The Enforcer (NHL Scorpions)

by Nikki Worrell

  “Hey now,” Lacey said, “I used to have a Harley, and I probably will again, so don’t go picking on my bikes.” Lacey had had a 2006 Fat Boy before she’d bought her car. She sold it mostly because she just didn’t get a chance to ride that much. There were only a few months when it was warm enough for her to ride in Maine. San Diego on the other hand, would be a perfect climate for riding. She’d have to think about that.

  “A Harley chick, eh? Cool. I’ve never even ridden a dirt bike. My entire childhood was all about hockey. When there was no ice outside, we played on indoor rinks.” Jody wasn’t complaining. He had always loved the game, and he was sure he always would. It was in his blood.

  As much as Lacey enjoyed talking to Jody, she really had to get into the shower. Besides that, she was getting cold standing there naked with the air conditioning blowing on her. “Jody, it was nice of you to call, but I have to get in the shower. You caught me right as I was about to put my foot in.” Silence. Did he hang up?

  “Jody? You still there?”

  “Uh huh. So, tell me something.” His voice sounded a little rough. “If you were just about to put your foot into the shower, that means you’re naked? Like standing there with no clothes on, naked?”

  Lacey laughed and said, “Yup. Again, you caught me with no panties on.”

  “Ok, so can I come over?” He was kidding, of course … okay, maybe not.

  Smiling, Lacey said, “No. And I really have to go. Thanks for calling.”

  “Sure. Good luck, Lace. Knock ‘em dead.”

  “Bye Jody.”

  How sweet of him to call. Lacey was running a tad behind now, so she quickly got ready and ran out the door.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Lacey caught a splash of color by her car as she made her way down the stairs. Flowers. Someone had put a beautiful bouquet of flowers on the hood of her car. The note said, “Can’t wait to see you again.” Oh wow, she thought. Not only had he called her to wish her luck, but Jody had left her flowers, too? How sweet.

  Picking them up, she noticed the red roses. Lacey hated roses. Steven used to send them to her by the dozens, after she walked out of their wedding. She couldn’t even stand the smell of them. No matter though. She ripped the roses out and was still left with plenty of pretty flowers. Voila! Now they’re perfect. Buckling her seat belt, she put her car in reverse and backed out of the driveway. She’d call Jody to thank him later.

  The interview went swimmingly. Lacey got the job. She liked Kyle, her new boss, right off the bat and knew they’d work well together. His appearance was a pleasant surprise. When she thought about a CFO, she pictured a serious looking man in a suit. That did not describe Kyle at all. He met her wearing dress jeans and a polo shirt. He was tall and lanky with longish bright blonde hair and a million watt smile. He was just the kind of guy that exuded happiness and positive energy. She was going to start the following Monday, which gave her a whole week to relax. It couldn’t have worked out any better.

  When Lacey got home, she grabbed Zoe in between clients and gave her the good news. “I knew it!” Zoe exclaimed. “You’ll like working for Kyle, he’s a great guy.” Lacey agreed whole heartedly.

  “Guess what else happened today?” Lacey had the flowers behind her back and brought them out with a flourish. “Jody left flowers on my car. How sweet was that? I’m going to call him right now.” The doorbell rang, so Zoe gave Lacey a quick hug and then ran to let her next client in.

  After putting her flowers in some water, Lacey called Jody, but got his voice mail. She left him a message thanking him for the flowers. Right before she hung up, she said, “Oh, I liked the note, too. I can’t wait to see you again either.” Hoping that Jody would call her back, she kept her phone with her for the rest of the day.

  When Jody saw that he had a missed call from Lacey, he had to admit, he was excited. He retrieved the message and couldn’t help the smile that broke out when he heard her voice. His smile quickly faded when he heard what the note on the flowers said, knowing that he wasn’t the one who sent them. Lacey didn’t know many people there yet to his knowledge, so who else would have given them to her? It had better not be one of the other guys on the team. He thought he’d been pretty clear that he’d staked his claim, but really, who else could it be? He’d have to have another chat with the boys.

  Seven o’clock rolled around, and Lacey’s stomach grumbled. She’d skipped dinner, and now she was famished. She walked around the house looking for Zoe to see if she wanted to go out for a bite to eat. When she found her at the front door, Zoe had her back to her. Just by the way she was standing there, Lacey knew that something was wrong.

  “What’s up Zoe?” Zoe turned around holding a dozen red roses and a note card. Roses.

  Lacey whispered, “What does it say?” Zoe just shook her head, walked into the kitchen and angrily threw the roses in the trash. Lacey followed her. “Zoe?”

  “It says, ‘I’ll see you soon,’ and it’s signed with an S. Steven’s here, isn’t he?” Zoe went back to the door and angrily locked it. “He is so pathetic. Why, after all this time, is he here?”

  “That fucking asshole. God, it’s been almost a year. I’m sick of this.” Lacey slapped her hand to her forehead. “Oh crap. I left Jody a message thanking him for the flowers. How embarrassing, I’m sure they were from Steven too.” Lacey wished Steven was right there in front of her. She wanted this over with, once and for all. She couldn’t even understand why he was so obsessed with her now. It had to be a control thing. It was probably the ever so popular ‘boys only want what they can’t have’ syndrome. “I’m done screwing around with him. I’m calling his cell.”

  Just as she started searching for his number (if she even still had it), the doorbell rang again. They both froze. Zoe leaned over the sink to see who was at the door. Putting her hand over her heart she said, “It’s okay. It’s not him; it’s Jody.” With a relieved look on her face, Zoe walked over and opened the door. “Just what the doctor ordered. Come on in. She’s in the kitchen.”

  Giving Zoe a nod, Jody walked into the kitchen. As soon as he walked in, he saw the roses sticking out of the trashcan. She certainly didn’t like those flowers. “Is it safe to assume you figured out that I didn’t give you the flowers?” Lacey just nodded her head. Now that her rush of anger had dissipated, she was more shocked than angry and more than a little creeped out. “You know that bumpy past I mentioned? His name is Steven and he’s here I guess.”

  Lacey opened the freezer, grabbed the Grey Goose and poured herself a glass with a miniscule drop of cranberry juice. “Want some? This story is best with some liquid courage. After I’m done, you won’t want to be giving me skating lessons or anything else. Apparently I still have some baggage.” Jody frowned at her. He seriously doubted there was much she could tell him that would scare him off. Walking over to her, he slipped his arm around her waist, grabbed himself a beer and herded her out to the deck. “I’m not that easy to get rid of Lace. Tell me what’s going on. Can I beat the shit out of him for you? It would be my pleasure …” He’d gladly hurt anyone that put that look on her face.

  Lacey told him what she now referred to as ‘the wedding story.’ She told him she had vowed then that she’d never date someone who traveled and had easy access to lots of women. He sat there shaking his head. “I get it, but please don’t lump me into the same category as that asshole. And he is Lace. He obviously had no idea what he had when he had you.” Taking Lacey’s hand Jody quietly asked, “Did he hit you, Lace?”

  Jody couldn’t help but remember when his sister, Karen, had had an abusive boyfriend. Her ex wound up putting her in the hospital. Jody was playing in Columbus, Ohio at the time. Some protector he was. He’d never forgiven himself for not being there for his sister. He should have seen what kind of man her ex really was. Thankfully, he was killed in a botched robbery attempt before he could do any more damage to her.

  Taking another swig of her drink, Lacey told him no, Ste
ven had never actually hit her. Although with the way Steven had started coming around again right before she left and the nasty messages he left her, she wouldn’t have put it past him. And he did grab her in the driveway the last time she saw him. It was like he was becoming obsessed with her, and she had felt safe having thousands of miles between them. She wasn’t sure if she felt safe with Steven here or not. It was so hard for her to imagine that the man she loved for so long would truly want to hurt her.

  She also told Jody that even though she knew Steven was wrong, there was still a part of her that felt sad because she wasn’t enough. “That’s the problem with emotions. You can’t reason them away. I just felt like I was, I don’t know, less when I saw him in the pool house screwing Jessica, you know? I just wasn’t good enough.”

  Jody stroked her palm with his thumb. He just needed to keep touching her. “You aren’t just ‘good enough’ Lace; you’re too good. He was a fool then, and he’s a fool now for showing up here. Any guy who won’t take ‘no’ for an answer shouldn’t be trusted.” Jody wanted to punch Steven into another century. Sounding harsher than he had a right to, he said, “You need to promise me that you’ll call me when he does finally show his face. I don’t want you to be alone with him.”

  Even though she knew that Jody meant well, it sounded like he was giving her a command which was not the right thing to do. Lacey figured this was his ‘thing.’ She knew he couldn’t be as perfect as he appeared and was beginning to think that being commanding and possessive of what was clearly not yet his was his imperfection.

  “While I appreciate the sentiment, you’re not responsible for me. Nor do I need you to be. I’m a big girl, and I can take care of myself.” She pulled her hand away and took another sip of her drink.

  “Come on Lace, I didn’t mean it like that.” Jody told her about his sister, which made Lacey understand him a little better. After what happened with Karen, Jody became more protective than he already was.

  Lacey said, “I just want to forget about him, you know? I don’t want him to occupy any of my thoughts.”

  Jody stood up, pulling Lacey up with him. “That I can help with.” He took both her hands in his and put them on his chest. Tilting her head back with a finger under her chin, he watched her lick her lips in anticipation. Jody ran his hands up her arms, cupped her face and then proceeded to kiss her senseless. Lacey curled her fingers, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt. So much for him keeping his hands and lips to himself, she thought.

  Keeping a firm hold on her, Jody gently maneuvered Lacey around until her back hit the wall. He moved in closer, until he could nestle his thigh between her legs. When she felt him hardening against her, Lacey made little sounds that drove him mad. He wanted her like he wanted his next breath, and with each swipe of her tongue, he was finding it harder and harder to control himself. He ground his hips into her, making her squirm, trying to get closer still. Even though they were fully clothed, the feeling was exquisite.

  As a distraction he hoped it was working, but Christ, he was behaving like a cave man again. She deserved better than to be mauled on the deck. Some part of Jody’s mind began to function again, and he gently pulled away from her. Breathing hard, he asked, “Did it work?”

  Was he kidding? “Huh?” When he had her against the wall, she thought she might actually come. His lips and tongue, combined with the pressure of his thigh against her, was almost enough to send her over the edge. She was so close and so not done with him yet. Lacey grabbed Jody’s shirt and pushed him back until he sat down on the bench. Still panting, she climbed onto his lap and straddled him. Sliding her fingers into his hair she went right back to his lips. Nipping his bottom lip, she whispered, “I think I need a little more distraction.”

  Groaning, Jody gave up all thoughts of being a gentleman and ran his hands up under her shirt. “Jesus Lace, you’re so soft,” he mumbled against her lips. Just as he was about to hit pay dirt, Zoe came out. He quickly lowered his hands and let out a frustrated groan.

  “Whoops...sorry to interrupt, but Steven’s here.”

  Well, that was one sure fire way to make an erection disappear. Jody walked through the door, pulling Lacey behind him. “I’ll take care of this,” he said.

  Poking him in the back she said, “Oh no you most certainly will not! My ex, my problem. As a matter of fact, you keep yourself hidden. I think it’ll go easier if he doesn’t see you.” The pounding on the front door grew louder and more insistent.

  Zoe winked at Jody. “Guess Lacey’s not so indecisive about you anymore, huh? Now off with you. Don’t worry; she can take care of him.”

  “Come on Baby, open the door for me. I know you’re in there. We need to talk. Please Pookie …” Lacey made a gagging face and went to open the door. Jody made himself scarce and ‘hid’ in the kitchen with Zoe. On his way there, he smacked Lacey’s bottom and whispered, “You call me if you need me, you understand?” She rolled her eyes and said, “Yes, sir.”

  Lacey opened the door and looked at Steven, waiting for old feelings to wash over her. She was relieved to find that there were none. There was nothing but indifference. She wasn’t really even mad at him anymore. That’s when she knew that her heart was not ruined forever. She was over him, and he could never hurt her again. It was a freeing feeling.

  Steven walked in and grabbed her in a fierce hug. Lacey immediately pushed him away and walked over to stand on the far side of the couch to put some space between them. Taking a deep breath, Steven started talking. “Okay Lacey, I deserved that and a lot more. I’m sorry Baby, I truly am. I realize now that I was wrong to fuck Jessie like that. If it wasn’t our wedding day maybe it wouldn’t have been such a big deal, but it was. It was stupid of me to do that.”

  “Not a big deal?” Lacey laughed without humor. “I really didn’t want to know but I have to admit, I’m kind of curious now. How many times did you fuck other girls?”

  Putting his hands out to his sides, palms up, he shrugged. “God, I don’t know, Babe. I travel a lot, I get lonely. What is the big freaking deal? It’s just sex. You’re the only woman I’ve ever made love to. Look, let’s just put this behind us and start over. And if I mess up again, I promise to tell you.”

  Truly laughing now, Lacey responded, “Oh my God, you’re serious. That’s hysterical. No Steven, that’s never going to happen. You and I are over. We have been for a long time now. You need to leave me alone.”

  Steven was starting to get pissed off. Why was she being such a bitch? She was acting totally unreasonable. He walked over to the couch and vaulted over it not giving her a chance to get away. Grabbing her hair, he held her there and kissed her. It was a punishing kiss. She tried to push him off, but he wouldn’t let go of her hair. She kicked him so hard that he stumbled backward, breaking a lamp behind him and falling to the floor. At the same time, Jody came running in with Zoe on his heels.

  “DON’T YOU EVER … TOUCH HER … AGAIN!” Again with the protective thing. Shit. Jody was on Steven before he could even get back up. One hand was fisted in Steven’s shirt and the other was raised and ready to do some serious damage to Steven’s face. Lacey threw herself at Jody grabbing onto his raised fist. “Don’t … Jody, stop!” He looked back at Lacey and dropped Steven back to the floor. That’s all Jody needed before starting the season on a new team. Bad press. She wasn’t going to let that happen.

  Steven sneered at Jody and looked back at Lacey. “So, you got yourself a replacement. That’s what this is all really about. God, you’re a slut.”

  Lacey’s eyes widened, completely baffled by his comment. “What? Me? I met Jody almost a year after I caught you with Jessica. You have some big balls if …” Lacey stopped, shook her head. Why am I still talking to him? “Never mind, it doesn’t matter. Please, just leave. Now.”

  “No, wait. Shit, I’m sorry Lacey. You’re right, none of it matters anyway.” With a huge grin on his face he said, “Listen, I finally made it. My manager got me a huge tour in Europ
e. I’m even going to be playing with the London Symphony. Come with me. Let’s start over.”

  Lacey was beginning to believe that Steven might be bipolar. He was an ass one minute and apologizing and excited the next. That did not make for a stable human being. Having Jody there gave her the courage she needed to get rid of Steven for good. “Okay, Steven. You have to listen to me. Hear me. We’re done. I have no feelings for you. Not love, not even anger … well not much anger. You need to move on with your life. Go to Europe. I wish you luck.”

  Steven looked surprised that she didn’t want to go with him. Was she insane? It was Europe. They could travel all over. Jerking a thumb toward Jody he said, “Lacey, if this is about Muhammad Ali over here, you’re crazy. I’m going to be filthy rich. I could buy you anything you wanted. And remember, I know you.” Giving her what she now considered his sleazy look, he continued, “I know how to make you scream, Baby. Does he?”

  Steven was entirely too sure of himself. Jeez, was he always like that and Lacey just didn’t see it? What an ass. She almost felt embarrassed for him. She was just about to answer him when Jody piped up. He’d had more than enough of this jackass.

  “All right, we’re done here. I know all of Lace’s spots, too, but I prefer her begging, not screaming. And I can almost guarantee you that I can buy and sell you. The NHL pays pretty well.” Steven smirked at that. What a joke...a fucking hockey thug.

  Lacey was done with both of them. She was seriously pissed off at the whole scene. She couldn’t believe Jody implied that they were sleeping together. “Enough! Both of you. This is not a pissing contest. For the last time, Steven, GET … OUT! Jody … I’ll deal with in a minute.” She walked over to Steven, grabbed his arm and escorted him to the door. “Goodbye Steven.”