They needed to get Silver out of here. Oriana needed to get out of here. She wouldn’t help her father air the dysfunctional Delgado relationship to the press.
“Sloan, bring Oriana home.” Max put his hand on Sloan’s arm. “Please.”
With a sharp nod, Sloan turned his back on her father and came to her, bending down to cup her cheek. “Listen to me. Silver’s probably right. He wants control over you because he thinks he’ll get his hands on your money. Max and Ford will take care of this. I’ll try to get Silver to leave with us.”
Her head throbbed when she inclined it to show she agreed. The tightness in her chest made it hard to get a word out. “Doesn’t he know I don’t have any money?”
“You’re married to Max. He’s pretty well-off.”
“And you.”
“Not officially, but yes, my money is yours.”
“That’s not the point. It’s not really mine. He can’t very well go into your accounts—” Or could he? If he proved she was unable to care for herself, and somehow took her away from Max and Sloan, maybe he could have access to funds as a caregiver.
“Enough, pet. You won’t be found incompetent.” He kissed her softly, rising to take control of the wheelchair. “Silver, there’s another set of elevators at the end of the wing. Come with us, I’ll need you to sit with Oriana while I drive.”
As their brother and Max argued with their father and his lawyers—who had finally joined the conversation—Silver seemed far more interested in being heard than going anywhere. She hissed something at Ford when he tried to propel her away with a firm grip on her shoulders.
Max made the decision very easy for her. “Could you call Asher, sugar? I’m sure he’ll get this straightened out right quick.”
“Consider it done.” Silver tugged the jacket of her pale pink skirt suit straight and glared at their father. “Have fun wasting the little money you have left on lawyer’s fees, old man.”
When Silver spun on her heel and headed for Oriana, their father called out. “You might not believe me, Silver, but I’m trying to do what’s best for my children. Maybe you wouldn’t have had so much trouble after your child’s birth if you’d been with real family.”
Eyes wide, Silver never slowed her stride. She kept pace with Sloan as he rolled Oriana down the hall. Didn’t say a word.
But Oriana’s heart broke for her when she saw the tears spilling down her sister’s cheeks. What her father had tried to pull hurt, but not nearly as much as what he’d already done. Silver had broken free from him a long time ago, but Oriana suspected she’d always hoped to have her daddy one day. He’d had her fooled when he’d given her the team, but he’d hoped to manipulate her.
This was a fresh wound for both of them. One that would be ripped open again and again until they finally got Anthony Delgado out of their lives for good.
Oriana reached out and laced her fingers with Silver’s. The trembling smile her little sister gave her made it a little easier to breathe.
They had each other. And their men. The team was their extended family.
Everything else they would get through. Together.
* * * *
Having Sloan and Oriana out of hearing was comforting, but Max hated that he had to stay here, listening to the crazy old man rather than give his wife the homecoming he’d planned. Maybe it was excessive, but he and Sloan had put together a little party.
Nothing huge, Oriana needed to rest, but she would be happy to see their close friends and family. And maybe that was exactly the distraction she needed after all this.
Unfortunately, he was still supplying roadblock services for her heartless father.
“You are her husband. How could you let the man who abused her leave with her?” Anthony’s lips twisted in disgust. “I had hoped she’d made a decent choice with you, but clearly I was wrong.”
The man wasn’t pulling any punches. At least Oriana didn’t have to hear any more of his nonsense.
Better Delgado aim his venom at Max than his children.
“You have my number, Anthony.” Once, Max would have called the man Mr. Delgado. But he wouldn’t give him that respect. He’d called him “sir” out of habit. Not because he meant it. “Please have your lawyers call me. Oriana needs time to recover.”
Anthony bared his perfect, fake teeth in a sneer. “She will recover in my home where she belongs. I won’t have my daughter manipulated any longer.”
This time, Ford didn’t wait for Max to take the lead. He let out a gruff sound. “Your daughter? When did you decide she was your daughter again? This whole performance shows how little you care for her! Do you think she needs this kind of stress?”
Moving closer and reaching out as though to touch his son’s arm, Anthony sighed when Ford jerked away. “I am so happy that you’ve become close to your sisters, son. But you’re clearly just as misguided as they are. Hopefully, in time, you will see that I’m doing what’s best for you all.”
Ford retreated a step and shook his head. “I became your son when it was convenient for you and the man who raised me. As far as I’m concerned, I have no father.”
“You’re young. You’ll change your mind.” Anthony smiled. “The last name you claimed says it all.” Sympathy filled his eyes. “I was sorry to hear about your old man. He was once a dear friend.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Ford snorted. “You’ve done enough damage for one day. I’m going to see how my sister is doing. Her and Silver are the only good that came out of you being my mom’s sperm donor.”
Ford was done. He strode away in the same direction his sisters and Sloan had gone. Max moved to follow, but one of the lawyers cleared his throat and approached him.
“This is all very unfortunate, but we will, of course, insist on a new caseworker to assess the situation. The evidence against Mr. Callahan is damning, and you would do well to not make yourself an accomplice.” He handed Max a card. “If you decide to do what’s right and testify against him, please call me. We will make sure Oriana gets the best care.”
Max crumpled the card in his fist. “I will make sure she’s taken care of. And strong enough to deal with whatever you throw at her.”
The man shrugged and returned to Anthony. Max didn’t waste any more time on them. He hurried to catch up to Ford.
He found the young man outside, trying to light a cigarette, his hands shaking. After the third try, he snarled and punched the cement wall. Blood ran down his fist and the cigarette hit the dirt. He didn’t react to the pain.
Simply pulled out another smoke.
“You’re a mess. Come on, Ford, I’ve got a kit in my car.” He made sure Ford would follow, then headed to his SUV to grab the first aid kit from his trunk. With Sloan’s temper, he made sure to keep it well stocked. He pulled out a bottle of sterile saline water. “Let me see.”
Holding out his hand, Ford didn’t say a word as Max cleaned, then covered his busted knuckles with practiced ease. Once the adrenaline passed, Ford would be in pain, but nothing appeared to be broken.
At least they were at the perfect place if he’d done more damage.
Ford tried to light his cigarette again and seemed to get more agitated with each failed attempt. Max didn’t approve of him smoking, but this wasn’t the time for a lecture. So he took the lighter and held the flame until the cherry glowed.
“Thanks.” Ford leaned back against the SUV and sighed. “What a fucking mess. Do you think Oriana’s okay? And Silver… Fuck, how could he bring up her kid? I might have had a twisted childhood, but at least I didn’t grow up with him.”
Max wasn’t sure how to reply to that. Ford’s father had died in prison less than a year ago. After having run the Kingsley empire for decades. When Max had first met Ford, he’d thought he was a rich boy playing at being a thug. But he was a product of his upbringing. The Kingsleys were ruthless and Ford had tried to fit in.
It said something about his character that he’d finally broken free
and become a good man who loved his sisters. And their little niece.
“That bastard doesn’t get to take any more of our time than he already has. The doctor approved a small gathering for Oriana, but no longer than a couple of hours.” Max playfully shoved Ford toward the passenger side of the SUV. “Get in. Bower is bringing Amia and Casey. Nothing cheers Oriana up as much as seeing the Cobra brats.”
Ford snorted as he snapped his seat belt. “Yeah, I’m sure she loves you calling them that.”
“Chicklet started it. So, naturally, no one objects.” Max grinned. “Wouldn’t mind a few more added to the brood though. You and Akira—”
Eyes glazed in the distracted look of a man in love, Ford ducked his head and smiled. “Me and Cort are ready, but Akira has plans. She wants her figure skating school set up first so our kid can get the best training as soon as he or she can stand in skates. I hope the kid ain’t into hockey, because Akira has their whole career set out for them.”
“Ah.” Max wasn’t sure what to say. The likelihood of Oriana carrying a child wasn’t good, but he couldn’t imagine trying to plan his son’s or daughter’s life like that.
“Okay, it sounds nuts, but it’s not really that bad. She’s fine with whatever our children want to do, but the minute one is into figure skating? Well, they’ll have the best of everything. Not much different than Cort building a bike from scratch for our son to ride when he’s old enough.”
True. Max glanced over at a red light. “Or your daughter?”
“Hell no. Cort doesn’t want our daughters around bikers.” Ford chuckled. “We’ve had some interesting conversations.”
“And your input?”
Ford’s brow furrowed. He shook his head. “I just want to be a better father than either of mine. If I manage that, I’m good.”
Fair enough. One thing Max was grateful for was that if they ever managed to bring a child into their home, the kid would have his father. And Sloan’s and all kinds of extended family. They would never want for love.
“How goes the adoption?” Ford stared forward, making it clear he’d heard something. “I know you’ve gone to a few agencies, but…”
Yeah. But. “We’ve been turned down several times.”
“You make good money. You have a stable family.” Ford frowned. “What’s the problem?”
“Two gay men can have trouble adopting. Do you think they consider a poly family stable?” Max thought over some of the conversations they’d had with adoption agencies. They’d even been told to lie on the applications. Alone, he and Oriana would have little trouble adopting. But Sloan wouldn’t legally be the father.
Sloan had insisted the legalities were irrelevant since they hadn’t mattered when they’d said their vows. Why now?
Max had resisted the idea, but Oriana went along with what her most alpha Dom wanted. Sloan hadn’t cared who fathered her child, but he wanted to be fully involved. And he might have been able to adopt a child that wasn’t his if Max was the father. Or Max could have been the one signing the papers.
But either one of them having no rights?
The experience in the hospital had been enough to prove Sloan’s point. What if they had a child and one of them couldn’t make important decisions? Which one of them would have to wait until the “right” person was contacted?
Maybe a private adoption would work. They were still looking into their options. Which would be put on hold until Oriana was healthy again.
When they parked in front of the house, he took note of all the familiar cars and smiled. The only people truly important to Oriana who were missing were himself and Ford. Nothing her father had done could ruin all that those who cared for her could give.
He spotted Dominik’s truck and slowed his pace. Max had brought Dominik back in, maybe not all the way, but enough to open doors that had been firmly shut. With Oriana in such a vulnerable state, would it be more difficult for her to remember why it hadn’t worked out between them? Max would accept whatever she wanted, but what about Sloan?
Won’t be an issue. Dominik’s moved on.
Had he? Really?
To be honest, Max wasn’t sure. In a perfect world, friendship would be enough. But if today proved anything, it was how imperfect the world really was.
Chapter Ten
Dominik hadn’t planned to intrude on Oriana’s homecoming, but a text from Sloan had him ditching his plans for the day and swinging by a local bakery for her favorite treats. He’d gotten here about half an hour ago, ready to herd the team out, concerned that a crowd might overwhelm her, but people were calm and Oriana was soaking in recaps of the game from the players.
Becky had stopped by for a short time with Bower and Dean and the little ones, staying just long enough for Oriana to cuddle the little girls. The players stuck around longer because Oriana was asking so many questions, yet, they filed out as soon as she started looking tired. She had food enough for a week or so with all the casseroles the players’ wives brought. Everyone wanted to show their appreciation and support.
And he wasn’t surprised.
Tim had been the heart of the team, but Oriana was a big part of the reason they still had a team at all. It was no secret how much she and her siblings had done to keep the Cobras’ franchise alive.
He chatted a bit with everyone, then prepared to make his exit, giving Oriana one last hug and a kiss on the forehead as Max and Ford joined them. Dominik’s leaving would prompt most of the stragglers to take his lead.
But before he could say anything, Oriana put her hand on his arm. “Could you do me a favor?”
Anything. The word came to his mind, but it didn’t leave his lips. He meant it, and yet, not the same way he once had. So he simply nodded.
“I haven’t heard from Tyler or Chicklet and the guys are saying Zovko is hurt badly. Could you check on him and give Tyler my love?” She bit her lip and shook her head, wincing as though the motion hurt her. “I don’t mean it like—”
“I know what you mean.” Dominik squeezed her hand and stepped back. “I’d planned to stop by at some point today, so it’s not a problem. Just get some rest and get better so you can come watch us play. You won’t be in any condition to deal with the insanity at the Forum until at least the third round. So we have our work cut out for us.”
She smiled. “Yes, you do. And…thank you for being here. For being such an amazing friend.”
Once, the distinction might have hurt. He still expected it to a bit, but they’d reached the point where it felt right. “I always will be, sweetheart.”
On his way out, both Max and Coach Shero caught up with him. The coach gestured that they’d talk outside and slipped out the open door. Max pulled Dominik in for a rough hug.
His tone was low as he spoke. “We good? Fuck, I know this can’t be easy. I keep expecting you to tell me and Sloan to get lost. We have no right to—”
Dominik snorted and put his hand on Max’s shoulder. “I should take offense to you questioning my friendship.” That word was becoming his new mantra. “You’re my teammate and like a brother to me. Everything else is in the past. All I ask is you stop bringing it up.”
“Done.” Max breathed a sigh of relief. “See you in a few hours, man. And thank you for coming.”
Nodding, Dominik said goodbye and made his way out. He was getting uncomfortable with the constant gratitude. Hopefully, this would be the last of it.
Coach Shero was waiting by his truck. “Dominik, I hate to dump this on you at the last minute, but I could use your help. I’ll follow you to the hospital—I apologize, I couldn’t help overhear that you were going, and I need to check on Vanek and Zovko myself. The boy’s listed as a game-time decision.”
“Reasonable, but I don’t see what that has to do with me.” Dominik hoped he sounded more direct than blunt. He needed a nap if he was going to be fresh on the ice. “Do you need me to speak to the men?”
“No, actually, I’m going to need you to host one fo
r a time if you’re willing.” Shero rubbed his hand over his lips, his eyes showing how exhausted he was. Finding a replacement for Zovko couldn’t have been easy. “There’s a young man we’d planned to bring up next season. We’ve been discussing an entry-level contract with his agent for some time. He’s damn good and he could be a game changer.”
There were at least five men on the farm team Shero could be talking about, so Dominik just nodded for him to go on.
“The thing is, he’s got responsibilities that need to be taken care of. They could distract him if not handled carefully. I spent all day yesterday and this morning convincing his agent and his coach we could manage anything he requires. I would have approached Callahan, but clearly, that’s not an option.” Shero looked uncomfortable. “You have a stable home and you’ve roomed with rookies before.”
Ah…is that all? Dominik shrugged. “I have plenty of space. He can stay with me.”
“You may want all the details before you commit.”
“If he’s good enough for you to go to all this trouble, I don’t care about the details. Let’s go see Zovko and Vanek. You can tell me more on the way to the room.” Dominik smiled to soften his words, but he was just eager to get the insanity of the day over with so he could focus on the game. He envied the players with wives whose sole focus during the playoffs was to make sure their men had no distractions. Several of them even sent children to relatives and spent all their time watching what their husbands ate. How much they slept.
All right, he didn’t need anything that extreme, but it would be nice to share some of the burden. To go home to someone who’d listen and then tell him nothing mattered but what he did on the ice.
He pulled onto the street, picturing Sahara doing exactly that. She came from a long line of hockey players. She would understand…
Goal Line (The Dartmouth Cobras Book 7) Page 16