“That’s what my business partner is calling it.” David focused his attention in short bursts on everything in the hallway except Ian. “I’ve sunk everything I have into a development outside of Toronto. Investors are getting worried by the bad press you two are causing.”

“We’re causing?” There wasn’t even a hint of a whine of the metal on his mental locks under pressure; they burst open as if they’d never been there, and all those years of stuffing everything down came roaring up. “You’re the one who had a secret second family.”

His dad tensed and looked around before saying through his teeth, “Lower your voice.”

Hands curled into fists, stance ready to throw down, blood rushing in his ears so loudly that his dad could be yelling right into his face and he wouldn’t hear a thing, Ian pulled back, ready to let go with a vicious punch when the locker room door exploded outward. Alex strolled out as if all was right and good with the world, his body loose and his grin welcoming. He didn’t stop until he was practically between Ian and their dad.

“Heya, Pops,” Alex said. “I heard you’d come to visit.”

David’s face was bright red with fury. The man hadn’t made it through the number of years in the professional hockey league that he had by not knowing when things were about to turn ugly. The catch was, there was no way he didn’t realize he wouldn’t come out on top.

“They’re mine, you know,” he snarled at Alex. “The records will always be mine. You may get close, but you’ll never get there.”

Alex shrugged as if he didn’t give two shits about the records or anything the man in front of him could say. “I’d rather go scoreless for the rest of my career than to ever hold a record that had ever been connected to you.”

“Who do you think you are?” he asked, emphasizing each word by jabbing his finger into Alex’s chest.

Ian didn’t think, he just reacted, grabbing his old man’s hand and shoving it away. “He’s my brother, and he doesn’t have to take your shit.” He took a step forward. He may be half the hockey player his dad was, but he was bigger, madder, and he had someone more important than himself to fight for. “Now get out of here before security comes for you.”

He and Alex stood there, silent, shoulder to shoulder, and watched until David Petrov stormed out of the VIP door. For his entire life, after one of his father’s “little lessons,” he’d been left feeling completely alone.

This time was different.

“Brother, huh?” Alex asked, landing an elbow into Ian’s side.