Offside

by Bianca Sommerland

  “Good. He’s a good kid.” Scott’s words were getting slurred, like he was fighting to stay awake. “What about Akira? And . . .” He let out a soft laugh. “My girlfriend? Did you know I have a girlfriend and a wife, Zach? I’m the fucking man.”

  The fucking dead man if you don’t shut up. Becky checked his forehead for a fever, deciding to forgive him since he still felt a bit warm.

  “Your wife might disagree if you keep talking like that.” Zach gave her a hesitant smile. “Akira made captain. The compilation shown of Amy’s last few weeks as one of the nominees for captain wasn’t . . . flattering. She didn’t even make the team. Sahara was already on, but she made a close second for captain even though she wasn’t nominated. A lot of fans put her name up.”

  “I like that.” Scott settled into the bed. “She’ll be happy here.”

  “Yes, she will.”

  “Do you think she’ll be too busy to take care of me when I go home? Can you ask her if she can stay with—”

  Okay, that’s enough. Becky made a rough sound in her throat, putting her hands on her hips as Scott’s eyes shot open. “She won’t be taking care of you. I will. And you will do everything I say, Scott Demyan. You will sleep, and drink plenty of fluids, and we will follow the doctor’s orders to the letter. Understand?”

  Scott’s lips parted. He nodded. Then shook his head. “Becky, you’ve got Casey to take care of. And work. You can’t—”

  “When I’m not with you, Zach will be. We aren’t discussing this.” She paused, tonguing her bottom lip, not sure she should assume Zach would agree to that. “If that’s all right with you?”

  “It is. But Scott’s right. I’m here if you need to go home to your daughter.” Zach pulled a chair up to the side of the bed. “We can take turns.”

  “Jami has Casey. My mother came down to help out when Casey got sick, but she had to leave today. Jami’s great with her, and Casey loves visiting Sebastian’s house so she can play with Luke’s puppy.” Becky stepped away from the bed to fetch her own chair. She’d called Casey earlier and her little girl had made it perfectly clear that she’d be fine as long as she could come visit Scott tomorrow. “It’s Saturday tomorrow, so I don’t have to work. I’m not sure the doctor will like us both being here all night, but . . .”

  “Well, since you’re Scott’s wife, he’ll probably ask me to leave.” Zach’s jaw hardened. “Which I have no intention of doing.”

  Was he angry about the whole “wife” thing? Becky watched Zach pull the sheets from under Scott and spread them over him as Scott fell asleep. Zach fussed with Scott’s pillow, then watched the heart monitor, then stood to pace. He went out to talk to the doctor. Came back and settled into his chair for a few minutes before getting up to pace again. He seemed to favor one leg, not quite limping, but tensing a little when the weight hit his left side.

  “I wish someone would tell us something. What’s taking them so long?” Zach rubbed the back of his neck, stopping near the window to stare out into the darkness. “They’d know if it was just a virus, wouldn’t they?”

  “They’ll tell us when they know, Zach.” She left her chair, hesitating before finally deciding just to go to him. She hated seeing him so upset, but at the same time, it made him easier to approach. She didn’t need him being a Dom now, all controlled, shutting down his own feelings to take care of her. It was nice to know he needed her strength once in a while. “I haven’t gotten a chance to ask how your leg is. Does it still hurt?”

  “Just a bit.”

  “Why don’t you sit down . . . actually, I could open up that chair for you.” She gestured to the large grey armchair in the corner. “It turns into a bed.”

  He shook his head, but then went still. Smiled at her. “Are you trying to take care of me?”

  “I am. It helps calm me down . . . Sir.” She bit her bottom lip, bracing for him to tell her he wasn’t her Dom and didn’t want to be. They still hadn’t figured out if they had a relationship. Never mind one like that. “I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t—”

  His features softened. His hand curved around the side of her neck. “It’s all right, little doe. We’ve both made some mistakes, but we can work on fixing them. I like knowing you still want to call me ‘Sir.’ That I haven’t screwed up so badly that I’ll never have you looking at me the way you are right now.”

  “Damn it, I hated not speaking to you. It was hard. I missed you and I kept wanting you to show up and tell me I had to talk to you.” She fisted her hand in his shirt. “I waited for you to call, and when you didn’t, I told myself it was over.”

  “I did call, Becky.”

  “It was too late. I was too angry.” She pressed her eyes shut. “And hurt.”

  “I’m sorry I hurt you.” He bent down, brushing his lips over hers as he spoke. “I promise, I’ll never hurt you again.”

  “Don’t promise that, Zach. You’ll hurt me. And I’ll hurt you.” She tugged at his shirt, kissing him hard enough to bruise her own lips against his teeth. “We can promise never to go to bed angry. I’ve always liked that one. Patrick and I never made that promise—not that any of our promises ever meant anything to him anyway. Our fights usually ended up with me sleeping on the sofa if I couldn’t let it go.”

  “One of these days, I think you and I should sit down and have a little chat about this fucktard you called a husband.” Zach kissed her again, smiling against her lips. “I want you to feel comfortable talking to me.”

  “I’m getting there. And I think I understand a little more why it bothered you that I wasn’t more open about things.” She moved away reluctantly, then opened up the chair for him. She rubbed her arms as he sat on the makeshift bed. “Scott . . . he was out of it for a while, but something he said really got to me. He doesn’t want his ‘family’ to ‘take him.’ I’m not sure what he meant. He said they weren’t real. There’s something he’s not telling you or me, and I wish he felt like he could.”

  “Maybe he needs time too. I do know that his relationship with his brother is strained. Not so much anything Scott said, but the way he talks about him. He worries about his foster sister, but that’s the only family he speaks of.” Zach massaged the bridge of his nose. “Between the two of us, I’m sure we can find a way to make him feel comfortable sharing that part of his life. He’s never been in a serious relationship. Never had people he could talk to. This is new to him.”

  “I think this is new to all of us, Zach. But I really believe . . .” She wasn’t sure saying it out loud was a good idea. It could jinx everything. But looking into Zach’s eyes stole the urge to hold anything back. “I believe we will be good together. All three of us. It’s not just trying it out anymore. It feels right.”

  “It really does.” Zach laughed, pulling her with him as she tried to get him to lie down. He kissed the top of her head as she curled up in the small space next to him. “Different, but right.”

  For most of the night, she lay there with Zach, half asleep and too comfortable to move. At one point a nurse came in and Becky carefully slipped away from Zach, whispering to him when he reached for her without opening his eyes. She’d hoped he would go back to sleep, but his eyes were on her and Scott as she spoke to the nurse. The nurse checked Scott’s vitals, then assured Becky that he was doing well. She clucked her tongue, letting Becky know that only one person should be in here.

  Then she leaned close to Becky, letting out a soft laugh as she spoke too quietly for either of the men to hear her. “I won’t make him leave, but I will say you’re one lucky woman. Let me know if you ever get tired of either of them.”

  Becky gave the nurse a shocked look, then gave up the pretense and just shook her head, grinning. “I won’t. Ever. These two are mine.”

  Mine. Long after the nurse left, and Becky was snuggled up to Zach, her eyes on the steady rise and fall of Scott’s chest, that same word echoed like a sweet melody playing over and over again in the back of her head. One she would never get
tired of. These two are mine.

  Chapter Thirty

  Zach met with the rest of the men in the lounge the next morning, sure he looked like crap but not really caring. He’d slept decently, all thanks to Becky. She’d gotten up a few times, ever the mother, such a light sleeper that the nurse just had to touch the doorknob to get her awake and alert. He’d tried to stay awake for a bit so she could get some rest, but it wasn’t until the doctor had arrived for morning rounds and delivered the diagnosis that Scott stopped needing to be checked on every hour.

  Carter barked out a laugh after Zach shared everything he knew. “Chicken pox? Are you serious? I had that when I was two!”

  “Shut up, Carter.” Vanek pulled away from Chicklet, his eyes narrowed. “My mom got it a few years ago. She never had it as a child either. It was pretty scary.” He looked at Zach. “Is he gonna be okay?”

  Nodding, Zach put his hand on the kid’s shoulder after a glance at Chicklet to make sure it was okay. The boy may be cocky as hell, but he cared about his teammates. “He’ll be fine. The doctors gave him a vaccine, so he should recover pretty quick. They’re keeping him for another day—mostly to make sure his fever didn’t do any damage. He’s miserable because the spots have started cropping up all over, but other than that, he’s not doing too bad.”

  “He’s welcome to come back to Tyler’s place once he gets out,” Chicklet said, stepping up behind Vanek, kissing his cheek and smiling at the boy. “It’s probably better if he’s not alone.”

  Zach inclined his head to show he appreciated the offer, even though Scott didn’t need it. “He won’t be alone. Becky wants him to stay with her. She and I will take care of him. He’ll be happy to see you all, but . . .” He looked from Chicklet, to White, to Mason, who stood near the door. Then glanced over at Tim as he returned with coffee for them all. “I hate to ask this, but could you come back later? Becky is finally sleeping and—”

  “Becky noticed you were gone.” Becky came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. “He’s awake and he wants more details about the game than I can give him. The nurse said no more than two people at a time, so you’ll have to take turns.” She paused as Hunt slipped into the lounge. “He heard about how well you did in the shoot-out. He wants to congratulate you.”

  “Yeah, well . . .” Hunt stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans, hunching his shoulders. “Let his friends go in first.”

  Carter snorted and went over to shove Hunt toward the hall leading to Scott’s room. “You’re one of them, stupid. Come on.”

  “Nino.” Ramos gave Carter a level look. “Behave yourself.”

  “Absolutely, Sir. On my best behavior.” Carter grinned, then leaned close to Hunt. “Demyan is a big pussy when he’s sick. We’ll have some fun with him.”

  “You will not, Luke!” Becky groaned and trailed after the two young men. “I swear, they need to hire this team a babysitter. Luke, you better not—”

  Her last words were overpowered by the laughter of the players who remained in the waiting room. Tim waved Zach over and they walked down the hall, Tim asking a few questions about Scott’s condition. His reaction was closer to Vanek’s than Carter’s.

  “It’s good that Demyan’s straightened up, but I’m glad he finally got that contract. He’s been pushing himself too hard.” Tim gestured to the door leading outside and Zach nodded. Some fresh air would nice after long hours spent breathing in the hospital air that always had the faint odor of sickness under all the disinfectant. Tim found a bench away from the small group of smokers and sat with his hands braced on his knees. “I’ve been trying to keep an eye on him ever since Casey’s party, but with so much going on—”

  “Casey’s party?” Zach frowned, trying to remember anything that had happened at the party that might concern Tim. He came up blank. “That was over two weeks ago—probably when he caught the virus. Casey got it from a kid at school, but she’d already had the vaccine, so it was fairly mild. Becky hadn’t thought to mention it until the doctor brought it up. But . . .” He shook his head. “Scott wouldn’t have been feeling sick then.”

  “No, but something was bothering him. I was hoping he’d spoken to you about it.” Tim shrugged. “He knows he has you and Becky now. Maybe he’ll open up eventually.”

  “Yeah . . . eventually.” Zach folded his arms over his chest, hating that he couldn’t just go in there and demand Scott tell him everything. After his conversation with Becky, he knew he had to be patient. Funny how it was so easy for him to show patience with a sub in a scene but so difficult when it came to the people he loved. When something hurt them, he wanted the power to make it better. But sometimes it was out of his control. And he had to accept that.

  To some extent.

  “Hey, you’re the Cobras’ coach, aren’t you?” A tall, lanky man in his mid-twenties with long, greasy, dirty blond hair stopped in front of Tim. He thrust his hand out as Tim stood and nodded. “I’m Jimmy. Scott’s brother.”

  Tim smiled as he shook the man’s hand. “It’s very nice to meet you. Your brother is an excellent addition to our roster. We’re very happy to have him.”

  “Yeah?” Jimmy snorted, scratching his scruffy jaw. His lips twisted with amusement. “That’s not what I heard. Did he finally get a contract?”

  All the open friendliness in Tim’s features faded. He was still smiling, but there was something guarded about it. “Yes. But I’m sure he’ll want to share the good news with you himself.”

  “I’m sure he will. Wanna tell me what room he’s in?”

  Like hell. Zach stepped forward before Tim could answer. “No.”

  “No?” Jimmy stared at him, the nostrils of his sharp nose flaring. “Who the fuck are you to tell me no?”

  Maybe it was none of Zach’s business, but Scott had asked Becky to keep his family away. And Zach had no doubt that included Jimmy. Something about the man made his skin crawl. He met the man’s stare with a level gaze. “Your brother and I are close. His girlfriend informed me that he wasn’t interested in seeing ‘family’ right now. I’ll let him know you stopped by.”

  “Like fuck you will.” Jimmy tried to step around him, but Tim cut him off.

  “Give me the number where you’re staying, and I will personally see to it that Scott gets it,” Tim said, obviously trying to keep the peace. “He can decide whether or not to call you.”

  “Where I’m staying? I’m staying in my goddamn car.” Jimmy jutted his thumb over his shoulder at the parking lot. “Which is where I’mma be until I see my brother. You tell him I’m here. He knows better than to brush me off.”

  “Really?” Zach fisted his hands by his sides, grateful for Tim’s presence. Something about the coach being there made it a bit easier to keep his cool. “And why’s that?”

  “Because he fucking owes me.” Jimmy’s tone was cold. He stepped up to Zach, baring his teeth. “Ask him about it. How he became such a good player. He might have some talent, but it was all the training, the teams that cost a shitload for him to play on, the expensive equipment, that got him where he is.”

  Zach’s brow shot up. Was the man taking credit for Scott’s success? “He’s been playing since he was quite young. You’re younger than he is. How can he owe you for anything?”

  “Our foster parents . . .” Jimmy’s lips curled into an ugly sneer. “They weren’t rich, but ‘Mommy’ made sure Scott always had the best of everything. Not me. I had nothing and Scott knows it wasn’t fair. You remind him of that when you tell him I’m waiting. You remind him of how I had shit clothes and never enough to eat because even at that age he was such a pretty boy.”

  Cold washed through Zach’s veins. Bile rose in his throat. It couldn’t be what he thought. Not even this bastard would figure his own brother owed him if . . . His jaw ticked as he moved into Jimmy’s personal space. Like Scott, Jimmy had a few inches on him, but Zach was much heavier than this scumbag. He relished in the hint of fear widening the man’s eyes. />
  “What exactly are you saying? Scott was the favorite?”

  “Of course he was. Her little fucking whore. He was born that way.” Jimmy let out a nervous laugh, his gaze shifting. “He’s always known how to work people. I can tell he’s gotten to you.”

  No. Just no. Zach inhaled roughly. “How long was Scott with this woman?”

  “Until he was thirteen. And she got bored of him, so we were both shipped off. She never wanted me—”

  “You disgusting son of a bitch.” Zach’s tenuous control snapped like the stem of a cheap wine glass in a massive fist. His vision flooded with flaming red. He lunged for the man, snarling as Tim hauled him back. “Your brother! Your own brother and you use something like that against him? You’re sick! I’ll fucking—”

  The pathetic piece of shit ran as Tim dragged Zach back, waving off the hospital security as they came to see what was going on. Tim was stronger than he looked. Or maybe part of Zach held back because he didn’t want to hurt him. But he wanted to hurt someone. Scott’s brother. Or that woman . . . fuck, he’d never wanted to wrap his hands around a woman’s neck before.

  “Goddamn it!” Zach slammed his fist back into the wall. His chin quivered. He clenched his jaw. “How could she have—why didn’t he say something? This is . . .”

  “I know.” Tim took hold of Zach’s shoulders and shook him hard until Zach met his steady gaze. “I know, but beating the shit out of his brother won’t help him.”

  “Then what will, Tim? I can’t force him to talk to me about this. It didn’t help when I expected Becky to tell me why she was scared to be with me and this is worse.” Fuck, he was going to be sick. How could anyone do that to a child? Any child? He rubbed his lips with his fist. “This is worse. So much worse.”

  “Scott needs someone who knows what happened and doesn’t blame him. You can’t force him to talk to you, but you can tell him what his brother said. And how you feel about it.” Tim swallowed hard, looking at little sick himself. “Then just listen. I think, deep down, Scott knows what she did was wrong. But he’s spent his whole life being told it wasn’t. By his brother. By her. This explains a lot. He’s been living down to what the people he should have been able to trust expected him to be.” He pressed his eyes shut. “Jesus, help me. I’ve been so fucking hard on him. Always on his case about how out of control he is. He needed—”