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  HOOKING, 1st Edition Copyright 2020 by Kristine Allen, Demented Sons Publishing.

  All Rights Reserved.

  Published in the United States of America. First published in August, 2020.

  Cover Design: Avery Kingston

  Photographer: Wander Aguiar, www.wanderaguiar.com

  Cover Model: Zach Altland

  Editing: Olivia Ventura, Hot Tree Editing, www.hottreeediting.com

  Formatting: Champagne Book Design, www.champagnebookdesign.com

  The purchase of this e-book, or book, allows you one legal copy for your own personal reading enjoyment on your personal computer or device. This does not include the right to resell, distribute, print or transfer this book, in whole or in part to anyone, in any format, via methods either currently known or yet to be invented, or upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses. It may not be re-sold or given away to other people. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000 (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content. For information, contact the author at [email protected]. Thank you for supporting this author and her rights.

  Warning: This book contains offensive language, mild violence, and sexual situations. Mature audiences only, 18+ years of age.

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Epigraph

  About this Book

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Epilogue

  Epilogue Two

  Other Books by Kristine Allen

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  To Nick Caamano. Because when I met you as your fan and told you I was writing a hockey book, you made me feel like I was the STAR (pun absolutely intended).

  Amur Leopard (Ah-mer): An endangered big cat of the world. Inhabits the far eastern portion of Russia and possibly a very small portion of China. Wild numbers are less than ninety due to habitat losses, poaching, wildfires, and other causes.

  Hooking: When a player impedes the progress of an opponent by “hooking” him with his stick.

  I’m Alex Kosinski, left wing for the Austin Amurs. Hooking is my penalty. It’s never something I set out to do, but it happens. After all, it’s hockey.

  Hockey is life. Getting traded was a kick to the nuts, but at least I was still playing. It was all that mattered.

  Until Sydney.

  Our relationship was forbidden, but I didn’t care—I hadn’t run from a fight yet.

  I had her right where I wanted her—until everything crashed around me. My past came back to bite me in the ass, and I was faced with getting kicked off the team. Now, I’m trying to pick up the goddamn pieces.

  I’m not going to choose between her or hockey. I want it all. Because despite everything, she’s the best thing I’ve ever hooked.

  “Judas”—Fozzy

  It was both strange and good to be in Texas. Home for me had initially been Northern Minnesota but ended up being all over the place thanks to hockey, including Canada for the last three years. Being traded midseason to the Austin Amurs was a hard pill to swallow at first, but in the end, maybe it was perfect for me, because it put me in my big brother’s backyard.

  I’d only been back from getting my house on the market and packing my shit in Montreal for about a week. Dad thought this was a great move for me. I was beginning to think he might be right. At least I hoped he was.

  “You looked really good this season, Alex. Despite how things ended, I’m proud of you, son. When was it you said you were coming up to the cabin?” Though I was a grown man, my dad’s words made my chest puff out. All I’d wanted, my whole life, was to live up to his accomplishments and then be known for my own.

  “Thanks, Dad. I’ll be up there in a few weeks. You doing okay?” My dad and I were pretty tight. Then again, I was living his dream. He’d made it four years in the NHL before he’d had too many concussions and they wouldn’t clear him to play anymore.

  “Yeah, things are good. The kids are really shaping up. I think next year is going to be their year,” Dad said over the line. Once I’d gone pro, Dad had decided to coach a junior hockey league team. They’d been after him for years—since I was playing junior league.

  “That’s great, Dad. Well, I’m gonna let you go. I still have a few more things to unpack.”

  “All right, son. Tell your brother I said hello,” he added hesitantly. There was some friction between the two of them. Mostly because Cooper believed Dad favored me, since I’d continued on in hockey when he’d abandoned it for racing. I didn’t believe it for a minute, but their relationship had been strained to say the least.

  “Will do, Dad.”

  We hung up, and I found myself staring at some of the signed images I’d just finished hanging on the walls. A few were my old teammates, and it sent a pang of something akin to homesickness rippling through me.

  They say the player is usually one of the first to know they’re getting traded. Not always true. Mine hit me like a motherfucking freight train on a dark night.

  After a particularly close game, I’d gotten into the locker room, showered, and changed as we all were planning on celebrating our win with a brief trip to the hotel bar. That’s when I saw I had a voicemail from my agent. That was never good.

  Sure, there had been trade talks, but I was hopeful it wouldn’t be me. Unfortunately, I wasn’t so lucky, or the good Lord wasn’t listening to my pleas.

  To top it off? I’d joined the Amurs in the middle of a four-game, six-day road trip. Let me clarify. One night I was playing with my boys, the next night I was suited up and playing against them. Talk about a kick in the nuts.

  The friendships I’d made weren’t easy to walk away from. It sucked monkey balls.

  Then there were a few of my former teammates that were pissed at me for leaving. Like it was my choice.

  The new team was tight. They all knew each other and worked together well. I was suddenly the odd man out. I’d gone from the team captain and all-star to the newbie, and it sucked. Icing on the shit-tastic cake of my trade was that earlier in the season, I’d gotten into it on the ice with the Amurs team captain, Halvorson. It was pretty bad, and there was a bit of a grudge there.

  Like I said, the one upside to
being traded was that I ended up in Texas, where I was in a position to repair my relationship with my brother. Not that it was necessarily bad, but we’d definitely drifted over the years. Growing up, we’d been best friends, despite the almost two-year age difference.

  Shoving my last pair of shoes in the built-in slot of my closet, I pulled my phone out of my pocket.

  “Hey, Coop. I just got settled, and I need to go out and blow off some steam. You feeling up to going?” I’d lived in a rented condo ’til the end of the season, but recently I’d finally found a house that I loved. After Cameron McGregor, our center, told me it came on the market in his neighborhood, I looked at it and jumped on it.

  “Shit, yeah! You should’ve told me, and I’d have helped you set up your mini-mansion.” He chuckled, and I rolled my eyes. He was forever giving me shit because I’d bought the massive home I did, but like I told him—a king needs his castle.

  Okay, maybe it was a little big for a single guy but fuck it. It was perfect. When I said I had my castle, I meant it actually resembles a small castle. Every time I pulled into the garage, I felt like royalty coming home.

  “You wanna meet me downtown? Or do you want me and the brothers to meet you at your place?” Cooper asked me. In the background I heard the zip of air tools. His flat track career might have been cut short thanks to his wreck, but he was making a killing doing custom work for guys who knew the quality of his work. He was meticulous and a genius when it came to making a vehicle scream.

  Hell, he’d been the one to customize my Ducati.

  “You guys can come by here if you want, and I’ll follow you downtown.” I pulled my shirt off and tossed it in the hamper as I prepared to shower.

  Coop chuckled. “You sure you want a bunch of bikers pulling up into your driveway? What will your neighbors say?”

  “Shit, they won’t say anything. I think half of them are my teammates.”

  “All right, cool. What time?” We ironed out the details, and I got in the shower. Letting the hot water beat on me from multiple shower heads, I tried to relax. It had been a shitty end to the season. We’d made it to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs after entering as a Wild Card.

  We’d lost in that second round—to my old team.

  The only saving grace in all of it was that I was still playing hockey. I’d known that not having a no-trade clause was a gamble, but I really thought I’d be safe. Wrong. That’s what being big-headed had gotten me.

  Then I’d had to go up to Montreal to get my shit moved down to Texas as soon as the season ended for us.

  Taking a deep breath, I slowly exhaled. Fuck it. I was going to go out, forget about the fucked-up end of the season, and have a good time. I’d stick around town for a few weeks to spend time with Coop before flying up to Minnesota to stay with Dad. I’d bought a cabin on the lake, and we planned to spend most of the summer hiking, fishing, and boating.

  Mom was off with her friends in the Mediterranean. She’d be back before the season started, so I’d stop by her place on my way back to Texas before training camp.

  It wasn’t long before the rumble of multiple bikes sounded from down the road. By the time they reached my driveway, I had a huge smile on my face. I didn’t waste time; I opened the garage door and met them in the driveway.

  My brother met me halfway and wrapped me in a bear hug. “Hey, little brother! You ready to tear up the town?”

  “As long as you don’t break my ribs!” I wheezed out. He let me go with a laugh and a rough pat to the back.

  “You guys want to come in to use the bathroom or anything?” I asked, since a few of the guys had women with them.

  “Oh my God, that would be awesome! I have to pee so bad!” a strawberry blonde said. She was with the big dude they called Styx. Hard to believe the scary motherfucker was a nurse.

  I knew Smoke’s wife, Nova, from when she’d given birth to their daughter. I’d stopped by the hospital and brought them a tiny Amurs jersey for her with a stuffed version of the endangered leopard that was our mascot. She walked over to give me a hug. “You behaving yourself, Alex?” she asked with a soft smile.

  “Now what’s the fun in that?” I teased. She scoffed and hooked her hand through Smoke’s arm.

  “Come on in. I’ll show the ladies to the bathrooms.” They all followed me inside. I heard a couple of them talking about my car. She was my baby, so I didn’t mind that they were praising her. One day, I’d have a Lamborghini or a Bugatti, but until then, my red Maserati GranTurismo was the one. Custom black interior with red highlights and stitching made her a sexy beast. Picked her up the day I’d gotten back from getting my belongings.

  “Holy shit!” one of the guys said from behind me as we stepped inside the house. I directed the women to the bathrooms, and they took off oohing and ahhing.

  “Damn, man. This is one helluva a place you got,” said Gunny with a whistle as he looked around the expansive space.

  “Thanks. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it.”

  “You know everyone, right?” asked my brother as he motioned to his club brothers.

  “Most of you, I think.” I’d met Smoke, Gunny, Lock, and Slice on several occasions. The rest I’d met briefly.

  “Well, to refresh your memory, that big Viking bastard is Styx, the scary-looking dude that can eat his weight in Snickers candy bars and not gain an ounce is Slice. My VP, Straight, Radar, our prospect Drew, and of course you already know Gunny, the other Viking bastard, Lock, and my P, Smoke.” He leaned against the counter. Hands resting on the edge, elbows bent back, and ankles crossed, he looked around with a grin.

  “Nice to meet all of you again. Sorry I’ve been so scarce. Things are pretty busy for me during the season. Then I had to get my shit moved down here.” One by one, I shook their hands.

  “Man, no sweat. We know you have a busy schedule. Eighty-two regular season games over approximately six and a half months? Damn. We’ve been following you. Dude, you’re really good.” That came from Radar. He was an unassuming kind of guy. Tall, dark, and quiet the few times I’d met him.

  “Thanks, I appreciate that. It helps that I love what I do.” I crossed my arms and grinned.

  “Sorry about the playoffs. If it’s any consolation, y’all played great,” said Smoke.

  I snorted in disgust. “Well, not good enough, but thanks.” It still rankled that we’d been eliminated so early on. Especially considering my old team went to the Stanley Cup Final. Consolation? They lost.

  “No more talking about the bad shit! Tonight we’re going to go out and have a good time. Little brother, we’re gonna see if we can find you some prime Texas pussy before you run off up north for the summer,” said Cooper as he clapped his hands once and rubbed them together evilly. I rolled my eyes. Little did he know, I hadn’t been hurting for pussy in years. Hockey seemed to bring puck bunnies out in droves.

  “Ew. Y’all are such guys,” said the strawberry blonde. There were a few chuckles. Cooper wrapped his arm around her and laughed.

  “Aw, don’t hate on us, Gwen. We can’t help that the rest of us haven’t been as lucky as Styx.” The big dude in question narrowed his eyes at my brother and growled.

  “Hands off my woman, Truth,” he grumbled. I snickered, and Cooper flipped me off as he released Gwen with a kiss to the cheek. Styx smacked him upside the back of his head. It was weird hearing them call him Truth.

  “Watch yourself,” he warned Cooper with a barely discernible tip of his mouth. Fuck, if I didn’t know they were good friends, I’d be worried for my brother’s safety. Not that I didn’t think there was some truth to the possessiveness any of them felt over their women, but I’d never understand it. Who the hell wanted to tie themselves to one chick when there were so many to choose from?

  “Have you met our ol’ ladies? I forget,” said Lock. He put his arm around a hot as hell inked-up woman who placed a hand on his chest. “This is my wife, Raiven, that’s Styx’s ol’ lady, Gwen, Gunn
y’s ol’ lady, Avery, and I think you’ve met Smoke’s wife, Nova. Right?”

  “Ladies.” I tipped my head to them. “It’s a pleasure.”

  Looking at Raiven and Avery, I did a double take. Obviously, I wasn’t subtle about it. They giggled, Lock snorted, and Gunny’s face got red. No one said a word.

  Victor chose that moment to make himself known by wrapping around my leg with a loud purr.

  “Whoa! What is that?” Raiven said with wide eyes. I glanced down at Victor. His large ears twitched, and his golden-green eyes stared up at me as if he was asking why his kingdom had been invaded by all these humans.

  “This is Victor,” I said as I scooped his big ass up and cradled him in my arms like the baby he was. “He’s a Savannah. It’s a cross between a serval and a domestic cat. I got him because he reminded me of the Amur leopard. He’s only six months old.” I grinned as he wrapped his front paws around my forearm as if he was holding on to me.

  “He’s huge!” Gwen exclaimed. “Can I hold him? Will he let me?”

  I chuckled as I handed him over. “He’s heavy,” I warned. The look on her face was priceless.

  “Avery, I think he weighs more than Tristan!” Gwen said with a giggle. Victor had his eyes closed as he enjoyed being fawned over by a bunch of pretty women.

  “He’s such a player,” joked Cooper, and I laughed. It was true. He loved women. He’d scared the ever-loving shit out of my housekeeper the first time she came to clean. He’d followed her all over the house, purring and rubbing against her legs.

  “That he is,” I agreed.

  While they spoiled Victor, I made a decision. I booked a couple of rooms at a nice hotel downtown. Within walking distance of Sixth Street in case we needed to stay local. To make things easier, I figured we could all park our bikes in the parking garage.

  “I booked us a couple of rooms, just in case,” I told Cooper and the guys once I had a confirmation number.