Crashing the Net

by Jami Davenport

  “She’s in Tacoma shacking up with some guy. I’d like to make her pay for what she did to Riley.” Cooper’s gaze so full of love a moment before, turned hard and uncompromising.

  “So would I.”

  “Will you go with me tomorrow night to talk to her? It’d mean a lot to me if you came along.”

  “Absolutely. We’ll ask Coach Mars to take Riley for the night.” Izzy ran a finger over the wrinkles in his brow. “You’re worried, aren’t you?”

  “I haven’t seen her in years. I know she blames me.” Cooper stared at a point over her shoulder and clenched his jaw.

  “That’s not fair. She messed up her life, not you.”

  “I still worry I didn’t do enough, that I didn’t help her like I should have.” He grabbed her hands and held them tightly.

  Izzy kissed his lips, all the feelings she couldn’t put into words, she put into that kiss. “I love you, Cooper Black. I love the man you are, I love how you’re trying each day to be a better man. You’ve grown. You’ve changed.”

  “I still a work in progress,” he admitted.

  “Aren’t we all?” Izzy sat up and grabbed both their phones off the nightstand, making a split-second decision. “I’m going to do something for you. Consider it a trust exercise.”

  He watched her with hooded eyes. “What?”

  She messed with both their phones and handed his to him. “You now have access to my phone on the stalker app. You can see where I am any time of the day or night.”

  “Stalker app?” He stared at her, puzzled. The map on his phone showed a blue dot right in the precise location of his house.

  “Find My Friends, but I call it the stalker app.”

  “Okay,” he said slowly.

  “Cooper, you can find me, know exactly where I am, know the location of the party I’m crashing. I’m going to trust you not to abuse the gift I just gave you.”

  He nodded, understanding in his blue eyes. “You don’t want me embarrassing you at another party.”

  “That’s correct, but the temptation is there.”

  “It’s like putting a case of beer in front of an alcoholic and leaving the room.”

  “It sure is, and I’m trusting you to have the strength to resist because you love me and you trust me because without mutual trust, love means nothing.”

  Cooper grinned. “I won’t betray your trust. I promise.”

  Izzy kissed his lips softly. “See that you don’t. You won’t get another chance, Cooper.”

  And she meant it.

  * * * *

  Cooper was nervous, which was absolute bullshit. This was his druggie sister for God’s sake. Nothing to be afraid of. Not a damn thing. What was the worst she could do or say?

  Go to hell?

  I hate you?

  You did this to me? You didn’t save me when you could?

  Yet, he’d done everything a ten-year-old boy could do, considering his mother’s health concerns and his own fears.

  Cooper pushed his hair off his forehead and glanced over at Izzy sitting in the passenger seat. Her presence gave him strength he wasn’t sure he had on his own. “Russ says she works the late shift. I’d like to get the lay of the land before she shows up.”

  They were sitting outside a sleazy bar. Russ believed a public place would be safer than going to her house. After driving by the dump to check it out, Cooper couldn’t agree more.

  Cooper flexed his fingers on the steering wheel. Izzy reached across and stroked his cheek. “It’ll be fine. I’ll be right there with you.”

  He reached for her hand. “I’m glad. I need you here.”

  “I know,” she said simply, and it hit him that being vulnerable like this didn’t make him less of a man in her eyes. He wasn’t an island anymore. He had her love to support him, and together they’d get through this.

  Cooper heaved a big sigh and steeled himself for the drama that swirled around his sister everywhere she went. “Let’s do this.”

  Izzy nodded. They got out and walked to the bar hand in hand. Cooper took strength from her as they opened the door and entered the dark room. Several heads turned to look at them. The men sized up Cooper and undressed Izzy with their eyes. The women did the same to Cooper while glaring jealously at Izzy.

  Cooper ignored them all and walked to the bar with Izzy, ordering a couple beers from a surly bartender covered in tattoos and sporting an immense beer belly. They took a seat at a corner table, and Cooper sat in a chair with his back to the wall and a clear view of the door.

  Izzy scooted her chair next to his, and he put an arm around her, wishing he could protect her from the hungry gazes of the men in the room. Izzy was beautiful enough to start a riot, and the last thing they needed would be a barroom brawl. Cooper was damn good with his fists, but he was outnumbered, and lots of these guys were probably packing.

  Russ walked in, much to Cooper’s surprise. His PI nodded at him and sat down at the table next to them. He leaned over and spoke, “I thought you could use a little backup.”

  Cooper nodded gratefully at the PI and bought him a beer.

  They nursed their drinks for an hour. The patrons went back to what they were doing and ignored the strangers. Finally the door swung open, and a tall, thin woman with jet black hair walked in. Cooper sucked in a breath. He’d know his sister anywhere, despite how rough she looked. She wore a short skirt, tight T-shirt, and a leather jacket. Her chest was tattooed as were her thighs. Cooper didn’t have a damn thing against tattoos, but they looked out of place on his once beautiful sister’s body. Her long, dark hair hung in greasy strands around a gaunt face with too much makeup.

  Izzy touched his arm. “Is that her?”

  “Yeah.” He nodded, not removing his eyes from Julie. He waited for her gaze to swing in his direction. She spoke to the regulars and chatted up the bartender, but didn’t seem to notice him lurking in the darkest corner of the room.

  Cooper’s mouth went dry and his palms were sweaty. He hugged Izzy closer, needing her now more than ever. He couldn’t believe a woman who didn’t weigh more than 110 pounds soaking wet scared him more than the meanest, toughest enforcer in the NHL.

  Julie took some drink orders from the other side of the room and slowly worked her way toward Cooper, still oblivious to her brother.

  Finally, she glanced his way and did a double take. Recognition crossed her face along with an entire range of emotions Cooper didn’t dare interpret. Instead of a welcoming smile, a huge frown marred her once pretty face. Her eyes narrowed, and she walked toward him with purpose. She paused to say something to the bartender, who raised both brows and stared openly at them, contempt in his bloodshot eyes.

  In a protective move, Cooper pulled Izzy closer to him. He shouldn’t have brought her here. By the look on Julie’s face and the bartender’s belligerent stance, there could be trouble, and he didn’t want Izzy in the middle of it. He glanced over at Russ, who appeared to be alert and watching for the first sign of a problem.

  Thank God for Russ.

  Julie dropped into the chair across the table and studied both of them. She addressed Izzy first in a hoarse voice ruined by too many cigarettes and drugs. “Slumming it, honey? This doesn’t seem like your kind of place.”

  Izzy smiled sweetly, one of those scary smiles that would send a smart person running for cover. “Any place with Cooper is my kind of place.”

  Julie studied her, shrugged, and turned her full attention to Cooper. At least, she appeared straight and sober—for now.

  “I have something of yours,” Cooper said, forcing his voice to stay neutral.

  “Riley found you, did he?” She leaned back and yawned. “He’s a smart kid. I knew if I left your address where he could find it, he’d go to you.”

  “You walked out on your son, leaving him to fend for himself. What kind of a mother does that?” Cooper looked for a sign on her face that she regretted what she’d done to Riley, but all he saw was contempt. He hadn’t c
ome her to fight with her or piss her off. He’d come here hoping she was sorry for what she’d done to Riley and willing to clean up her act for her son.

  He’d been wrong. So wrong. He was a damn fool to think she cared about anyone but herself.

  “Riley can take care of himself. I raised him to be independent,” she said insolently. “We don’t need anybody but ourselves.”

  “That’s bullshit, and you know it. He’s a kid.” Cooper’s anger started a slow boil. Izzy rubbed his thigh, but her touch didn’t calm him this time.

  “What’s the matter, little brother? Is Ry cutting into your party time?”

  “This isn’t about me. It’s about Riley. It’s about you abandoning your son.” Cooper itched to reach across that table and shake some sense into her. “He’s been worried sick.”

  “He doesn’t need to be. I’m fine, but my boyfriend doesn’t like kids.” She toyed with a napkin, tearing it in small pieces, as if the conversation bored her. “If his presence is an issue, put him in foster care, and pretend you never met him. That’s what you’re good at anyway, pretending stuff never happened, and going on about your perfect life while the rest of us die a little inside every day.”

  Cooper bit down on his lip until the pain forced him to concentrate. “I was a kid.” This was not the place to have this conversation, especially in front of Izzy.

  “So was I. But I grew up pretty fast, and you didn’t do anything but run and hide while I faced his wrath and took it for my two baby brothers.” The resentment and hatred in her voice hit Cooper like a punch in the gut by a heavyweight boxing champion.

  He glanced at Izzy. Her brow furrowed with puzzlement and worry.

  “What did you expect us to do?”

  “You were little cowards. When the neighbors called the police because they were suspicious, you guys denied anything was going on. They could’ve rescued us, gotten us out of there. It was my word against yours, and I paid for it once the cops left.”

  Cooper wanted to cover his ears with his hands, but the sounds of Julie’s begging and crying were in his head, and nothing would shut them out.

  “I’m sorry.” Cooper shook his head. “He said he’d kill us if we ever talked, and I believed him.”

  “You were taking care of yourself. One thing you’ve always been good at. You’re the reason I’m like this. The drugs are the only thing that dull the pain, help me forget, even for a little while.”

  “I knew what it would do to Mom. She wasn’t well.”

  “What about what it did to me?” She jabbed her finger at him, close to his face. He refused to flinch.

  “I’m sorry. I was scared, too.” Cooper’s stomach rolled, and he forced back the bile that caught in his throat. Not only had he been scared but he’d been suffering his own trauma at the hands of their new uncle. He’d barely been able to save himself, let alone her.

  She rolled her eyes. “Get out of my life. You’ve been out of it for years, stay out.”

  “Then why did you come to Seattle, knowing they’d moved my team here?”

  Julie looked away and swallowed, for a moment reminding him of the older sister he’d once adored. “I don’t know.” When she looked back at him, tears were in her eyes.

  “Let me help you, Julie,” Cooper pleaded. “I can help you get in the best rehab program—”

  “No, I’m not interested. I like my life as it is.” Her face hardened, and she shut down.

  “But Riley—”

  “Riley will be just fine. Tell him I’m okay, and I’ll catch up with him later.”

  Cooper stood, disgusted with his sister and overwhelmed by guilt. His brain was a muddled mess of conflicting feelings. He’d never realized how much Julie blamed him. As unfair as it was, he blamed himself, too.

  Dragging Izzy with him, Cooper hurried from the bar, not caring that the rain ran down his face. He paused to thank Russ then ran with Izzy for the SUV. Once inside, they didn’t speak until they were on I-5 heading for Seattle. He knew Izzy was dying to ask questions about things he’d kept locked tight in a compartment all these years, just like his uncle had locked him in that trunk a couple hours a day while he molested Julie. Cooper could hear her screams and whimpers, and he didn’t know which was worse, being locked up or listening to his sister plead while the old man grunted and groaned. The memories made him want to throw up.

  “Cooper, slow down. You’re scaring me.” Izzy touched his arm, causing Cooper to pull himself back from the brink. He stared down at the speedometer, shocked to see it hovering near ninety. Cooper let off the gas, and the car slowed to sixty.

  “Sorry,” he muttered.

  “What happened to you guys as kids?” She stroked his arm, but her touch didn’t comfort him like it usually did.

  “Nothing happened,” he said tersely as he ground his jaw together and wished she’d just shut up and stop asking questions.

  “Don’t lie to me.”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.” Cooper gripped the steering wheel and stared straight ahead. He felt that tell-tale muscle jerking in his jaw.

  “Cooper, this is about trust. You need to trust me, if we’re going to have a future.”

  “That subject is off limits.” He shot her an angry glare. “Don’t bring it up again.”

  “That’s why you hate Seattle, isn’t it?”

  “I fucking said, drop it, and I mean it,” he raised his voice, almost yelling and immediately regretting his outburst of temper.

  Izzy stared at him as if he were a stranger. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked out the side window. He heard her sniffle and knew he’d screwed up bigtime, but he couldn’t talk about that summer.

  He couldn’t ever talk about that summer.

  And why he couldn’t stay in Seattle.

  Chapter 18—Iced

  Maybe Cooper wouldn’t talk about his past, but Izzy sure as hell would get him to talk about Riley and what his plans were for the boy. She planned to do just that after the game Thursday night, but Cooper played like a wet-behind-the-ears rookie. He was in such a foul mood afterward that Izzy kept her mouth shut.

  Still, they needed to tell Riley they’d met with his mother a couple nights ago, and neither of them were looking forward to that. Friday night, Izzy cooked lasagna, while Riley and Cooper played a video game together. The laughter coming from the family room made her smile. Despite Cooper’s unwillingness to open up to her about whatever happened all those years ago, this evening almost made her believe the three of them could be a family.

  Families weren’t perfect. They were often messy and irritating, but she loved this odd little family they’d become, just as much as she loved her sisters.

  Her sisters.

  Avery.

  Did you see all those trophies? She’s good.

  Out of the mouths of babes. Riley’s words rang in her ears. Ashamed, Izzy realized that she didn’t know how good Avery was when it came to horses. She’d always blown off her sister’s love of horses as nothing serious. Yet, Avery had picked horses over Izzy.

  Or had Izzy forced her into making a choice?

  Izzy jumped when Cooper wrapped his strong arms around her waist.

  “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.” He rubbed his stubbled cheek against her smooth one.

  “I didn’t know you were there.”

  “We’re starving. How much longer?” Cooper asked then lowered his voice. “And I’m really hungry for your hot little body.”

  She elbowed him in the stomach. “Be nice. Riley’s close by.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  Izzy swung around and kissed Cooper on the lips. Before he could deepen the kiss and make her forget her name, she gave him a little push. “Put the salad on the table. We’re ready to eat.”

  He grinned at her, desire shining in his eyes. “I’m definitely ready to eat. And the lasagna looks good, too.”

  She swatted his ass. “Put that bowl on the table, please.”

&
nbsp; “I’d like to put you on the table and eat off you.”

  Izzy didn’t mind that idea at all, but now wasn’t the time or place. Cooper watched her with those blue eyes of his, then did as he was told.

  Izzy followed with lasagna and rolls. Cooper and Riley already sat in their spots waiting. Riley grinned at her. He’d done a lot of that lately, and she loved seeing him so happy. But to Izzy, happiness had always been fleeting, and she spent most of her life waiting for the next bad thing to happen. Riley had to feel the same way with the life he’d had. Maybe that was why she had a connection with the kid.

  As they ate dinner, Riley didn’t seem to notice Cooper and Izzy didn’t say much. He was too busy talking about the football team, school, and his friends.

  Cooper smiled and nodded, like an indulgent father, even though Izzy sensed his nervousness. Riley asked for tickets to Saturday’s game for him and his buddies, and Cooper promised he’d get them if Izzy was the chaperone. Fall wasn’t the best time for parties, so Izzy had Saturday night off.

  During a lull in the conversation, Cooper cleared his throat. Riley glanced up from the lasagna he’d been shoveling in his mouth at an alarming rate. He seemed to read Cooper’s expression and put down his fork, waiting with a worried frown.

  “What is it?” The poor kid swallowed hard and looked from Cooper to Izzy and back to Cooper, his eyes full of dread.

  Cooper glanced at Izzy. She gave him a small smile and squeezed his hand under the table. He took a deep breath.

  “Riley, we found your mother.” Cooper’s voice came across as steady and calm, but Izzy watched that muscle jerk in his jaw.

  Riley’s face paled, and Cooper gripped Izzy’s hand tighter.

  “Is she okay?” Riley asked. His hands started shaking, so he hid them in his lap.

  “Yes, she’s living in Tacoma.”

  Hurt and betrayal put lines in Riley’s forehead. “Why didn’t she call me?”

  “She thought you would be fine. She assumed you were with me.” Cooper covered for his sister, and Izzy silently applauded him.

  “But she didn’t know that. She couldn’t know that. She never bothered to find out.” Riley pushed his plate away, and stared at a point on the wall. Izzy’s heart broke for the poor kid.