Page 1 of Cross the Line

CHAPTER ONE

October

“Okay, fam,” our show producer, Cam, said, smiling at Levi and me through the computer monitor.

We had a few minutes before we’d start recording our weekly podcast episode. Since Levi was based in Dallas and I lived in Minnesota, we rarely got to record in the same place or even the same time zone. But I loved that my baby brother and I got paid to bond over hockey as players in the NHL and the PWHL. It was a dream come true.

We’d just finished quickly reviewing major topics for the week from a list compiled by Cam. One of the biggest stories was the fight at last night’s NHL game between LA and Seattle.

I glanced at my phone again. Still no response.

“Any other questions before we kick this off?” Cam asked. I shook my head, as did Levi. “Great. Just give me a minute, and we’ll get rolling.”

“Hey, Lo,” Levi said, our eyes meeting through the computer screen while Cam took care of whatever needed to be handled on the back end.

“Hey, what?” My mind was still on the Hawks and everything that had happened since last night. I mean…Jesus. That had been one hell of a fight.

My phone vibrated with a new message, and I reached for it so fast, I nearly knocked it and my water bottle to the floor. Bryn had texted our group chat.

[Ice Queens]

Bryn: I’m home now. Resting.

That was a relief. I’d been concerned about Bryn and how the fight—and the comments surrounding it—would affect her. As soon as I’d heard the news, I’d tried calling—Bryn, Georgia, Kylie, Fiz, even Trouble. I was worried about all of them, and that had only gotten worse the longer it had taken any of them to respond.

Now, it seemed as if everyone had something to say, and the group chat was blowing up. Kylie approached the situation from a PR angle, which wasn’t surprising since she ran a PR firm that represented a number of professional athletes, including me. Georgia had some fiery words to say about the player who’d started the fight, as well as some creative ideas about getting revenge. Since she was the official team hair stylist and often traveled with the Hawks, she’d been at the game and had a front-row seat to the action.

Frasier—or Fiz, Fizzy—had yet to respond to my individual text message, and that both did and didn’t surprise me. As the goalie for the Hawks, he’d probably been busy dealing with the fallout from the fight since he’d been the one to throw the first punch. Plus, he was focused on Bryn, which was exactly where his focus should be.

But the person I really wanted to hear from, the last person I should be concerned with, hadn’t texted me back yet. I sighed, but then my phone buzzed again.

Trouble: Aw. Were you worried about me, KT? I’m flattered.

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t help smiling. If nothing else, I was glad he was okay.

“Logan,” Levi clipped out, and I snapped my head up.

My heart was pounding, and I hoped my guilt wasn’t written across my face. Because Trouble wasn’t just a nickname; it was a way of life. And I’d be in big trouble if my brother ever found out who it was.

“Yeah. Sorry. What?”

“I asked if you’d looked over the sponsorship contract for Brightside.”

“Yeah. I looked at it.” And I didn’t want to do it, even if I did like their sunglasses.

“Yes, the money could be better,” Levi hedged, perhaps sensing my resistance. “But it would be great exposure.”

“If they want me to sign, they’re going to need to offer me more money.” It was as plain and simple as that.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s likely.” Levi frowned. “Kylie already got them to go up from their initial offer, and they’re clinging to their excuse that ‘compensation is proportional to fan bases and followers.’”

It was so frustrating, knowing that I’d spent the past few months actively growing my engagement and followers. And it had been working, thanks to Trouble’s assistance. But it still wasn’t enough. Might not ever be enough.

“It’s bullshit.” I wasn’t going to accept half the amount they’d offered Levi. It was insulting.

“I know that. And you know that. But maybe working with a company like Brightside will open more doors. Even if it doesn’t, it’s still a good opportunity for us and the podcast.”

I gnashed my teeth. But before I could open my mouth to respond, Cam cut in. “You’ll have to discuss this more after the show. We need to get rolling before it gets any later.” I was so distracted I’d almost forgotten he was on the call.