AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Argh! Are you really this annoying, or is it only for my benefit?”
“Annoying?” He repeats with a sly smirk. “And here I thought you came to my house in the middle of the night to sweet-talk me into keepingyourplayer onmyteam. Apparently, I must have been mistaken.”
My back molars grind as I offer him a fake smile. He knows exactly why I’m here and enjoys the idea of having me grovel.
He’s got another thing coming if he expects me to beg.
I don’t beg.
For anything.
But I am willing to compromise if it helps Nathan stay on the team.
“What are you going to do?” I ask, needing to know where his head is at.
“What I should have done a long time ago. Listen to my gut. Wilder is a ticking time bomb, and he’ll only hurt my team’s reputation if he’s not kept in check. I gave you my word that Wilder wouldn’t have any problem with me as long as he kept his nose clean. And from where I’m sitting, one of us dropped the ball for leaving him to his own devices. And it wasn’t me. Now here you are, probably to ask me to give him a second chance when he squandered all the others I’ve given him throughout the years,” Trent explains, his tone is no longer playful but dead serious.
“So that’s it? You’re just going to kick him off the team? Leave him out to dry, completely defenseless against the media circus he’s about to face without his club backing him up?” I ask point blank.
“It’s a very real possibility,” he explains, not sugarcoating the blow in any manner.
“The Guardians are Nate’s life.”
“Then he should have thought of that before getting drunk and beating a man half his size,” he accuses with a snarl.
“I know, Nate. There must be a reason for him to have acted in such a way. He’s not a bully.”
“No, he’s worse. He’s careless. Careless with his image and with his team’s reputation. He’s a problem, Piper. And the only way I know how to deal with problems is to cut them from their root.”
“Even at the risk of your own team’s performance?” I counter back just as passionately. “Because that’s what will happen if you kick him out. No one in the league has one-tenth of Nathan’s talent, so if you fire him, then you’ll have to bring in a replacement.”
“If I recall, Ethan Flynn has been calling my office every day with such a player in mind.”
Fury blinds me at him mentioning that weasel’s name.
I eat the distance between us and lean down until I’m staring him right in the eye.
“You could do that. Sign ‘The Wall’ to The Guardians to fill Nathan’s spot. Definitely an option you could pursue.”
Trent’s lips press together into a thin line as he waits for the punchline. I let him fester a little longer, enjoying seeing the doubt in his moonless eyes a little longer.
“Henri won’t have much of a learning curve, though. He’d have to adapt quickly to the team’s dynamics, which may prove difficult if the other players were to believe that he was the real reason why their brother is no longer with them on the ice. You know how those guys are. They’re a family, through and through. I can tell you right now that the Donovan brothers will not be happy that you kicked their friend off the team and replaced them with a total stranger.”
“They’ll live,” he retorts, his black eyes darkening to pure molten lava.
“They might. You, however, might not.” I smile, hovering over him. “Even if everyone plays nice, it will take Henri months to pick up on the team’s dynamics inside the rink. Months you don’t have if you want to win it all this year. You’ll be killing the Guardians’ chances before your players even put on their skates. And when the Guardians have the shittiest year imaginable, the fans, as well as Rex and the board of governors, will need someone to blame. With Nate gone, there is only one person left to point the finger at—you. Are you so secure in your job role as general manager that you are willing to run that risk?”
When I see the wheels in his head turning, it takes inhuman effort not to squeal in delight.
I got you!
“Wilder needs to be made an example of. The fans won’t be happy if they see us do nothing. Suspension might—”
“No. No suspension.” I shake my head. “Everyone knows that suspension is just code to say that the player’s days on the team are coming to an end.”
“Then what do you suggest I do?” he asks, sounding actually curious about how I would handle the problem.
“If I believed that Nathan was a real problem, then I wouldn’t go to bat for him as I just did. All he needs is guidance. He’s just a bit—”
