Chapter Three

His insides shook. Storm didn’t know what would happen. With a stack of legal documents in hand, Storm quietly slid open his bedroom window. He had stashed his packed bags behind the bushes earlier, but he had been too scared to leave the documents inside. Getting caught with a plan to leave was one thing. His father finding out he had taken all the legal steps to do so, and that he had a multi-million-dollar contract, was another. His dad would make damn sure he took control if Storm got caught. Storm couldn’t let that happen.

He easily dropped from his window, softly landing on the grass below. As always, he pulled the window closed behind him, covering his escape. Storm had gone this way in the middle of the night more times than he could count. Tonight, it was especially important he didn’t get caught. Storm found his bags and quickly stuffed the papers inside. An Uber waited two houses down. Storm jogged to it. He didn’t breathe properly until he was inside and on his way. Storm waited until he was halfway to Barrett’s place before texting him.

Storm : Meet me outside in ten minutes.

Barrett : Yep.

Storm shook his head at the blasé response. He loved that Barrett didn’t even question it. Storm hoped that lack of worry continued. Everything rode on this conversation. He spotted Barrett waiting on the porch the moment the car pulled in front of the house. Storm grabbed his bags and thanked the driver. Hopefully, the poor guy wasn’t immediately coming back. With his heart in his throat, he headed Barrett’s way.

Barrett eyed his bags. His expression hardened. He came to his feet. “What’s happened? I’ll kill that old bastard. He’s already been warned.”

It was probably wrong, but Barrett’s rage warned his heart. “It’s okay. He didn’t do anything.”

Barrett’s forehead furrowed. “Then why do you have your stuff?”

Storm set his bags on the porch and pulled out the envelope filled with his ticket to freedom. He hopped in place as he showed it to Barrett. “It’s done. Everything is official. Four million for two years with the Las Vegas Sabers. Dad can’t touch the money. The lawyer handled everything, quietly emancipating me. I’m out of here.”

Barrett’s expression had closed halfway through Storm’s speech.

Storm didn’t let that stop him. “We can finally leave here. I can buy us a house. You don’t have to do your dad’s dirty work, and I’ll….” Storm swallowed “… I’ll never have to explain away another broken bone or black eye. It can just be us.”

“No. It’ll just be you.”

It was like hearing he only had months to live. Something inside him cried out in pain. “But I thought—”

“I know what you thought. You thought I’d walk away from everything to be your housewife while you jet around the world. You thought I would ditch my family because yours sucks.”

They had known each other forever. Storm had watched Barrett do unspeakable things to other people. Not once had he been cruel to Storm. Maybe he wasn’t exactly warm, but they were special.

Storm swallowed. He put the envelope back in his bag and dug out his phone. Without looking at Barrett, he booked another Uber to take him to the bus station.

With his ride set, Storm held the phone out to Barrett. “Here’s your phone. I’m sorry I assumed—” He couldn’t say it. Storm wouldn’t admit he thought maybe—deep inside—Barrett loved him. Storm thought Barrett understood he had been courted by teams for them. He refused to be accused of being manipulative. “Here’s your phone.”

Barrett didn’t reach for it. “Keep it. My dad hasn’t even noticed he’s paying for it.”

With a nod, Storm headed for the curb. He guessed a small part of him had known this was a possibility. Storm had thought Barrett knew him well enough to know he would never ask him to walk away from his family. He just wanted to spend their lives together. It seemed Barrett had never wanted the same. He didn’t know how to live with that.

Storm either slept nonstop or not at all. He was hyper aware of Barrett being under his roof and in his bed. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to talk to him anymore. With the dust settled and too much time to think, Storm realized he was angry. Enraged, really. All the pain had turned to fury at some point. It had nowhere to go.

For his entire life, Storm had been a punching bag. His mental health had never been good. Maybe if he had gotten help when he was a kid. If someone had saved him other than Barrett, then he might have stood a chance. Instead, he had rescued himself. He had paved his own path out, and now he was just a fucked-up mess with millions to spend. In this case, money didn’t buy happiness. That was on him. He hadn’t been born to find joy.

With his bag over his shoulder and his earbuds in blasting music, Storm walked past a sea of reporters like they weren’t there. He understood he was the latest carcass they needed to peck. There was absolutely no story he could share. He was just another head case. Nothing new or special. No doubt, they would still love to hear that. Juicy gossip was still front-page news.

Storm changed into his practice uniform as soon as he made it to the locker room. The life had gone from him. He didn’t know how to get it back. Storm still didn’t think he wanted it. A smiling face popped up in front of him. To his surprise, the huge grin made him smile.

Storm pulled out his earbuds. “Hey.”

Hugo’s light brown eyes danced with good humor. “Hey. It’s good to see you back. Didn’t lose my number, did you?”

Guilt hit Storm. “No. I just haven’t—”

Hugo made a dismissive motion, stopping him. “That wasn’t a lecture. I wanted to make sure you still have my number since I still owe you that tour.”

“You really do, don’t you?”

They shared a smile.

A hint of life filled Storm’s chest. They chatted as they made their way to the ice. Even though they didn’t really talk about anything special, Storm felt better. Then his skates hit the ice and Storm drew his first true breath in months. The sport that had saved him his entire life came to his rescue again. Storm thought maybe he would live. He could survive for this one thing.

“I watched your game.” Actually, Barrett hadn’t missed seeing Storm’s games since he started playing at the age of eight.

Storm didn’t respond.

Barrett gripped the phone tighter. He never knew what to say with Storm. Barrett went with the truth. “I miss you.”

A shaky breath sounded through the line.

Barrett squeezed his eyes shut. Fuck. He just—ugh. Things weren’t black and white. He didn’t know why Storm couldn’t see that. “FaceTime with me.” He just needed to set eyes on Storm. His phone made the awful sound it made when he had an incoming FaceTime call. He quickly switched to that feature. Storm’s face appeared on the screen. His eyes were red rimmed. A muscle jumped in his jaw. It was obvious he had either been crying or fought back tears. Barrett wanted to beat his head against the wall. He couldn’t be who Storm needed. Neither could he let him go. They were a set. Storm was his human counterpart. Without him, Barrett was his father’s son. That wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

“What are you doing right now?”

Storm flashed the phone toward his chest. There was a huge black bruise that looked nasty as hell. The phone moved back to his face. “I’m icing.”

“Fuck, Storm. Why do you want this? Why do you do this to yourself?”

The muscle was jumping again.

Yep, he ground his back teeth to keep from lashing out at Barrett. Barrett knew it. He knew Storm. Barrett had to change tactics. “You know I hate to see you hurt.”

A bark of humorless laughter escaped Storm. It was an ugly sound. “I don’t believe that for a second.”

Barrett growled. Storm drove him insane. “Do you need me to break someone’s arm like I did your dad’s to prove myself?”

A smile exploded across Storm’s face. “You’re ridiculous. It’s hockey. You can’t break hockey’s arm.”

“I can try.”

Storm’s smile faltered. “That would require you to be here.”

Barrett shrugged. “I don’t see why I can’t visit sometimes. You’re still mine, after all.”

Storm chewed his bottom lip. His green eyes looked the way they always had—like a sad, lost puppy Barrett needed to save. “Sometimes, I’m scared I’ll always be yours and one day it’ll kill me.”

No one knew how those words haunted him. Barrett stared out the window of the owner’s box and watched Storm’s practice. He had done this back home a million times. When it came to Storm, Barrett was like a dragon always guarding his gold. Like gold, Storm had no clue of how precious he was to Barrett.

“How’s he doing?”

Barrett shrugged at Tanner’s question. He didn’t want to say anything that might get Storm benched. The owner of the team had checked in on Storm several times in the past few months. They had struck up a friendship of sorts. Tanner was old enough to be his father. In fact, it turned out he knew Barrett’s dad. Barrett liked him. He was a huge bear with an enormous personality. It was obvious he cared. Barrett imagined that was rare in professional sports. Money always clouded things.

Tanner turned his back to the window and leaned against it. With his arms crossed over his chest, he stared at Barrett. “For real. How is he?”

Barrett shrugged again. “I honestly don’t know. He’s quiet.” Barrett swallowed and focused on Storm on the ice. It was easier to talk if he didn’t look at Tanner. “It’s like the life has gone from him. Storm has always been too serious. That’s on his dad, really. He was severely abused as a child and showing any emotion at all only made it worse.” His gaze slid back Tanner’s way. “He hid that from me until I showed up one day in enough time to see his dad hit him full force in the face with a beer bottle.”

Tanner winced.

Barrett nodded. “I’d had a feeling he was being hurt at home, but I’d never had proof and Storm wouldn’t confess. I was seventeen. Storm was fourteen. He didn’t know I had seen. I took Storm home and made him tell me the truth. Then I left him with my dad and went back with my brothers. He never hit Storm again.” Barrett looked away. “But he never loved him, either.”

“What about his mom?”

Barrett snorted. “She is a raging addict. In and out of rehab with zero hope. She forgot he existed. She forgot every damn thing she couldn’t shoot into her arm.” Barrett went back to watching Storm. “His parents didn’t even know he played sports. I’ve worked for my dad for as long as I can remember. All us boys have. So I paid to keep him on the ice.” Bitterness stirred inside Barrett. “I hoped it would keep him sane since I couldn’t get him therapy. He thought I set him up to give us this life. You see how that’s worked for us.”

Tanner straightened. “I know a guy I can put in his path. It might help him to talk to someone who can relate. The coach for my sled team. He has a similar background. This team is a good place for Storm. He doesn’t realize it yet, but I’ve helped put together a group of amazing men. None of them are here by chance. He’ll get better.” Tanner touched his arm and held Barrett’s stare. “I promise.”

Barrett gave him a sharp nod. “I know. I refuse to let things be any other way.”

“Does he know you’re here?”

Barrett shook his head. Tanner already knew they were falling apart. He knew Barrett was the reason Storm was broken. There was no reason to lie. Barrett would make it right, though. He had taken care of Storm his whole life. That job was his. It would be until he drew his last breath.