“It ain’t easy,” he breathes.
“Couldn’t you take out loans?”
“No one will give me one. I don’t have any credit. My mom never remembers to pay her bills, so her credit is shot.”
“What about grants?”
“I have a partial scholarship, but Strick U is too expensive to cover all of the costs.”
“How come you chose to go there then?”
“I’ve been friends with Jamie since middle school. We met at a video game convention his dad was hosting. I used to meet up with him and some of his friends to play hockey over at Skate Zone, and since they’re the ones who got me into hockey, I wanted to play on the same team as them. I couldn’t play with them in high school because they all went to a prep school I couldn’t afford. So, I did everything I could to keep my grades high enough to get into Strick U. I figured with some of them having famous hockey players for dads that it could draw more attention to our team and that it might increase my chances of being seen by a pro scout. So, I sucked up the expensive tuition and scraped together every penny I could.”
“Would you say all of this was worth it then?”
He nods. “Yeah. I’ve met with a few scouts this year alone. I have a decent shot, but look at who I have to compete against for this year’s NHL Draft. Tucker and Trent are the sons of the general manager of the Flyers, and Preston’s dad is the coach.”
“Jamie’s dad isn’t a hockey player,” I add. “Doesn’t he own a video game company?”
“No, his dad never played, but his grandfather did a long time ago. He’s one of the best to have ever played. He still holds almost every regular season and playoff record. I wouldn’t want to follow in his footsteps if I was Jamie. And Drake’s dad used to play with Parker and Kane. They were all on the same team years ago when they won the Stanley Cup.”
“Sounds like you have a much better shot at becoming something on your own,” I say. “You don’t have someone else’s legacy following you around like a ghost.”
“I guess so.” He lifts his shoulders slightly, a strange look on his handsome face. “But I’m realistic. Those guys have a better shot because of their last names and the influence their fathers have over the league. Teams are already looking at them, anticipating where they’ll land in the Draft. To make it, I have to cut through all the noise and find some way to stand out more than others. My stats are good enough, but like I said, I’m a realist. I need a plan B in case plan A goes south.”
I raise an eyebrow at him. “And that’s stealing cars?”
He laughs. “No, not even close. This is a means to an end.”
“I should probably already know this but what’s your major? We never talk about school.”
“Computer science with a minor in finance.”
“My dad is in finance.”
“I’m well aware,” he says.
“Strange combo, huh?”
Killian shrugs off my comment. “Not really. I want to combine the two together after I graduate.”
“How do you plan to do that?”
“I’m working on a financial app that I want to sell at some point. I just have to work out some of the kinks and figure out how to pitch it to VCs.”
“VCs?”
“Venture capitalists.”
“My dad could help you with that.”
His laughter fills the silence in the car. “Yeah, right. I’m sure he would love to hear a pitch from the guy who stole his car.”
“It was my car.”
“Same difference.” He scratches the corner of his jaw, staring into my eyes. “The app isn’t even ready for beta testing yet, and until I figure out how to sell it to businesses, I have nothing to show.”
“You’ll figure it out, Killian.” I rub his arm, and his skin dots with tiny bumps. It’s not often I notice the effect I have on him. He’s usually the one doing this to me. “I have faith in you.”
He blows out the air he was holding and sighs. “Thanks, Jade.” He tilts his head toward the garage to our left. “You ready to go inside? I want you to meet everyone for real this time. Nate texted me that Chase has cooled off since the race. He won’t be an asshole again. I promise. And if he is, I’ll knock his ass out.”
“Okay.” I chuckle. “I’d like to meet your friends on less hostile terms. They’re important to you, and since you’re important to me, I want all of us to get along.”
He brushes his lips against mine. “Me, too.”
Once we step inside, Killian clears his throat to catch his friends’ attention. The conversations in the room come to a screeching halt. It’s like one of those movies where the DJ scratches the record, and everyone in the club stops to stare.
And now, all eyes are on me.
My throat closes up from the intense gaze Chase shoots in my direction. He pushes his blond hair off his forehead, his deep blue eyes burning a hole through me. If he weren’t so hostile, I would say he’s gorgeous, but his shitty attitude takes away from his hotness.
Killian was the same way when we first met. Look how fast I was able to melt away the tough guy persona and force him to let me into his world. I did it with Killian so I can do it with Chase and the rest of the crew. They’re the closest people to Killian, like an extension of his family. No matter how much they hate me for being rich or a liability to their livelihood, I have to make them like me. This will never work with Killian if his best friends can’t stand the sight of me.
My dad taught me to meet bullies head-on. Never back down from them. Westbrooks don’t show their weaknesses, they conquer them, he would say. Like my dad even has any weaknesses to conceal.
Unhooking my fingers from Killian’s, I march over to Chase, hovering over him. He has his elbow propped up on one of the few couches scattered around the back room in the garage, drinking from the beer bottle in his other hand. The room doesn’t have any windows and is large enough to accommodate the ratty, grease-covered couches. There’s a desk in the corner covered in what looks like work orders for cars and a small kitchen along the back wall.
“I know you hate me,” I say to Chase, his mouth turning up into a creepy smirk. He studies me as if he can’t believe I have the nerve to challenge him. “But if Killian trusts me, then you should, too. Or at least, let me show you that you can.”
“The only people I trust are in this room, and you are not one of them,” Chase growls, his deep, manly voice so cold and devoid of emotion it causes me to shudder.
“I could have gone to the police about my car…” I counter, holding my ground, “… I knew who stole it. Yet, I waited days to even tell my dad it was missing. I lied to my family, the police, and the insurance company to cover for Killian. I’m not going to say anything. Ever. So, you need to stop being such a dick to me.” I push my hands to my hips, glaring at him. “Okay?”
Killian chuckles from behind me, and so does Nate, who’s sitting on the couch next to Chase and across from Roman, who has his thick arms folded across his chest.
Chase runs his thumb along his bottom lip. It’s equal parts sexy and intimidating.
Lord help the woman who ends up with this one.
He presses his palms to the couch and comes to his full height in front of me. I feel so small in comparison. Dark sleeves of tattoos cover his arms, the same mess of swirly black lines of ink as Killian. All of his friends have tattoos. It’s as if it’s a requirement to join their crew.
Chase glances over my shoulder at Killian. A silent communication is exchanged between them, one I can’t see with my back facing Killian.
Nate nods and then walks over to the fridge, looking over his shoulder at me with the door open. “You like beer, Jade?”
“Yeah. Who doesn’t?”
“You look more like the champagne type,” Chase says in his smart-ass tone.
I flash a devious smile at him. “Nope, never liked it. And I don’t like caviar either.”
His stupid smirk is back, and I want to slap
it from his handsome face. With several beers in his hand, Nate approaches us. Shockingly, Chase takes two beers from his hand and passes one to Killian before giving me the other. I swear I hear Killian let out a breath of air behind me. Whether he will admit it or not, I know his friend’s hatred toward me was bothering him.
“You’re okay, rich girl,” Chase says, clanking our bottles together. “Just don’t do or say anything stupid about our business.”
I chug some of my beer, eyes fixed on him. “Don’t call me rich girl, and we’ll be okay.”
The entire room erupts in a fit of laughter—Chase included. He’s a tough nut to crack, but with enough time, I’m sure he’ll grow on me.
“I like this one,” Nate says to Killian as we sit on the couch next to him. He leans in close to me and says, “No one ever challenges Chase. You got some balls on you, Jade.”
Killian hooks his arm around my back and pulls me into his chest, his delicious scent filling my nostrils. He kisses my forehead, his fingers digging into my side.
Without exchanging any words, I feel his relief wash over him. We now have a place where we can be together without anyone asking questions, a place where Killian truly feels at home. And because of him, I get the same feeling every time we’re together.
Chapter Fifteen
Killian
After I grab a sandwich from the buffet, I walk over to the table by the window where my teammates have dinner together. Most of the time, I skip eating in the cafeteria. The food isn’t that good, and it’s a waste of money. But I have a few hours to kill, and Shannon hasn’t been at the house lately cooking for Jamie, so that means the fridge is pretty much empty, and I’m starving.
“Look who bothered to show,” Drake says smirking at me. “I thought you were too cool to eat in the caf.”
I roll my eyes at him and sit next to Jamie. He’s the only one who never gives me a hard time.
“Don’t listen to him,” Jamie says, his mouth full of food. “You can sit with us whenever you want.”
I unwrap my sandwich and glance over at Preston, Tucker, and Trent giving them a quick tip of my head to acknowledge them.
“Have you read the latest Dethroned post?” Tucker asks me.
My blood runs cold from the mention of the blogger who goes by the name The Queen. She’s been attacking my teammates since the start of hockey season and for no apparent reason. So far, she’s called out Preston for dating our coach’s daughter, Tucker for eating pot brownies at a frat party, Drake for sending dick pics to random chicks, and Tucker and Trent for unknowingly having sex with the same girl.
“No,” I say. “Who’s she going after this time?”
Please don’t be me.
If anyone were to ever find out about my extracurricular activities, my life and career would be over in a second. I stay under the radar on campus for a reason. The less people notice me, the more I hope to avoid any unwanted attention. People talk about me, I know they do, but I never do anything to put myself in the spotlight. It’s more out of curiosity that I hear my name whispered across campus. Everyone wants to know more about me, and Jade’s no exception. I wasn’t surprised at the time that was what she wanted from me, but I’m also glad I took the chance on her.
My heart races as I wait for Tucker to answer my question. It’s the longest two seconds of my life, wondering if The Queen knows anything about me. For my sake, and that of my crew, I hope not. She could ruin everything for us.
Instead of Tucker, Jamie responds, “She went after me this time.”
Pointing a finger at him, my eyes widen. “You? Seriously? What did you do?”
He sucks in a deep breath and blows it out. “Technically, nothing, but it’s how it looks that’s the problem. The Queen posted a pic of Cece kissing me at the gaming convention I went to with my dad over the Christmas break.”
“She kissed you, though,” I shoot back.
He sighs. “I know. But that’s not how it looks to Shan. She fucking hates me,” he says, handing me his cell phone.
Jamie had told me about what happened at the convention, and he looked more than sorry.
Was he wrong to keep it from Shannon? Yes, probably, but I can’t judge him.
Out of fear of hurting Jade’s feelings, I probably would have debated whether or not to tell her if the situation were reversed. But still, I would have told her eventually. Jade knows almost everything about me, even the parts I keep hidden from the world.
There would be no point in concealing the truth from her. Jamie was wrong to keep it from Shannon because it only makes him look guilty. But Shannon will forgive him. I know she will. I can tell by the way she talks about him that she’s in love with him, though he may have to work his ass off to get her back.
I’m actually surprised to see Taylor Bradshaw, one of the starters for the women’s basketball team, sitting at our table with Drake. The Queen ousted him last month over his obsession with his dick. He’s literally sent pictures of it to almost every girl on campus at this point. I know Taylor from classes we’ve taken together, and she’s a no-bullshit type of girl. She must really like Drake to ignore the fact that he’s a total manwhore.
“She’ll get over it,” Taylor says, her eyes fixed on Drake. “If I can forgive this idiot…” she says, pointing at him, “… then Shannon will forgive you, too,” she tells Jamie.
Drake hooks his arm around her back and smacks a kiss on the top of her head. She smiles at him, resting her head on his shoulder. He must like her a lot more than he led on. Drake always pretends he can have any girl, and he probably can, but Taylor is the one he hasn’t stopped talking about since they met. He never mentions girls other than in passing. But with Taylor, he hasn’t shut up about her. Even the guys give him shit over her in the locker room.
“How’s it going with the tutor?” Preston asks Tucker with a mouth full of food. “You gonna pass?”
He takes a few bites of the wrap in his hand, glancing down the table at Preston. “I think so.”
“Don’t think,” Preston says. “You need to know.”
Every time Preston scolds one of my teammates, I feel like I’m stuck in the middle of a family fight. Our dynamic is different from other teams because of their close personal relationships. It’s also the reason we’re so dangerous on the ice. We play like a unit, like a family, and for that reason, I have no doubt we will win another Frozen Four.
“I got it under control,” Tucker says to assure him. He’s sitting on the other side of Jamie, who he nudges in the side to gain his attention. “Any new leads on The Queen?”
Jamie shakes his head. “She’s always one step ahead of me.” He scratches the stubble along his jaw, looking more tired than I’ve ever seen him. I know he’s been up late at night on his computer, most likely searching for The Queen. I can hear him in the middle of the night cracking open cans of soda and hammering away at his keyboard. “There’s something familiar about her code,” he continues, his voice distant as if deep in thought. “I know it from somewhere, but I can’t remember how I know.”
“Dude, I don’t even know what that means. Way over my head.” Tucker snorts, holding his hand above his spiky blond hair.
“Every time I break through one of her firewalls, I get shut out again.” Jamie shakes his head, annoyed. “The bitch even wrote a virus into one of the patches.”
Jamie is so desperate to find The Queen that he’s even asked me to help him over the last few months. But I have no idea how to find her. He’s a far better hacker than me. I learned everything I know from him. I was no help, though I did point him in the direction of Maverick, a hacker we both met at a gaming convention when we were younger. I’ve sold my soul to him on several occasions to help my crew out of jams.
But Jamie has yet to make the leap and do the same to find The Queen. I don’t blame him. Owing a favor to Maverick could mean anything. Whenever he calls on you, no matter the request, he expects you to pay the price. I found that out
the hard way last year, and Jamie may learn the same lesson I did if he’s that desperate to meet The Queen in person.
“So, what does that mean?” Tucker asks Jamie.
“It means she knows I’m onto her. Her code is like poetry. It’s like art,” Jamie says, impressed by the girl who has ruined his relationship with Shannon.
He’s acted different since he started tracking The Queen. It’s almost as if Jamie has become obsessed with her like he wants to know her for real. She could be a man hiding behind a screen name for all he knows. Anyone can create a website and run a blog.
It wouldn’t take much to get some of the dirt The Queen has gotten on my teammates. They’re not the best at hiding their lives from the public. Tucker puts everything out there for anyone to see. Preston thinks he’s slick, but he’s not. Trent just goes with the flow, and Drake couldn’t give a single fuck. But Jamie, he’s the one who tries to stay under the radar.
“I still don’t understand,” Tucker says with a dazed look on his face.
He’s the pretty one on our team, the one guy who really has to rely on his looks and abilities on the ice to get through life. Not a whole lot is going on upstairs for Tucker, which is weird because Trent is an A student and always on the Dean’s List. The Kane twins could not be more different.
Preston laughs. “Jamie has a crush on The Queen.”
“No, I don’t,” Jamie yells, annoyed. “It’s just… I’ve never met anyone like her…” his words trail off, and all of us can see it in his eyes.
In some weird way, Jamie likes The Queen. He’s impressed or at least fascinated with her. I get it. I’ve read her code and can see the beauty in it. Whoever is behind the blog has skill. When Jamie showed it to me, I wondered if it was written for him. It seems as though she’s trying to bait him into a trap. If anyone can find out who and why, it’s Maverick, though I’m hoping Jamie doesn’t have to resort to that.
Kissing Killian: Face-Off Legacy #5 Page 9
