I got through my shower without being interrupted, though by the time I was pulling on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, I could hear people starting to arrive. I wasn’t usually the person at the arena first, and I didn’t want to answer questions about why, so I grabbed my shit and hurried into the hall, making my way toward the coaches’ hallway.
Ben was the fifth door on the left, and I absently followed the sound of my cane hitting the edge of the wall as I counted them off. I touched the braille on the plaque just to make sure I was at the right spot,then tapped my knuckle on the heavy wood and walked in without waiting for him to invite me.
“I’m at my desk,” he said.
His office had a simple layout—his desk, a table where he had his tactile rink maps, and a single chair with a sagging cushion that desperately needed to be replaced. But the discomfort was familiar, which soothed me as I sat down and leaned my cane against the edge of his desk.
Silence settled—thick, almost tangible.
Then Ben cleared his throat. “Do I need to beat it out of you, or?—”
“Who bought the Glaciers?” I blurted.
Ben was silent for a long, heavy beat. “I’m not supposed to say just yet…”
“Benjamin.”
He groaned. “Fine. But if this gets out, I’ll know it was you, and I’m gonna let him kick your ass.”
I braced myself. I had no idea who it could be, but I didn’t like the anticipation.
“Journey did.”
My heart sank a little. Journey and I were…well. Complicated. We were friends, but he also didn’t really know me, and I wasn’t sure I ever wanted him to.
“That’s good for Alexio, I guess. Firing Noah is going to make their lives a lot easier.”
Ben sighed. “Seems so. Is that what you dragged my happy ass down here for?”
I bared my teeth, grateful he couldn’t see the lie on my face. “Yes.”
“You’re lying.”
Damn it.
I wanted to smack him. Instead, I sat back in my chair and folded my arms over my chest. “There was an incident last night. And the night before that.”
“Incident?” Ben echoed.
“Someone got past security. I—” The words froze in the back of my throat.
When I was silent for too long, I heard Ben sit forward, making his dog jolt with a loud snort. “Micah. What happened?” I could hear it in his tone. He was worried.
I let out a puff of air. “Can you just do me a favor and look into it? A guy came in driving an SUV. I think it’s black. Cadillac,” I added. I didn’t know anything else about it.
“And the guy?”
“Uh. Tall. Wavy hair of some color, a nose, a mouth, two eyes. Skinny?—”
“Micah, not to sound like a dick, but that won’t help the security guard.”
“Fuck. I know. But even if he had described himself to me, he’d lie about it.”
“Did anyone else see him?” Ben asked.
Fuck my fucking life. “Yes,” I told him grudgingly. “Ivan Maximov.” Oh god, they were going to look at the cameras, and whoever was checking up on things was going to see Vanya kissing me. Or not quite kissing me, but very much making it look like he was.
And it was definitely going to look like I wanted it. Because I did.
