Sterling: A Carolina Reapers Novel

by Samantha Whiskey

  “Uh…” Words. I needed some words.

  “Mila, what the hell?” Maxim came down the hallway from the right—the players’ entrance—with his bag over his shoulder.

  “Hey!” She waved.

  Evie retreated to the wall.

  Maxim’s eyes narrowed and he stepped between Mila and me. “Don’t talk to her.”

  “Don’t be an asshole, Max.” Mila side-stepped so she could see me, then shoulder-checked Maxim out of the way. “Anyway, I know you have to get to your game, but I just wanted to introduce myself. Maybe we can have dinner after—”

  “You’re having dinner with Dad and me,” Maxim snapped.

  “Sterling! Zolotov! We have a game, just in case you’ve forgotten,” Coach yelled. “Get your asses in here!”

  “Right,” I said slowly. “Mila, Evie, it was nice to meet you.” Those words didn’t come close to explaining what had just happened, but it was all I had.

  Maxim sucked in a breath, his glare only intensifying until I walked to the locker room.

  “Mila, what were you thinking?” he asked gently as I pushed through the locker room doors.

  It was game time.

  Shutout.

  I played the best game of my life.

  Maybe it was knowing I had to narrow my focus to the ice and the ice alone, or maybe it was seeing London’s smile during the second intermission as we walked back to the ice, but I was solid.

  Fuck that. I wasn’t just solid. I was on fire.

  I’d taken forty-three shots and blocked every single one.

  Axel and Brogan scored two of our goals, and Caspian brought home two of the others, with Maxim putting that fifth one up on the scoreboard. Damn good game.

  I was all smiles after fielding a few questions from reporters and was more than ready to get out of there so I could celebrate with London as I walked toward the players’ entrance.

  “You’re actually proud of that performance?”

  I knew that accent.

  Looking up, I saw Sergei—that’s all he was to me—up in Maxim’s face at the end of the hallway. My stomach hit the floor. If I turned around now, I could avoid this shitstorm all together, but there wasn’t exactly another exit into the players’ lot.

  And besides, it wasn’t like Sergei Zolotov had ever altered his life around me.

  I gripped my keys in my hand and kept walking.

  “I had three points, Dad,” Maxim argued as Mila and Evie came out of the hallway just ahead to my right.

  “Assists don’t count,” Sergei snapped, folding his arms across his chest just like Maxim. Shit, the two were so much alike it was uncanny, right down to the way they were glaring at each other.

  “Assists don’t count to you.” Maxim shook his head.

  “You’re slow, your footwork is sloppy, and even worse, you’re unfocused,” Sergei accused. “Do you know how many players would kill to be at this level? And you’re just content to skate by in mediocrity!”

  Damn, that was harsh. Was this how he treated Maxim after every game? Sure, he’d come after me twice with those kinds of insults, but I wasn’t his son. Not really. Not in the ways that mattered.

  Mila’s footsteps picked up, Evie keeping pace with her as they hurried toward the pair.

  “I don’t know what you want from me!” Maxim flung his arms out to his sides.

  “I want you to play like you’re my son!” Sergei jabbed his finger at him. “I flew all the way here to watch you do what—pass a puck you could have scored with if you’d just skated the damn thing up!”

  “Daddy.” Mila got there and inserted herself between the two.

  “This doesn’t involve you, Mila,” Sergei barked.

  “Well, isn’t this the little family reunion,” I said as I reached the end of the hallway. There was more tension per square foot in this little area than in my entire childhood. Weird.

  “Keep walking,” Maxim growled, sweeping Mila behind his back in a movement so natural I knew he’d done it countless times before.

  A sick, nauseating stone settled in my gut.

  Sure, the two Zolotov men were equal in height, but they hadn’t always been, and Sergei had at least twenty pounds on Maxim now.

  Sergei turned and swept his gaze over me in a quick inspection before pivoting back to Maxim. “You let that no-named bastard show you up in front of your father.”

  What the fuck is wrong with this guy?

  No kid deserved to have a parent ride him that hard when it came to sports, and that’s exactly what Maxim was in this moment, Sergei’s kid. I’d seen it time and again growing up—the parents who lived vicariously through their children. The parents who screamed at refs and belittled their players after the game—or worse—during it. Mom had always stepped in for those kids, no matter how big or loud the other parents had been.

  I blocked out what he’d said about me. That was the only way I was going to make it through this moment.

  “You saved my ass in the third,” I said to Maxim as I stood behind Sergei. “Not sure I could have stopped that breakaway if you hadn’t skated back so quickly to pick up defense during the line change.”

  Sergei spun back around, rage burning in his eyes. “And as for you—”

  “Oh please, like I gave you one fucking thing to pick on tonight, Dad.” He wasn’t anything even resembling that word, but damn was it fun to throw it in his face. “I blew even your best performance out of the water, so think twice about coming at me with your bullshit. Or better yet, just stay the fuck away like I told you after the last two games.”

  Maxim stiffened.

  “You’re not worth it. You’ve never been worth it,” he said every word slowly as if he wanted to make sure I knew he was speaking his truth, and not from a place of anger like he had been at Maxim.

  It fucking hurt, and he knew it.

  With a snide little smirk, he spun back to Maxim, and clipped Evie, who had been moving toward Mila’s side, sending the blonde careening into the concrete wall.

  Maxim moved faster than I’d ever seen him, throwing his hand out and barely catching her head before it had the chance to slam into the stone, then hauling her against him.

  Mila gasped.

  “For fuck’s sake, Dad!” Maxim hissed, his hand cradling Evie’s head protectively.

  Sergei blanched but quickly schooled his features. “The girl is fine. Mila, bring your friend and meet me in the car. We’re done here.”

  He stormed out, shoving the door open to the parking lot and disappearing.

  “Are you okay?” Mila asked Evie as Maxim released her.

  “Fine,” Evie murmured. “Thank you, Maxim.” She looked up at him like he was the answer to every question in the universe, with a yearning so acute it almost hurt my heart. Damn, that was…interesting.

  Maxim grunted and fished his keys out of his pocket, thrusting them at Mila. “Here. Go to my car. You’re not riding with him when he’s like this.”

  “He’ll calm down—” she started.

  “Not taking that chance. Go. You too, Evangeline.” He nodded toward the door.

  Mila’s lips pursed as she looked over at me. “Jansen—”

  “If you have ever loved me, you’ll go right now, Mila,” Maxim interrupted, his voice dropping.

  Mila glanced between us, then gave me an apologetic look. She took Evie’s hand and walked out the door, leaving Maxim and me alone. We weren’t a family, but that sure as hell didn’t stop us from being dysfunctional, and in that moment, I almost felt…bad for him.

  “I meant what I said. You saved my ass—”

  Maxim whipped his head toward mine, and the fury in his eyes put me right back on guard. “I don’t fucking need you to defend me!”

  I bristled. “Yeah, you did. Not sure if you noticed, but he was ripping you the fuck apart.”

  “That was nothing.” He jabbed his finger at me just like Sergei had done to him a few minutes earlier. “And stay the hell away fr
om Mila. She’s the only good thing to come out of my family!”

  “What the hell? Like I’d hurt our sister?” I snapped. Wait—

  “Our?” He came at me, drawing back his fist. “She’s my sister, not ours. My sister. My brother. My father. My family. None of it belongs to you!”

  “Stop it!” London flew between us, putting a hand on each of our chests.

  “London!” Caspian roared, sprinting toward us.

  “I’ve got this!” she answered her brother, but her eyes were locked on Maxim. “Go get some air, Maxim.”

  “Me?” he roared. “Why aren’t you yelling at him?”

  “Because he’s not the one being a flaming asshole!” she retorted.

  Maxim scoffed, taking a step back as he did his best to glare me to death.

  London pivoted, facing me, but I didn’t take my eyes off Maxim. “Jansen,” she said softly. “Come on. Let’s take a walk.” When that didn’t work, she laced her fingers with mine and lifted our hands to her heart. “Jansen, please.”

  The plea in her tone broke through the icy rage, and I looked down into her eyes.

  “Come on, baby.” She brought my hand to her mouth and pressed a kiss to the back of it.

  “Baby? What the fuck?” Caspian asked slowly.

  Well, shit.

  London sucked in a breath, her eyes widening as her gaze whipped to her brother. “I…uh…just…”

  Caspian looked pointedly at our joined hands before arching a brow at his sister. “Want to clue me in here, sis?”

  “It’s all my fault.” I turned to face Caspian.

  “I’m in love with him,” London blurted, locking her fingers even tighter around mine. “I love Jansen. I have for months, but I didn’t want you to get mad or for other people to think I was sleeping with a player to secure my job—”

  “Sleeping with?” Caspian turned that icy stare on me. “Seriously?”

  “I am in love with your sister, man. And I would have told you, but London asked me not to—” I cringed. “You know what? No excuses. I should have told you.”

  “I know you’re pissed at me for falling for one of your teammates,” she rushed.

  He put up his hand. “I’m more pissed that you let yourself get into a relationship you’re so embarrassed of that you feel like you have to hide, London.”

  Ouch. He nailed that one right on the head, and he’d known about us for all of thirty seconds.

  “You’re in love with him?” Maxim roared.

  Every head turned toward him.

  There wasn’t just anger in his eyes and the set of brow but a flash of hurt, too. “You’re in love with him?” he repeated.

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  “You can’t love him because he sure as fuck doesn’t love you!” He snapped.

  “I’m sorry?” I shouted.

  He turned that glare back on me. “You really took that little dare so seriously that you went and made her fall in love with you? Sadistic son of a—”

  “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about!” Every muscle in my body tensed, but I couldn’t lunge at him, not with London between us.

  Maxim scoffed. “London, I made some jackass comment in the locker room about dating you because some rookies pissed me off, and this guy”—he pointed at me—“took it as just another way to get under my skin. He doesn’t love you. Trust me. He’s only doing this because I bet him he couldn’t!”

  “That’s not true!” I was going to fucking kill Maxim. And to think, I’d just felt bad for the asshole. I’d actually stuck up for him.

  “You guys had a bet on who could date my sister?” Caspian asked, more incredulous than anything. “You’re fucking kidding me, right?”

  “Yes!”

  “No!”

  Maxim and I both shouted at the same time.

  London’s hand fell away from mine, and she took two steps backward toward Caspian. Her eyes were wide as she glanced between Maxim and me. “Is it true?”

  “London. No, it’s not true.” I shook my head.

  “You knew I wanted her, right?” Maxim challenged.

  “You what?” Caspian fired off at his best friend.

  Maxim ignored him. “You knew it.”

  “I knew it,” I agreed. “It wasn’t the reason. It just didn’t stop me.” I should have let Sergei rip him the hell apart.

  London sucked in a breath.

  “Baby,” I whispered. God, this woman was everything to me. She had to believe me. She had to know the truth.

  “That first time you asked me out, was that before or after Maxim made his little comment?” she asked quietly.

  Oh, fuck. Oh fuck. Oh. Fuck.

  “After,” I admitted. “But it had nothing—"

  “Is that what this was?” she asked softly, heartbreak lacing her tone. “Was I just some way to get the upper hand on your brother?”

  “He’s not my brother!”

  “He’s not my brother!”

  Again, we answered at the same time.

  “Wow,” she said slowly, shaking her head at both of us. “I knew you hated each other, but I never realized just how much.”

  “No—” I moved forward, but she put her hands up.

  “Don’t touch me.”

  She didn’t believe me. She chose to believe him. She took his side just like our father had when we’d been born.

  My heart fucking shattered.

  16

  London

  I took a step away from Sterling, my eyes darting between him, Maxim, and Caz.

  “Was that all it was?” I asked again, my voice so low and broken I was shocked Jansen heard me at all. “Everything between us…was to get back at Maxim? To take something he wanted?”

  “No—”

  “You know I didn’t even have a clue he was pursuing me?” I cut him off, glancing at Maxim, who had no apology in his eyes, just a regretful darkness. “We’re friends. He’s my brother’s best friend. I. Had. No. Idea.”

  “London,” Jansen said my name on a plea.

  My mind splintered, racing through each memory I had of us.

  The way he’d dodged my calls for an entire month, but then—seemingly out of nowhere—he started talking to me again. Presented me with a bargain to help me with my issues—a bargain that ensured we’d see each other on the regular.

  That must’ve been the day Maxim presented him with the bet.

  Fuck my life.

  My chest stung.

  “That night in the elevator,” I whispered, the pieces coming together as I thought even farther back. “Maxim came to help me...” Tears burned the back of my eyes. Maxim had rushed toward me, going so far as to wrap an arm around my waist to steady me when I had shaky feet. And I’d been so relieved to see him—a friend. “God,” I sighed. “Is that when it started?” I snapped. “You made your own assumptions and decided to get back at him?”

  Jansen’s jaw went taut, disappointment and regret churning in his eyes. “No,” he said. “You know me. You know that isn’t true.”

  “Fuck that,” Caz said. “Both you should’ve come to me first—"

  “She doesn’t belong to you,” Jansen snapped at Caz, his voice low and stone cold. “And neither do I.”

  My heart ached with his declaration, that I belonged to myself and didn’t owe anyone anything. But was it true? Or was he simply telling me what I wanted to hear? Is that what he’d done this entire time? Just to take something that Maxim wanted…for all the times Maxim had taken things from him?

  Caspian moved, his brow furrowed, that muscle in his jaw popping—

  And I stepped between him and Jansen on instinct. Even Maxim had a hand on Caz’s arm, holding him back

  “Stop,” I demanded, my body trembling with unleashed hurt and anger. I looked up at my brother. “I decide who to be with. And if I decide I want to be with the entire defense roster, then that’s my fucking choice.”

  Caz stepped back like I’d struck
him.

  I moved my gaze to Maxim, softening just a bit. “Maxim, I didn’t know. But it wouldn’t have made a difference. I value our friendship so much, and I promise I never meant to lead you on…if I did. I honestly didn’t have a clue. But I love—” I cut my words short, pain lashing through the center of me. I thought what Jansen and I had was love.

  I’d been an idiot.

  “If it was so real, then why did you hide it?” Maxim asked, fastening his stare on Jansen. “If you weren’t playing her, why not take it public?”

  I had asked him not to, but I couldn’t voice the words. My heart was too busy shattering.

  “London,” Jansen’s voice sounded from behind me, and I felt him reaching for me. I stepped out of his reach.

  Backed away from all three of them.

  “Sis,” Caz pled. “You need to hear me out. Hear Maxim—”

  “No,” I cut him off, my heart ripping to shreds as I continued backing away from the three most important men in my life. “Fuck you all.”

  I spun on my heels and didn’t look back.

  “You know,” I said, my words sizzling with fire. “Maybe I should just act like them.” I accentuated the word, and Savannah’s mouth turned down at the corners. I gripped the drink in my hand a little harder, leaning against the bar at Scythe. “Just pursue people, no strings, just sex. No falling in love.”

  “Oh, honey,” Savannah said, smoothing her hand over my back.

  Echo, the owner and bartender, whistled and poured me another drink.

  I thanked her and threw back the contents, allowing the sweet burn of bourbon to eat away the pain in my chest.

  “Do you really believe that he was with you just to take you away from Maxim?” Savannah asked, sipping her own drink.

  The chatter and music of the bar filled the background, and combined with the drinks, made my head feel a blissful kind of numb.

  “I don’t know what to think,” I admitted. “I can see it, everything Maxim said. I had no idea he wanted to date me, but let’s be real. I’ve known him for two years. If he wanted me, he would’ve made a move. He saw that Jansen wanted me and then decided to try.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “And I know how deep the pain runs for Jansen regarding his biological family. It’s a lifelong wound.” I shook my head. “A hatred like that can make people do stupid, hurtful things.”