“You have to eat more than that.”
“You don’t have to take care of me anymore, Oriana.” He moved away from the kitchen counter and cupped her cheek so she wouldn’t be hurt by his words. Still, they had to deal with this. “You know that.”
“But . . .” Her hand went to her bare throat out of habit and her eyes widened, as though she’d expected his collar to be there, as it had been for so long. As it had been the night before. With a lock only he had the key for. Max must have cut it off for her. But why? “Dominik, I still love you. This is . . . hard. I’m still looking for a way to make this work for all of us. But it can’t, can it?”
He tore his gaze away from where her hand rested against her neck. “I would have given you the key, sweetheart. All you had to do was ask.”
“I couldn’t.”
Max might has well have taken those metal cutters to Dominik’s chest. Because he wouldn’t have used them unless Oriana asked him to. He could feel them snapping their razor-edge deep even now. Making raw meat of all the fragile bits within. Like his heart.
“You’ll come tonight, won’t you? I need . . .” Oriana blinked fast as she backed into the counter. “I need you there. Because I still don’t know if I’m doing the right thing.”
“What do you have for you when you go, Oriana? Besides Sloan and Max?”
“The team doctor in Calgary offered me an internship. And if not him, there are sports therapists that talked to me about working with them. Someone must really want Sloan, because I’ve been offered scholarships—”
“You’ll have everything you need.”
“Except the team, and . . .”
And me? He automatically added the words, but he really wasn’t sure she would have said them. Nothing but wishful thinking. Which he should be past at this point. Her little gestures showed him she was still hanging on, but not in a way that would do either of them any good.
“Not ‘buts,’ pet. Put how big this will be for Sloan aside. You won’t have to deal with your father anymore. You’ll be free to live your own life. Don’t let anyone hold you back.”
“You never held me back, Dominik.”
“Yes, I did. Sweetheart, you have something special with Sloan—something I haven’t accepted as well as I should have. I’ve been trying to protect you from him. Negotiating limits that you need to set.” He shook his head. “Sloan resents me, and I can’t really blame him. You’ve been using me as a crutch, and that’s not a relationship.”
“I didn’t mean to—”
“I know you didn’t.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. Fuck, he just wanted to hold her. Tell her he’d fix everything. Except . . . doing that was what had brought them to this. “Oriana, I want you to be happy. You’re not happy here.”
She inhaled roughly, then exhaled, nodding slowly. “You’re right. But it’s not because of you. It’s . . . everything. I need to figure things out. And anyway, nothing’s set in stone yet. We’re just going to explore our options.”
“I know.” I also know you’re not coming back. Not to me. He eased his hands from his pockets, then went to the fridge to grab a bottle of water, doing his best to sound casual when he spoke again. “Give me a call when you’re leaving, okay?”
“But . . .” She came up behind him and put her hand on his forearm. “You’re coming to see us off, right?”
He bent over to kiss her forehead, his tone only a little gruff. He took a big gulp of water. Cleared his throat. “I’ll be there.”
On the porch, the door closed tight behind him, Dominik stood and looked out at the clear blue sky, letting his eyes drift shut as the sun’s rays tipped over the low roofs of the bungalows across the street. The summer warmth caressed him but didn’t touch the cold numbness that made him feel dead inside. He drew in a shaky breath and forced himself to walk down the steps. To unlock his car and get in. His brother, Cameron, was waiting for him. Had come all the way down to Dartmouth because he needed a fresh start.
His timing was perfect.
As he started the engine, a soft rap on the window brought his head up. He opened the door and leaned back. “What is it, Max?”
Max looked toward the house, raking his fingers through his overgrown, beach-boy-blond hair. His bright blue eyes had taken on a shadowy cast. His throat worked as he swallowed. “I just wanted to tell you . . . fuck, man, don’t come tonight. Oriana will understand. This is hard enough for the both of you, and we still don’t know if—”
“I’m coming to say goodbye. Because it will be goodbye, Max. We both know that.”
“It don’t have to be. We could try—” Max cut himself off and shook his head, holding up one hand. “Naw, don’t bother. We’ve tried it all, haven’t we?”
“Yes.”
“Then there’s really nothin’ else to say.” Max’s jaw clenched. His hand shook as he reached out to grip Dominik’s over the steering wheel. “Shit, I didn’t realize it would be this hard. I’m gonna miss you. We had it good for a while.”
“We did.” Dominik turned his hand, fisting it around Max’s. His throat tightened. Nothing would be as hard as saying goodbye to Oriana, but saying goodbye to Max came close. He’d never known a man like him. He grinned as he pictured Max, flopping onto the bed over him before an early morning practice, pulling him into a choke hold, laughing as Dominik snarled and did his best to toss the insanely chipper man over the side of the bed. They’d wrestle until Oriana came in with coffee and pronounced a winner. One morning, when Max had come in, Dominik was already up. On the phone with his sister who was panicking because their older brother, Joshua, was MIA. He was in the Air Force, and his plane had to make an emergency landing in hostile territory.
Oriana’s father wasn’t doing well, so it was Max who had taken the trip home with Dominik, who had sat with him and his mother and sister while they waited for news. He’d been Dominik’s fucking rock, helping him stay strong for the women. And damn it if he had cheered the loudest when the call came to tell them Josh had been found. Alive and well.
Dominik laughed and pulled Max down for a rough, back-slapping hug. “I’m going to miss you, you crazy redneck.”
“Hey, it’s not like we’ll never see each other again!” Max grinned as he straightened. “Just keep the hatin’ on the ice when my new team kicks Cobra ass.”
Dominik chuckled. “Will do. If that happens. But you have to promise me something.”
Max expression changed. Utterly serious, he said, “anything.”
“Take care of her. Make sure she speaks up for herself. She needs more than Sloan is giving her.”
“I will.”
“And take care of you.”
“Right back atcha, man.” Max pressed a sloppy kiss on his cheek, then ducked away from a halfhearted punch. “You hear me though, right? I’m not really gone. Just a call away.”
“I hear you.” But Dominik would never make that call. Because Max needed to speak up for himself, too. He’d stood back too often, letting Dominik say what he couldn’t. He’d matured as a Top, could give Oriana most of what she needed in a scene, but still let Sloan take over far too easily.
They’ll work it out. Let it go.
“Tell Cam I said hi.” Max slapped the side of the car, then took a step back as Dominik pulled out. Through the rearview mirror, Dominik saw Max bow his head, nod once, then head inside. He was a good man. The kind of man Oriana deserved. And knowing Oriana had him made it a little easier for Dominik to buck up and keep going. Because she would be fine as long as she had Max.
We’ll all be fine. The steering wheel creaked as every muscle in Dominik’s body tensed.
Just fine.
* * * *
Muscles pumping, Akira lengthened her strides, a sheen of sweat cooling her flesh as she gasped in the moist salty air that carried the tropical scent of her suntan lotion. Her lungs burned as she pushed herself to the limit, her only concern making sure Jami could keep up. A light touch on her arm s
urprised her, because Jami had been doing well up until now. But her cast had only recently come off.
She must be hurting. I should have—Akira dug in her heels, laughing as Jami tried to pull her into the large gym they’d just passed. “It’s just another mile to the forum, Jami. Don’t be lazy!”
Jami rolled her eyes and jutted her thumb toward the big window. “Dominik’s here. And there’s a few of the other guys too.”
“So?” Akira jabbed her teeth into her bottom lip at Jami’s level look. Akira preferred to use the equipment in the gym at the forum rather than go to a public gym. It didn’t cost anything. And if they were lucky, they’d be the only ones there besides a couple of Ice Girl hopefuls.
“This is the perfect opportunity to get you around people. Of the masculine persuasion.”
No. She could already see all the men inside the gym. Big men, most of them shirtless. A sight that would make most women drool, but all Akira could see was how easily any one of them could overpower her. Her blood turned to liquid ice as she imagined those big hands wrapped around her arms and legs. I can’t—
“There’s only a couple weeks left until the cruise, hon. You need to get used to being around the guys.” Jami dropped her arm over Akira’s shoulders, giving her a little squeeze. “I won’t be with you then. I’m here now. We’ll just pop in for a few and leave the second it gets to be too much.”
It’s already too much! Akira looked down at herself, her tiny, baby blue shorts and white tank top. Showing this much skin was just asking for trouble. Then again, her Ice Girl uniform showed just as much. And she’d be wearing a flimsy little bikini on the boat.
If you’re going to be a chickenshit about this, maybe you should get an office job.
A shudder ran through her. She’d been working part-time in her father’s office when his partners had . . . She cut off the thought, reminding herself that all the prim and proper clothes in the world wouldn’t stop a man from doing whatever he wanted to her. More importantly, she wouldn’t let those men destroy her dreams. If she made the team, she’d win enough money to put toward starting her own figure skating school. If she was chosen as captain of the team, she’d be set. The position came with a $100,000 prize.
No one would vote for a coward.
“All right, since Dominik’s here . . .” Akira hooked her pinky to Jami’s, giving her best friend a wry grin. “You knew he’d be here, didn’t you?”
“I didn’t; I swear.” Jami’s eyes twinkled as she tugged Akira past the automatic doors. “But I did know most of the team comes here to work out off-season.”
“You’re such a pain in the butt.”
Jami smirked. “But you love me anyway, right?”
“Right.” Taking a deep breath, Akira followed Jami to the front desk, shook her head before Jami could pay for them both, and took the money out of the zipper pouch cuff around her wrist. She’d gotten a check from Dominik in her mailbox that morning. Enough to cover food and her share of the rent for the next month. More than enough.
Least I can do is thank him. Akira squared her shoulders, moving away from Jami, clenching her hands by her sides as she made her way across the gym toward where Dominik stood, spotting a man lifting weights. The man’s skin was a few shades darker than Dominik’s, but their features held some kinship. She slowed her pace, her gaze travelling slowly over the man’s ripped abs and thick chest.
Dominik looked up when the stranger muttered something and caught Akira’s eyes. His lips curved into a welcoming smile, which almost got her moving again. She trusted him. She was okay around him, even though they weren’t anywhere close to the friendly hug, two-cheek-kiss stage. Not yet anyway.
But a glance at the stranger had her backtracking. There was something hard in his eyes, and the black cross and chain tattoo just added to his gruff appearance. Then again, tattoos had scared her ever since the men who’d attack her had shed the suits that made them look so tame.
Jami stepped up to her side. Took her hand. “You okay?”
Akira nodded. “Yeah. But maybe we should let them finish—”
“Hey, Jami. Finally got out of that cast, eh?”
Spine stiffening, Akira turned, fear drowned in anger. She pursed her lips as she glanced over at Ford, Jami’s ex-boyfriend. He had some nerve coming to talk to Jami after what he’d done. As far as Akira was concerned, it was his fault Jami had gotten in the accident that had broken her arm. If he’d told her about the man his father had sent after Jami, she wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Wouldn’t have almost been . . .
Raped. Akira’s eyes burned as the word slammed into her skull. She couldn’t say why, but even thinking the word made what had happened to her, and what could have happened to Jami, seem so much worse. The word made her feel powerless. Like there was nothing she could have done to stop it. Her therapist had told her again and again that it wasn’t her fault. That there was nothing she could have done. But Akira refused to believe that, because if she couldn’t have done anything differently, there was nothing she could do to keep it from happening again.
Ford could have—should have—done something. Said something. He hadn’t, and Akira wasn’t sure she’d ever forgive him for that.
Jami, however, had forgiven him the moment he’d brought her baby lovebird, Peanut, back to her. She loved the little bird and had fallen apart when her stalker had taken him. Ford had made himself her hero that day.
While Akira considered all the ways Ford was anything but a hero, Jami hugged the man and let him draw her into a conversation about Peanut. And her arm. And her new job at the forum.
The second Akira felt Ford’s eyes on her, she hugged herself and headed aimlessly toward the back of the gym, desperately needing to be away from him. Before she’d found out how stupid he really was, she’d . . . she’d been interested. The way he talked to her, the way it felt when he’d touched her hand that one time, stirred things inside her she’d thought were dead.
What had happened to Jami killed those feelings. Which was good. She didn’t need a man like Ford in her life.
Not that she’d ever seriously considered letting him in.
Her foot thumped into something heavy and she yelped, hopping as she glared at the stack of weights on the floor. Her eyes teared and she cursed under her breath, dropping hard on the mat to rub her abused toes through her thin running shoe.
A man crouched in front of her. “Akira? You okay? Sorry about that. I tried to warn you, but you didn’t hear me.”
Glancing up, Akira grinned as she recognized Scott Demyan, the Cobra’s notorious bad boy. Strangely enough, he didn’t scare her. He could have any woman he wanted, and he was so out there with his flirting that he didn’t come across as a threat. It was the men who pretended to be all polite in public that had to be watched. Their true form came out when they had you alone. Scott was Scott, and it was refreshing to be around a man who didn’t try to hide who he was.
“I’m okay.” She pushed to her feet, pretending not to notice the hand he held out as she furtively glanced over her shoulder to make sure Jami hadn’t gone too far. Scott might not scare her, but she still didn’t like men touching her. Letting them come too close was an invitation to do more. “A little surprised to see you here though. Everyone talks about how lazy you are.”
Scott snorted. “Well, aren’t you blunt.”
“I’m honest.”
“Honest or not, do you really think I’d look like this if I sat on my ass all day?” He flexed his biceps, then wiggled his eyebrows. “Go ahead and touch. You know you want to.”
Without thinking, Akira giggled and poked Scott’s bicep. It felt good not being scared. And this was why she’d come in here, right? To get comfortable with the players. To convince herself they wouldn’t grab her and hurt her.
Big hands settled on her hips, the hands of a stranger, holding her still. Her lips parted, but she couldn’t scream. The gym disappeared and she saw them again, dragging her into an emp
ty office, tearing at her clothes. Laughing.
“Damn she’s hot, Demyan.” The voice behind her was cold. Bitter. Icy fingertips slid over her stomach. He laughed when she shivered. “Think I might have to steal this bunny away. Fair play and all, right?”
Scott reached for Akira, his tone sharp. “You stupid asshole, let her—”
“Son of a bitch!” Ford yanked the man behind her away before she could get a good look at him. Akira winced as the big black man who’d been with Dominik blocked Ford and caught a fist in the gut. Ford shoved at him, his expression wild. “Get out of my way, Cam.”
“No can do, boss.” Cam’s face split into a satisfied grin as Scott nailed a younger man with a swift fist to the jaw, knocking him on his ass. “I’ll take him out back if you want me to, but I think Demyan’s got this.”
Dominik stepped up behind Akira, putting a hand on her shoulder, his brow creasing as she cringed away. She tried to stay still as her mind caught up with her body. Dominik. This was Dominik and he wouldn’t hurt her. He was speaking, but she couldn’t hear his words. All she could see was the man—little more than a boy actually, on the ground, black curls flattened with sweat, head bowed, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He was big though. Big enough to do damage. And he was getting up . . .
“Akira.” Jami elbowed her way through the crowd, then rushed to Akira, smoothing away the hair clinging to the tears on Akira’s cheeks. Jami’s hands were nice and warm. Her voice reached Akira unlike any other sound around them. “Look at me, sweetie. Are you okay?”
“Fine. I’m fine.” Akira’s teeth chattered and a cold chill spread across her flesh, making her shake so hard that she was sure her bones were frozen inside. They wouldn’t work if she needed to run. And she needed to run. The man was standing. “Let’s go. I want to go, Jami.”
Dominik cut off her view of the scene with his wide chest and pulled a set of keys from his pocket. “Get her to my car, Jami. I’m gonna get this settled.”
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