by Amanda Rose
"See what?" I replied reluctantly. Please don't be about them.
"That band you like never showed up for their concert in Saint Paul. Got caught in a blizzard and missed the whole damn thing." She picked up the magazine and pushed it toward me while I sighed in relief. Thank god. I don't think I could've handled seeing those beautiful assholes today.
As I scanned the article she was showing me, the heating finally kicked in with a groan and a whoosh that ruffled my hair and sent the pages of the magazine fluttering. I slapped my hand down on it to save it from getting knocked off the counter while the heating settled itself back down to less of a gale.
Oh for the love of—
The page I'd stopped it at was a double page spread of the four of them. Slade, Blaze, Drex and Ryder, looking for all purposes like they were on a photoshoot for Vanity Fair. I knew better though—the background behind them was of one of the bars at The Ridge, and the furious set to their jaws was nothing like their usual, careful, photoshoot faces.
"Oh yeah, you hadn't seen that?" Jeanie's voice startled me and made me jump. "Those boys have been all over the rags these past few days. Apparently beat the ever loving crap out of some hotel Santa, but won't say why. Santa isn't pressing charges either, so media is just having a field day with their theories."
"What the fuck?" I muttered, rapidly scanning through the article. It was exactly as she'd said, full of stupid media assumptions and hypotheticals, none of which probably came anywhere near to the truth.
"Yep, them boys have had the paps practically breathing down their necks ever since that got snapped on camera. That fancy ski resort is going to take one helluva suing for allowing them vultures in there in the first place." Jeanie shook her head in disgust. "I thought it was supposed to be one of them media free places? That these rich folk could let their hair down in?"
"It is …" I murmured, speed-reading the article again and still finding nothing to give away what had motivated their fight with Gary … Was it bad that I felt a small surge of excitement at this news though? I mean, the mystery girl that this particular magazine cited as having instigated the fight could have been anyone … but it was rather coincidental …
"Alright, let's get this place set up." Jeanie whipped the magazine out from under me and tidied it into the stack. Probably for the best, or I would've started obsessing.
"You got it, Jeanie." I nodded, and went about my tasks to set the diner up for the day's trade.
The day blurred past in a whirlwind of orders and hot plates and coffee refills, and by the time closing rolled around, I was half-dead on my feet. As the last customer left, I yawned heavily and took off my apron.
"Here, pull yourself up a chair and take a moment, girl," Jeanie ordered, plonking a cup of coffee and a slice of pie down in front of me. "You're a damn hard worker, I'll give you that. I'll be sad to see you go."
"What makes you think I'm going anywhere?" I teased, "Maybe I like it here and you're stuck with me for life?"
Jeanie barked a laugh.
"In this Podunk town in the middle of nowhere, working for minimum wage and shitty tips? Don't make me laugh, girl. No, I think you'll be moving on sooner than you think …" She winked at me and I gave her a frown. Weird old bird. Just then the front door bell chimed and I groaned. Clearly I had forgotten to lock it.
Heavy boots sounded on the floor from behind me and I sighed.
"Sorry, we're closed," I replied, putting my coffee down and leaning over the counter to grab Jeanie's keys that she'd left by the register. "I was just about the lock the do—"
"Mila." The man snapped, and I whipped around to face him. Them. Fuck.
"Slade." I replied coolly after fishing my jaw up off the floor. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Seriously, Mila?" Slade frowned, "You seriously think I would send you a note and money …"
"Clearly," I remarked, clenching my fists and desperately trying not to look at the other guys. The weight of their gazes on me was overwhelming though. Like they were mad. "Like I said, we're closed. There's another diner five miles south of here and they're open all night. I suggest you check them out."
Pushing off my stool, I tried to show them the door but Drex grabbed me by my arm as I pushed past him.
"Blitzen. Please just chill for a bit and hear us out, yeah?" His floppy blonde hair was drooping into his eyes and he had to shake it away before giving me the most perfectly practiced puppy face I'd ever seen.
"Why?" I asked, chewing my lip. "Slade's note was clear, and I think my reply was just as clear. This was a one-time thing on everyone's part, and it's over now. So why are you here?"
"I did not write you that goddamn note!" Slade growled and I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Oh no? Then who did, Slade? Who else knew about our entertaining evening? Or had the exact dollar figure on my invoice to Drex? Or even knew Drex had broken my camera? Huh?" Okay, so I was still a lot more fired up about that fucking note than I'd really let myself admit. Obviously, it'd only been one night of great sex, but they'd fucking gotten to me in that time. I'd let them in, in a way I hadn't allowed myself to do in over six years, and they'd crushed me.
Slade sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"Okay, yes. This looks bad, and I can see how you'd jump to conclusions—"
"Jump to conclusions?" I exclaimed, firing up and stepping closer to jab him in the chest with my finger. "That note held information that no one outside the five of us could've known. Unless you want to try and tell me Gary had cameras set up in your rooms or something?"
It was intended as a sarcastic comment, seeing as it was the only explanation I'd come up with after seven damn days of turning Slade's note over in my head. But it was way too insane to be true.
"Get fucked," I whispered, seeing Slade's face pale and his mouth tighten. "He did not. You're messing with me …" I whipped my head around to look at the other three Winter Wankers. All of them held the exact same look of disgust and regret.
"Babe, maybe we can go somewhere more private to discuss this?" Blaze suggested gently, nodding to the kitchen pass where Jeanie and Benny were clearly listening in on our conversation.
"Um … no, I have to finish here." I shook my head, frowning. What the fuck? Gary was filming … oh god, I might throw up.
"It's fine, Mila girl," Jeanie called out. "We can close up. You go talk to your young men."
Blaze raised his eyebrows at me in a way that clearly said no excuses now, babe, let's go.
"Sure. Um. Sure." I was both babbling and lost for words at the same time. "Let me grab my coat …"
My hands were numb as I pulled on my winter layers and led the guys outside into the snow, and I said nothing as I followed them into their blacked-out SUV which was parked right outside.
"Where to, Mila-elf?" Ryder asked quietly as he slid into the driver's seat, and I pointed in the direction of my shitty motel. It wasn't far, only a five minute walk, so we were there in no time at all.
"This is where you've been living?" Slade demanded, staring around the room in disgust.
"Not everyone can afford penthouses at The Ridge, Slade," I snapped back. His condescending tone helped break through the haze of panic which was suffocating me.
"Not what I meant …" he muttered, then shook his head and sat in one of the dirty looking chairs near the window. The other boys all followed suit, and I took my time removing my coat, scarf and gloves while my mind ran at a million miles per hour.
"So … Gary …" I started, then ran out of words. What the fuck. This was all completely and totally fucked. For them, yes, but for me too … If that footage was released to the media …
A shudder ran through me and I hugged myself.
Fuck.
"Mila, we need you to first understand that the note … it was not from me," Slade implored, sitting forward to try and hold my eye contact. "Gary had the penthouse rigged with cameras and was planning on using the footage to blackmail us.
It's how he learned about your camera, because Drex was talking about buying you a new one even before …"
"Before I convinced you all that having a fiveway with a chick you'd barely met was a good idea?" I finished for him. My voice came out sounding weak and scared, and I realized suddenly I was on the verge of tears. How the hell had my life come to this?
"Hey." Slade reached out and grabbed my hand, tugging me back to him and pulling me into his lap. "There was absolutely no convincing required." He cupped my face with one hand and held my gaze for a long moment. "Do you believe me? That I didn't send that fucking note?"
"Yeah," I squeaked, "I'm sorry for thinking it was you … it just seemed like something the Winter Wankers would do …"
Slade's breath gusted out of him like he'd been holding it, waiting for my answer.
"Thank you. You have no idea how badly it's been killing me this week, thinking of you hating me."
He pulled me closer with the hand on my face and pressed his lips to mine in a sweet, apologetic kiss that I happily reciprocated.
"Okay," I said, a little breathless when we broke apart, "now tell me about what went down with Gary. You guys beat him up? Was this because of the cameras?"
"That fucking gutter troll had it coming," Blaze snarled, and I shifted in Slade's lap to look at him. "We probably would've beat the shit out of him regardless of the bribery. Rapist piece of shit."
"What Blaze is trying to say, Mila-elf," Ryder added, "is that he already had a target on his back after what he tried to do with you that night in the woods. But after we found out he'd been filming us …"
"It was well deserved," Drex finished.
"I see," I murmured, turning this new information over in my head while snuggling back into Slade's warm embrace. "But what about now? Surely he's going to sell those videos to the highest bidder? I know it's probably not terrible for your bad boy image, having sex tapes floating around, but I would really rather our first night together not be aired on TMZ …"
"First night?" Slade murmured in my ear and I slapped him in the leg. Damn if my pussy wasn't clenching and pulsing at the idea of another night with the four of them …
"That's why it took so long for us to get here," Ryder explained. "We wanted to locate his recordings and destroy them before he worked out we were onto him. Your friend actually ended up helping us on that one …"
"Sara?" I frowned. "How?"
"She's got some pretty mad investigative skills. Found his laptop set up in a cupboard and erased all the files while we kept old Gary entertained." Drex had a wild grin as he said this that left me no doubt this entertainment was what left Gary in hospital.
"So, it's done? He has no leverage against you?" It all seemed … too easy? At least for my life. Nothing ever seemed to play out quite that easily for me.
"Um, yes and no." Drex frowned, looking uncomfortable. "He'd already sent a couple of screen captures to someone else. We're still trying to work out who it was that received them, but don't worry. As soon as we do, we'll shut it down."
Ice pooled in my stomach.
"Why would I worry …?"
"They were stills of you … and us …" Slade responded, his arms tightening around my waist like he expected me to run away again.
"Babe, Gary knew who you were all along …" Blaze continued. "The files had your real name on them."
I froze.
"My real name?" I parroted, breathlessly. "I don't know what—"
"Mila-elf, come on. We're not totally dense." Ryder smirked, stretching out on my bed and giving me a look that was halfway smug and halfway … sweet? Kind? Loving?
"It took us a bit, trying to figure out why you looked so familiar …" Slade murmured from behind me, his arms still locked tight around my waist. This time, it was needed. I wanted to run, badly.
"Blaze was the one who worked it out first," Ryder said, rolling his eyes, "which he won't let us forget. Although I suppose it makes sense …"
"What makes sense?" I squeaked. "Why … how …"
"Because I had a pretty big crush on you in your former life," Blaze muttered, and a pink blush stained his cheeks. "We all met you at the Vancouver Winter Olympics … It was our first games and probably your third? Maybe?" I nodded. I couldn't have spoken if I'd tried. "Anyway, we watched you get your gold in partners figure skating and afterwards I asked you out. You said no, of course, because you were already dating… well. You know. Anyway, we were all pretty obsessed with watching your performances so when it all went to shit … ah no offense." He gave me an apologetic smile and I shook my head. I wasn't offended; it really had all gone to shit. "Well, we were pretty sad to see you leave the sport. But then you just … disappeared from the media too …"
"Ah, yeah," I coughed nervously, but Slade's fingers stroked a soothing pattern over the back of my hand. "The press was all just so bad … One day I just kind of lost it. Packed up my shit and disappeared … New name, new life … new look …" I gestured at my hair. In my former life as Caitlin Rose, Australian darling of figure skating and all around good girl, I had been a natural blue-eyed blonde, with a sensible shoulder length haircut that could easily be twisted into a bun for performances.
Now, with my long black and purple ombre look and colored contact lenses, I was different enough to not be recognized. Or so I'd thought.
"If this gets out … if those pictures make it back into the media …" I swallowed the lump of terror in my throat as I ran through the ramifications in my mind. Those weeks of press clawing at my door, unable to leave my house for fear of being harassed … I couldn't go back to that. Not again.
"It wont," Blaze said firmly, and the other guys all nodded.
"We'll make sure it doesn't," Slade assured me, pressing a kiss to the bend of my neck. "But will you tell us what happened back then? Does it have anything to do with how much you disliked us when we met last week?"
"Uh." This time it was my turn to blush. "Yes. I feel really stupid about that all now. I'd been harboring all this blame and anger, when really it wasn't your fault at all. You were just the catalyst so to speak, and then with this bad boy image you were putting out there … you were easy scapegoats."
"We get it," Drex laughed. "No judgements here …"
"Um, it was a combination of things. My parents had just died in a car crash, so I was already struggling a bit from that, and then one night during the X-Games we got invited to a party …" I chewed my lip nervously. Remembering that period of my life was like picking at a scab that had never really healed.
"And by we, you mean …" Ryder prompted.
"Myself, and my boyfriends."
"Plural?" Ryder raised his eyebrows, then I saw it click. "Ah. Your partner and coach."
"Yes, Christian and Scott. We'd been in a committed ménage for going on three years at that point." I gritted my teeth together. It still hurt to say their names.
"Three years? But you must've only been sixteen when it started? Wasn't that like … illegal or something? At least for your coach …" Drex sat forward on the edge of the bed with his chin propped on his hand.
"Sixteen is age of consent in Australia, and Scott was only five years older." I shrugged. "Anyway, that night I went straight back to the hotel and they went to your party. When I woke up in the morning it was to a reporter knocking on my door and asking how heartbroken I was that my boyfriend, Christian, had been caught cheating on me at a party thrown by the Kings of Snow. What they didn't realize though, was that both of my boyfriends had cheated on me at your stupid party." I sucked in a breath, and felt Slade's arms strong around me, reminding me that this shit was in my past. It was done.
"I was fucking ruined. Two men who I'd loved with my whole heart had just betrayed me, so I blew off the rest of the games. Next thing I knew, Christian and Scott had sold my story to the tabloids, talking all about how my parents had forced me into my life of competitive figure skating. They made out as though I was some sort of slave, brought up with t
he sole purpose of winning medals. It hadn't even been a full month since they'd died, and they were getting their names dragged through the mud."
"Shit, Blitz," Drex apologized, "that seriously sucks. I'm sorry for our part in it …"
"It's fine; it really wasn't anything to do with you guys. I just blamed you because they had this … hero worship thing for you all …" I blushed again. "It sounds really stupid now that I'm saying it out loud."
"Not stupid at all," Slade rumbled. "We get it, and we're sorry. Maybe we can start fresh?"
"How so?" I asked curiously, turning my face to look at Slade.
"Drex," he prompted, nodding at the blonde snowboarder, "get the thing."
"The thing?" I repeated as Drex bounded up off my bed and took off out to their car to get the thing. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't both intrigued and a little turned-on. Call it making up for lost time, but I honestly just could not keep my mind out of the gutter where these four were concerned.
Drex came rushing back into my room and deposited a large box, wrapped in Christmas paper, into my lap.
"What … is this?" I wondered aloud, and the boys all beamed.
"Merry Christmas, Mila-elf." Ryder smirked from his position on my bed. "Or should we be calling you Caitlin now?"
"Mila is fine," I clarified. "Caitlin Rose no longer exists."
"Open it, babe," Blaze coaxed, nodding to the box in my lap.
Each of the Kings of Snow watched me eagerly, so I slid my fingers under the sticky tape to free the wrapping paper and reveal what was inside.
"You didn't …" I breathed in awe as I saw the writing on the box. "But … this is way better than my camera."
"We know, love," Slade chuckled into my neck.
"We wanted to get you the absolute best and the dude in the shop almost creamed himself over that one so …" Drex shrugged, then grinned. "Do you like it?"