tripp growls.

Nodding, I offer a slight smile.

"There is a service elevator down this hall. I asked the hotel staff when you called," Topher sighs.

"Thanks," I say, following Topher as he leads the way.

The guys only give me sideway glances as we silently walk to the elevators. The ride up to our floor is uncomfortable, but I'll take this awkwardness over something bad happening to Ashlynn.

Once we reach our floor, Topher checks to ensure no one is in the halls. Quickly, I headed to my room, and once I unlocked the door, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Jace turns the lights on, and Tripp closes the door behind us. I move to the bed and lay Ashlynn down. Topher hands me the blankets, and I cover her body. Turning her to her side, I watch her for a moment before turning to the guys.

"Okay, I'm ready to talk," I say.

We move away from the bed and stand by the door. The room is a large suite, so we headed to the living room area. We are far enough away from Ashlynn that we won't disturb her but still close enough that we can monitor her.

Releasing a heavy breath, I realize I have to tell the guys my secret. "I met Ashlynn after the game where I got in a fight. I was upset and just wanted to get drunk. Neither of us intended to find the other, but we ended up hooking up in her dorm room. I had no idea she was the coach"s daughter."

"How did you not know she's the coach"s daughter?" Tripp yells.

"He has never mentioned a family. The only picture he has is of some five-year-old. Now, I assume that's Ashlynn. When we hooked up, we didn't talk about family. It was only supposed to be a one-night stand. We've been secretly hooking up. I care about her. Fuck, what am I going to do?"

Chuckling, Jace slaps my back. "You need to pray he doesn't find out you did the dirty with his daughter."

"That's not helpful," I mutter.

"I don't want him to find out, but is it sad that Coach never talks about his personal life?" I say.

"Look, I'm not necessarily mad that you hooked up with the coach"s daughter. I am mad that you kept this from us," Tripp says, echoing the thoughts of the guys. However, I don't dare tell him that Topher already knew. Thankfully, Topher doesn't offer that information either.

"I'm sorry. Ashlynn didn't want anyone to find out. She's a mystery, and I realize she and I need to have a serious conversation." I sigh.

"I guess none of us knew he had a family. The man lives and breathes hockey," Jace says, what we are all thinking.

We all stood there in silence. When you think about it, it seems kind of sad. I mean, we all want hockey to be our life: to be our ticket into a career and our dream lives. But to think that hockey could also control so much of your life that you forget you even had a family– Damn, is that what I want?

Tripp runs a hand over his head. "Shit, I don't know. I get we all love the game, but I love Sadie more. I want a family with her one day, and I will make damn sure nothing is more important than Sadie and our family."

Hearing Tripp talk so seriously about anything other than hockey is new but not shocking. Ever since he fell madly in love with Sadie, his views on life have changed. I still want hockey to be my main focus, but do I want it to be everything to me?

Is hockey worth living alone and not having a family to love and support me?

"He's going to find out. You can't keep this secret forever," Jace states.

He's right. I will talk to Ashlynn soon enough. After a few more minutes, the guys leave and head to bed. It's late, and we have an early morning ahead of us.

Moving back into the room, I sit on the bed next to Ashlynn. She is so damn beautiful that she takes my breath away. I want to sit here and watch her all night, but a yawn escapes me, and my eyes grow heavy. I don't feel right lying next to her, so I will sleep on the couch in the living room area. As I move to stand, I feel her hand grab my wrist. "Stay with me, please," she begs.

"I didn't realize you were awake," I say, leaning down so we are eye to eye.

Those beautiful eyes open, but the spark that is normally there is dull. "Yeah, I've been in and out of it. I'm sorry you had to see me like that," she says, her lips quivering.

I run a hand down her arm. "Don't worry about it. We both need to get some sleep tonight. We can talk in the morning."

"Okay." She smiles weakly as her eyes flutter closed again.

I lay next to her on the bed, my arms pulling her in so she was cradled next to me. I want to protect her with every fiber of my being. But first, I need to know her secrets. We can't have a future if her life is a mystery to me