Power Play (BTU Alumni #1)

by Alley Ciz

  She headed over to the pool to see if maybe it fell out while she was helping referee the end of the overly competitive water volleyball game and again came up empty. She figured she’d have to go inside and grab someone’s phone to call herself to find it. She was getting ready to do that when a voice startled her.

  “Whatcha lookin’ for, Sweetness?”

  She froze where she was, panicked. That was not Jake’s voice. No, that cold, calculating, satisfied voice belonged to Tommy. A million questions flittered across her brain including how he found out where the hockey house was.

  Her fight or flight instinct kicked in and she went to turn to run back to the house when his hand reached out and roughly grabbed her around her upper arm and pulled her to face him. She could feel the bruises forming already.

  A very evil, Grinch like smile spread across Tommy’s face as she felt her whole body seize in pure terror. He pulled her body flush against his and reached down to grab her ass.

  “Did you miss me Sweetness?” He couldn’t keep the smile out of the sound of his voice.

  Jordan was still in a state of shock and it took a few seconds for the moment to catch up with itself and comprehend what was happening. When it all clicked into place she began to struggle in earnest.

  Bringing her hands and elbows together she wedged them between her body and his and pushed with all her strength, silently cursing her small stature.

  Tommy laughed at her feeble attempts at escape. “Where are you trying to go, Sweetness? You are right where you belong.” He bent down and covered her mouth with his own, digging his thumb into her chin when he knew she would try to bite him. He knew her tricks now.

  “What the hell do you think you are doing? GET. OFF. ME!” She growled after she was finally able to break free of Tommy’s slobbering mouth.

  He enjoyed feeling her struggle against him and kept her pinned to his body as much as he could. “I love when you play hard to get.”

  She didn’t know how she was going to get away from Tommy but she wasn’t going to give up without a fight.

  Then she remembered she wasn’t alone. There was a house full of people in it but a few yards away. She wasn’t sure if anyone would hear her but she had to try. She knew she needed reinforcements.

  “JAKE!” She screamed. “HELP! JAKE!”

  He was always the first person she thought about.

  Tommy laughed in her face. “What you think lover boy will come to your rescue?”

  Her back went ramrod straight at how Tommy referred to Jake and she stopped struggling for a moment with surprise.

  “What? You thought I didn’t know about you and that asshole? I’ve seen you guys together. How dare he touch what is mine. But regardless he’s probably busy with Tabby. I know you’ve seen the way she is with him, it is only a matter of time until they get together.”

  “Tabby?” Her brain was still struggling to keep up with the turn of conversation.

  “Yes Tabby. The stupid little puck bunny will do anything for someone who gives her the slightest bit of attention.” He stroked her along the side of her face.

  “I acted all sympathetic to how she wanted Jake but couldn’t get his attention. I offered her my help if she helped me with you. It should be illegal how easy it was to manipulate her.”

  “That’s sick,” she said venomously.

  She wasn’t any closer to getting away from Tommy and when he tried to kiss her again she made another attempt in getting help.

  “JAAAAAAAAAKE!”

  She was still fighting against Tommy as he pulled her in for a kiss by her hair. All her struggles caused them to move closer to the edge of the pool and suddenly she felt her feet lose their footing and she toppled into the pool with Tommy in tow.

  JAKE PLACED THE dining room table’s chairs back around it once he finished cleaning off the rest of the evidence of the beer pong games that were played on it. Tabby was still trying to hang off him as she had been doing all night. Usually he was able to shake her attempts at getting too close, but she was being especially clingy tonight.

  After extracting his arm from her grip, again, he looked up because he could have sworn he heard someone call his name.

  “Did someone say my name?” he asked the room at large.

  “I didn’t hear anything,” Tabby answered as she glanced over at the patio doors apprehensively.

  He shrugged it off and continued in the final cleanup process. But then he heard the noise again and swore for sure he heard his name. He saw Maddey nearby and caught her attention.

  “Where’s Jordan?” He asked.

  “I think she’s still outside looking for her phone,” she answered on her way down the hall with a full garbage bag.

  “Thanks. I’ll go see if she needs a flashlight to help find it.”

  On his way to the door he noticed Tabby tried to block his way out but was able to get around her. He cast a quick look around the backyard and didn’t see her anywhere which was odd. Then at a closer look he heard noise coming from the pool and his gut could tell something was wrong with this picture. He turned back to yell through the door he left open for Ryan and Jase as he ran toward the pool.

  The sight that greeted him chilled his blood. Jordan was wrapped in the volleyball net that used to be up across the pool, while a figure was trying to push her under the water. On instinct he jumped in after her to help.

  Upon closer inspection he noticed Jordan’s attacker was none other than Tommy. He pulled him off of a flailing Jordan and punched him squarely in the face. That was when Ryan and Jase jumped in and dragged Tommy to the edge of the pool.

  Jordan was trapped in the volleyball net like a dolphin in a fisherman’s net. Tommy’s advances had made it nearly impossible for her to break the water’s surface. Jake had to get to her before she ran out of air.

  With Ryan and Jase fighting with Tommy, Jake was free to go to Jordan. He saw her battling with the net under the water and swam the short distance to where she was. He placed his arms under her body and lifted her up as he pulled the net from where it was tangled around her body. He could hear her gasping for air as she clung to his neck as soon as she was free.

  He supported her against his body with an arm under her knees and the other behind her back. He trudged his way through the water to the stairs at the end of the pool.

  With all the commotion going on outside, everyone that was in the house had made their way out into the backyard and couldn’t believe the scene that was unfolding. Reading the situation correctly, Sammy already had his phone to his ear calling the police, while the rest of the guys helped bring an unconscious Tommy out of the pool.

  He set her down on the patio next to the pool and knelt in front of her. He held her face in his hands and tilted it up to his. “Baby, are you okay? Did he hurt you?” His voice was anxious as he asked.

  She shook her head. “I’m fine. He didn’t hurt me,” she answered around gulping breaths as she tried to make up for the oxygen she was deprived of.

  “Are you sure?” He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs.

  “Yes I promise. I’m more messed up from being tangled in the net and not being able to get air, but I feel fine now.”

  As the panic from what transpired started to wear off, she wound her arms around his neck and the two of them crashed together in a fierce kiss simultaneously, both trying to reaffirm that they were real and whole.

  With the chaos of everything, they forgot they weren’t alone and realized their mistake at Ryan’s venomous voice.

  “Uh, does anyone want to tell me what the hell is going on here?” Ryan stared down at where one of his best friends was kissing his sister.

  Jake and Jordan broke apart quickly and Jake rested his forehead against hers.

  “Well I guess it’s time to face the music,” he said to her.

  “This wasn’t exactly how I envisioned this going,” she said.

  “Cats out of the bag now.”

  “
Time to bite the bullet.”

  “Seriously what the fuck is going on?” Ryan asked, utterly confused.

  Jordan rose to stand with his help. “Umm, well you see… Jake and I have been dating.”

  “What?” Ryan asked not sure he heard her correctly.

  “We’ve been going out for most of the summer.”

  “What?”

  Jordan shook her head at her older brother. “Ry, you heard me, now hear me.”

  Ryan’s face contorted. “What the hell JD. Did you not learn your lesson the first time dating someone on the team?” He pointed to Tommy. “I mean do you need more proof than that?”

  Jordan went toe-to-toe with her big brother. She wouldn’t let him manipulate the situation. “Ry, he isn’t like Tommy.”

  “How do you know? We didn’t know Tommy was like this until it happened.”

  “It’s different.”

  “How?”

  “I love him,” she said with conviction.

  Ryan was clearly struggling to find the words to say. Jake wasn’t sure which event, Jordan’s relationship status or her attack, was harder to grasp. She gave him a minute to process and turned to her twin. “Seriously. Come on, Jase. You guys know Jake. You are so much closer to him than you ever were to Tommy. Do you honestly think he would ever hurt me?”

  “No,” Jase reluctantly agreed. “But why all the secrecy?”

  “I know how you guys are. I mean look at you both now. Jake just helped save my life for lack of a better word, not for the first time, but the second, and you still want me to have nothing to do with him. We liked each other and wanted to see where things went before we broached the subject of us dating with you.

  “I love you both so much and didn’t want to upset you or your friendship with Jake, but it got to the point where I had to do what I wanted. I don’t need your permission, but I would like your acceptance.”

  Ryan and Jase shared a knowing look and turned to Jake as a unit. He stood his ground.

  “Well she told us how she feels, what about you?” Ryan asked Jake.

  “I love her too,” he declared.

  After a tense moment Jordan’s brothers relaxed and pulled him in for a man hug.

  “Well, I say between that and the fact that you did fight this asshole twice for her, I can get behind that.” Ryan said with a dismissive wave at Tommy.

  “The cops should be here shortly,” Sammy informed them.

  Jordan snuggled into Jake’s embrace. “As much as I’m not looking forward to dealing with all this,”— she waved a hand in Tommy’s direction— “I just want this to all be over already.”

  “You’re not alone in that babe. We’ll all be here to help you get through this,” Jake said into the top of her head.

  “Plus, now the cops will finally have enough to lock him up,” Maddey said.

  “Yeah even his dad can’t get him out of this, since his dumbass couldn’t stay away,” Jase added.

  The group shared a laugh and they knew everything would work out. Now all they needed was for the cops to come to take out the trash.

  Epilogue

  Jake looked around the hotel suite and couldn’t believe he was actually there. Sure, it was every athlete’s dream to play their sport professionally, but knowing he was there for the NHL draft was still hard to fathom.

  Being there with Jordan and their families brought back memories of the prior year when everyone gathered for when Ryan entered the draft. Ryan’s situation was a little less stressful since they had an idea beforehand where he would end up playing but for Jake they had no idea.

  Ryan was drafted as the number one overall pick and went to play for the New Jersey Blizzards who won the first pick in the draft lottery. It was awesome he was playing locally.

  Since the BTU team had won the NCAA National Championships the three years Jake was the starting goalie, they had more guys entering the draft than ever before. Jase and Tucker were also entering the draft with him.

  Jake’s biggest worry over not knowing where he was going to be drafted to, was what it would mean for his relationship with Jordan. He rubbed his hand over where the ring box rested in the inside pocket of his suit jacket.

  These past two years together had been amazing, even when you considered their rocky start. Having Jordan cheer him and her brothers on at every game had been the best part.

  He looked out to where she was standing on the balcony observing the city below and smiled.

  God, he loved the hell out of her.

  JORDAN GRIPPED THE bar in front of her as she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She couldn’t say she was surprised to be at the draft for Jake. His playing only got better with every game he played. The draft itself wasn’t what had her nerves jumping around like Mexican jumping beans, but the uncertainty of what it meant for their relationship.

  Ryan and Maddey had managed to make their relationship work this past year with him in the pros, so she hoped it was a sign that she and Jake could also make it work. Not knowing where he would end up playing was what scared her the most.

  She let out a sigh. Running a hand through her hair, she let out a small laugh. They made it through the Tommy situation and having to date in secret and were still together. She should be so lucky to have their biggest obstacle to date be the city Jake would have to earn a multi-million dollar salary in, first world problems and all that.

  Please, if they could get through all that crap at the beginning of their relationship, they could get through anything.

  The sliding glass doors to the balcony slid open behind her and Jake’s arms came around her body shortly after, pulling her back to lean against the solid wall of his chest.

  She felt him smile when she relaxed against him automatically. Things between them were so natural and easy. He rested his cheek against the top of her head inhaling deeply.

  “What’s going on inside that gorgeous head of yours?” he asked.

  “Why do you think I have anything going on in my head?”

  “You’ve been unusually quiet since we left our families to come upstairs.” He reached out to turn her around to face him. He cupped her cheek in his hand and brushed his thumb along the corner of her mouth.

  “Plus, I can see where you’ve chewed off your lipstick from biting your lower lip. You usually do that when something is on your mind.”

  She leaned into his touch and smiled at how well he knew her. She was hesitant to tell him what she was thinking about. This time was supposed to be about him and she wanted him to enjoy every second of it.

  “It’s stupid really.” She tried to turn away but his grip on her tightened.

  “Baby, if it’s bothering you it’s not stupid. You know you can tell me anything, right?”

  “I know but it just feels selfish of me.”

  He pulled her into him and hugged her close against his chest. He had a feeling he knew what she was thinking about since the same was on his mind. He wasn’t one hundred percent sure how he was going to ask her to marry him but he decided now was as good of a time as any.

  Drawing back, he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her right ear and cupped her cheek in his hand again. She always seemed to relax when he did so. Reaching down to thread the fingers of his right hand with those on her left, he lifted their joined hands to rest over his heart.

  “I know you’re worried about the draft.”

  He cut her off before she could utter the protest he knew she would.

  “But baby, you don’t have to be. No matter where I get drafted, we will make it work.”

  He rubbed his thumb across the knuckles of her hand.

  “We’ve dealt with our Romeo and Juliet relationship, no problem. Plus we handled the drama of Tommy. Do you honestly think we can’t handle a little thing like geography?”

  That got a small smile out of her. He took that moment to kiss her deeply.

  He pulled back and slid down to one knee.

  Jordan let out a
small gasp when she realized what was happening.

  Jake looked a little nervous as he met her gaze. “Jordan, baby, I love you with all my heart. You keep me grounded and make me happier than I ever thought possible.” He paused to take the ring box out of his pocket to open it.

  “Wherever I go, I want you to go. Will you make me the happiest guy in the world and spend the rest of your life with me?”

  She felt tears run down her cheeks. Without answering she threw her arms around Jake’s neck and kissed him, knocking them over onto the floor of the balcony.

  After a few minutes Jake rolled them over so he was on top and pulled back from the kiss. He looked her deep in her eyes.

  “Well?” He asked.

  “Well what?”

  “Are you going to give me an answer or what?”

  “Oh.” She paused. “I thought it was obvious. Of course!”

  “Thank God!”

  They went back to making out for a few more minutes, the ring box lay forgotten on the balcony floor until Jordan rolled over it with her shoulder.

  She looked at the ring and then back at the man she loved with all her heart.

  “Well fucking put it on me already!”

  Jake laughed at her impatient command. Slowly he took the ring out of the box and slid it onto her finger. Seeing his ring on her finger did it for him as much as seeing her wearing his jersey.

  “God, I love you so much, baby.”

  “I love you too Jake.”

  “No regrets?”

  “None. Where you go, I go.”

  They sealed the deal with another kiss.

  Want more BTU Alumni? All your Power Play favorites will be back, joined by a new cast of characters this September in Tap Out.

  Want to know what happens during Ryan’s last Frozen Four? Or find out how The Coven gets their name? Click here to download your exclusive bonus content. *Psst you might also get your a peak at those joining in the fun in Tap Out.*

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