by Odette Stone
I knew her well enough to know that these were her terms. I could like them or leave them, but I wasn’t going to change her mind. I hesitated before my next question. “Do you even want me to come back?”
Her gaze held mine, and her lips trembled before she spoke. “Yes—very much so.”
That was good enough for me. I snaked out one arm and yanked her hard against me. Her silky, smooth mouth felt like a treasure, and the taste of her made my desire skyrocket. My hands squeezed her perfect butt so I could grind into her.
She made a provocative noise that had me deepening our kiss.
My phone started to ring. The sound made her pull back, but my mouth just followed.
She pressed against my chest. “Answer your phone.”
“Krista,” I complained.
She grabbed my face with her hands. “Let me do this my way. Please?”
I couldn’t resist the pleading look on her face. “All right.”
I stood and slowly knocked on the side of Mark Ashford’s door. He looked up from his desk and took off his reading glasses.
“Levi. I thought Buffalo left this morning.”
“They did.” I looked around his office. “Mind if I come in?”
He motioned for me to sit at his desk. “What’s going on?”
I lowered myself to a seat across from him. “I need to ask you a question.”
“Go ahead.”
“After seeing me play for Buffalo this season, would you consider making me a Wolf?”
He didn’t hesitate. “Not a chance.”
It was hard to hear, but I knew it was the truth. “Because of the fighting?”
“I don’t mind fighting, but I need to know my players have the discipline to remain in control when they fight. And when I look at you, I see an out-of-control player who does what he wants on the ice with little thought to the consequences or the rest of his team.”
Shame burned in my gut. I didn’t have a response to that. I knew I had shown very little restraint while skating for Buffalo.
“I have discipline.”
“Is that why your team has left and you’re still here?”
“Krista was attacked last night.”
His brow furrowed. “Is she okay?”
“She’s okay, and she’s staying with Mica and Charlie.” Those had been my terms, and I refused to leave until I had accompanied her to their home. She hadn’t protested much, which told me she was scared. Her fear made my gut harden. “I don’t know how to keep her safe. She’s insisting I go back to Buffalo, but how can I do that when she’s still in danger? She won’t come back to Buffalo with me either.”
He sat back in his chair and studied me. “Who attacked her?”
“Her ex, Eduard.”
He looked surprised. “You’re kidding.”
I stared at him with a dead look. “Do you have any idea how I can help her when I’m not here?”
“Talk to Mica. He knows a guy.”
He knows a guy. I imagined Eduard being dragged into some dark alley to have a chat with some guy’s fists. Well, if it couldn’t be me, that was the next best thing.
Mark cocked one eyebrow at me. “I’m not talking about that kind of help. Mica’s friend runs a security firm that deals with… keeping people safe.”
“Do you think Krista would go for that?”
Mark gave a rueful laugh. “That part’s up to you.”
I stood up. I had a flight to catch, and I didn’t want to deal with the consequences of missing it. “Keep your eyes on me. I’m going to show you discipline.”
“We’ll see.”
The disbelief in his tone only made me more determined.
Two days later, I was walking out of practice when my phone rang. It was Krista.
I smiled as I answered. “How are you?”
“Are you kidding me?”
I knew exactly why she was calling, and I had been anticipating her protest. Still, for my own entertainment, I pretended to be obtuse. “Want to elaborate?”
Fire sparked in her tone. “There is a Russian man named Viktor standing at my door, and he refuses to leave. He says you hired him, and that if I have an issue with his presence, I need to take it up with you.”
“He’s a licensed security guard, and he won’t let Eduard get near you.”
“I’m not—”
I interrupted her. “I could always fly home and camp in front of your door. Trust me, I have no problem doing that.”
She fell silent.
“Viktor will allow me to concentrate on my game instead of worrying about you,” I added.
She let out a long sigh. “For the record, I completely object to your interference.”
That had gone better than I had hoped. I tried to keep the smile out of my voice. “Noted.”
“How long do I have to put up with this?”
For as long as it takes to get Eduard behind bars. “Let’s give the police some time to locate Eduard.”
“Fine. Bye.”
“Hold up,” I said, stalling.
“What?”
“Is that it?”
“Is there more?”
“You know, the pricklier you get, the hotter I get.”
She took a moment to digest that. “What happens if I suddenly became super sweet and agreeable?”
“That’s hard to imagine.”
She punched out a laugh. “What are you saying?”
“I guess that I want to get you naked and tie you to the nearest bed.”
Her breath hitched. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“I will now. Let’s review our plans to get you naked.”
I could hear her smile. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Krista
Viktor sat, reading quietly at the end of my island, while I cleaned up the kitchen. My phone, which sat on the island in front of him, rang.
I looked down at the screen and saw Levi’s name come up.
It was the third day in a row I had avoided his calls.
“I’ll call him back later,” I over-explained to Viktor.
Viktor didn’t speak. Instead, he dropped his eyes back to his book.
“He wanted to give up his hockey career so he could come and be here with me.” The words blurted out of me.
Viktor lay his book back down, but he didn’t speak.
“But I wouldn’t let him,” I continued. “The thing is, he’s younger than me, and he could have anyone he wanted. And how will he feel a year from now about having an older, unemployed girlfriend? I’m not going to let him give up his career for me.”
Viktor looked at me, patient but resigned.
“And I know he asked me to go there to live with him, which on some level makes sense, but part of me thinks that if he has some space away from me, his feelings will fade, you know?”
Viktor finally spoke. “You’re testing him.”
I crossed my arms against the sting of his truth. “Maybe.”
“You should test everyone. Trust no one.”
I couldn’t tell if he was agreeing with me or mocking me. “I want him to be sure.”
Viktor blinked at me.
My phone started to ring again. It was Levi.
I don’t know if it was because Viktor was watching, but I answered the phone.
“Hello?”
Levi’s voice rumbled in my ear. “What are you wearing?”
His voice sent a shiver down my spine. Which was why I took such pains to avoid these calls. They made resisting him almost impossible.
Without looking at Viktor, I headed for the privacy of my bedroom. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
He sounded amused. “I really would.”
“I thought you had a game tonight.”
“We do. I’m just heading into the locker room.”
“Good luck.”
“Are you going to watch the game?”
I never missed one of his games. It was
the only time I could see his face. “I’ll think about it.”
The line between us crackled with tension. I felt bad for not encouraging him more, but I was serious about giving Levi a lot of space.
He switched gears. “I think it was Spears.”
I instantly knew what he was referring to. “You think Spears released the video?”
“Who else is left?”
I took a moment to ponder his words. His theory made sense and it bothered me that I hadn’t come to the same conclusion earlier. Spears had squandered his chances with Levi and then thrown a fit when I stepped in. It made sense he would want to destroy any chance I had of representing Levi.
I had been so wrapped up in the other drama in my life that I had missed the obvious. I also knew that if Levi took steps to deal with Spears, it wouldn’t bode well for his career. “Levi, you need to let sleeping dogs lie.”
“You think I’m going to let this go?”
My tone sharpened. “I’m asking you to focus on hockey.”
“I’m not going to let him get away with this.”
“If you try to deal with Spears on your own, it will blow up in your face and you’ll never make it back to Vancouver. I’m telling you: don’t touch this.”
He took his time answering. “Someone needs to make him pay.”
My mind raced as I thought of all the ways I would make Spears pay. I lied to Levi. “No. We both need to focus on putting the past behind us.”
“I should go.” He wasn’t afraid to show he didn’t like my response.
I wanted to tell him that I would be watching him tonight, but instead I only said, “Have a good game.”
Me: Terrance, you free?
Terrance: For a price
Me: I need you to dig up every piece of dirt you have on Scott Spears.
Terrance: Is that the agent in Vegas?
Me: Yes
Terrance: I can be there tonight. Anything in particular you’re looking for?
Me: There was a video of me released to the media
Terrance: We talking about your wedding video?
Me: You saw it?
Terrance: I think the whole world saw it
Me: If Spears was involved in the release of that video, I want proof.
Terrance: Leave it to me.
Two days later, I sat across from Charlie in her living room. In an attempt not to talk about Levi, I focused instead on my sister’s baby and the police investigation against Eduard.
She listened intently. “How’s your mom dealing with all of this?”
I shrugged. “Besides being pissed about the state of her house, she’s completely blocked Eduard from her mind.”
“That’s convenient.”
“The police still haven’t found him.”
Charlie leaned towards me. “You know you’re welcome to come back here and live with us. For as long as you need.”
“Levi hired Viktor.”
“You mentioned that.”
I needed to talk about Levi, to try and sort out the mess his absence was making in my heart.
“He also invited me to live in Buffalo.”
“And?”
“I was tempted.”
“You said no?”
“I can’t be that person.”
“What? A woman in love?”
“No, a washed-up sports agent who lives off her young hockey player boyfriend.”
“You can’t worry about what people think.”
I brushed past her reassurances. “Which is why I need to get back on my feet. I’m officially done feeling sorry for myself.”
She paused, curious. “What does that mean?”
“It means if Levi ever comes back to play for Vancouver, he’s going to be a star, so I need to be successful in my own right.”
“You have my attention.”
“I’ve decided to start another agency. Something more boutique. A luxury sports agency that represents only the best.”
“That sounds exciting.”
I took a deep breath. “Exciting enough to come on board as my partner?”
Charlie froze, and her eyes went wide. “Are you serious?”
“The startup will be rough. I’m not exactly gold in the sports world right now.”
“Yes.”
“We won’t even have an office, and it’s going to be a lot of work.”
“Yes.” She jumped up. “Yes!”
“Really?”
Charlie bent down and threw her arms around me. “I can’t wait. When can we start?”
“I need to take care of something first.” I need to deal with Scott Spears.
“Sounds like something you need my help with.”
I shook my head. “It’s personal.”
“It usually is,” she reasoned. “I want to help.”
I hesitated only a moment, but I knew if we were going to make a partnership work, I had to learn to share the burden. “I’m going to Vegas.”
“Spears,” she breathed.
“You could run point from here.”
She grabbed her notebook. “Let’s talk about how I can help.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Levi
Not fighting was more challenging than I thought it would be. Players were used to me being scrappy, and no one seemed to know what to do when I skated away from even the worst offenses.
Players from all teams seemed determined to pick a fight with me, but no matter how much they goaded me, I refused to engage. I even made it into the highlight reel: a succession of moments when players shoved, hooked, tripped and trash-talked me while I managed to skate away.
Eventually the Buffalo coach pulled me aside. “Everything okay?”
“Yup.”
He nodded, chewing on his words. “You know, you can defend yourself out there.”
“I know.”
He waited. “You’re like a born-again pacifist.”
“I’d rather focus on scoring than hitting.”
He thought about that. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
He nodded again. “Good talk.”
It took five weeks of games before Buffalo headed back to Vancouver. We went straight from the airport to the rink to run a practice. We were just gearing up when one of the assistant coaches stuck his head in the door.
“Ziegler, someone’s here to speak to you.”
“Who?”
He shrugged.
I found Krista standing in the hallway. With my skates on, I towered over her.
She stared at me, but for a moment we didn’t speak.
“You don’t answer your phone nearly enough,” I finally said.
“I’ve been busy.”
I thought about how I was working my ass off to get back to Vancouver, and sometimes I wasn’t even sure she wanted me back. “We still have a deal for September?”
“Yes.”
Her smile was so sweet I looked up and down the hallway, debating how I could get her naked in the next minute.
She interrupted my thoughts. “I came down to tell you that something is going to break in the news, and I wanted you to hear it from me first.”
I had a hate-hate relationship with the media, so her statement made me wary. “What?”
“Spears has been arrested.”
That was not what I expected her to say. “For what?”
“They found enough evidence that he broke into your hotel. They determined that the video of our wedding night was released by him. He’s also been charged with fraud.”
“How did the police find out about Spears?”
She shrugged and looked at the floor. “I had a hunch, and I had some help.”
“You did this?”
She shifted on her feet. “You know, Viktor has proven to be remarkably useful. He can be extremely persuasive at times.”
“How persuasive?”
“You would have been happy.”
That made me smile. “I still want to hur
t Spears.”
She looked up at me, and her beauty made my heart skip. “Harrod Buchnard is about to release a public statement on behalf of the IRC, clearing Mark Ashford and the Wolves of any wrongdoing.”
I stared at her, scarcely breathing. “Are you serious?”
“That doesn’t mean Mark wants you back.” Her eyes traveled over my face.
My mind raced. This was my chance to get back to the one place that felt like home. “Leave Mark to me.”
She started to back away. “I should go. I have a lot to do.”
I grabbed her wrist. “Are you going to be at the game tonight?”
She didn’t even hesitate. “Yes.”
My heart felt suspiciously tight. I nodded. “Can I see you after the game?”
She started to back away. “I think that can be arranged.”
We were only two minutes into our game against Vancouver when the first fight broke out. Things just went downhill from there. The crowd was riled up from the energy on the ice, and they were thirsting for blood as much as the players were.
Brody came at me with everything he had, checking me hard against the boards. Then he deliberately shoved me after the whistle blew, trying to engage with me.
“Not going to happen, Brody,” I stood toe to toe with him.
“Not like you to run scared, Ziegler.”
The crowd, anticipating a fight, started to boo when I skated away from Brody.
I looked up to the boxes and found Mark Ashford standing and watching with his arms crossed. Beside him, Krista also watched, looking less relaxed.
I wouldn’t fight tonight, no matter what happened. My future with Krista depended on it.
As if bolstered by the crowds thirsty for blood, Brody stepped up his game to antagonize me.
He hustled as hard as I did, but most of his plays were questionable, skimming a fine line between being legal and being dirty. He shoved, hooked, tripped and trash-talked me nonstop.
Each time, I skated away.
The game was close, and we were tied three-all when things got rough on the blue line. Another two players were fighting, and the refs were busy managing that fight when Brody skated up to me.