Page 96 of Line Change

She plays with the buttons on my shirt. “I can’t risk you or anyone else getting hurt or losing their jobs or career.”

I rub her back, peering down at her and thinking about what she said for a few beats. We have to at least try.

“We have to go to the GM with this. Those calls were bad the past few games. I know it, Coach knows it, everyone knows it. Plus, there’s the hit to Hunter the other week, the one to me, the goal on Saturday that wasn’t a goal, and all the other shit that’s been going on.”

“We have no actual proof,” she says quietly. “My father will deny it. Say I’m making it up because I’m pissed at him. He’ll turn it on me and make it my fault.”

“Fucking hell,” I spit out. “He is not winning. Someone has to know something.” I refuse to believe that he’s just going to get away with this. I refuse to let him. Even if it takes all my time and energy, I am not going to let Sutton’s father win.

She shakes her head. “Even if they do, what are the chances they’ll speak up? I’m sure he’s paid off anyone who does know.”

“There’s got to be another way. We’ll go to the GM tomorrow. Bring him the evidence.” Alex Alverez, our team’s General Manager, has to be able to do something. Ask for an investigation. Something. Anything. “Maybe he can talk to the other GMs, see if anyone knows anything.”

“We can try, but it feels so hopeless,” she whispers, fiddling with her rings. “You don’t know what my father is capable of.”

I rub a hand down her back. “I don’t care. No one threatens my wife, my team, my family, and gets away with it. We’ll figure it out.”

“We can try.” She sags against me. “The longer it takes for me to sign those papers, the more risk there is that someone gets hurt, badly, or worse.”

“I know. That’s why we need to talk to the guys and to Mr. Alverez. Maybe even Coach. Your father is not going to win. At the very least, we are not going to let him win easily.”

She’s silent for a few beats before she says, “Thank you, Bash.”

I drop a quick kiss to her forehead. “No need to thank me. I want you and our daughter to be safe.”

She inhales sharply. “What did you say?”

“I want you and our daughter to be safe.” It was a slip of the tongue to say our daughter, but I meant it. I can only hope that she’s alright with me saying it.

“Do you mean it?”

“Of course. I love you, and I love your daughter like she’s mine. I hope that’s okay.”

She takes my hand and lays it on her belly.

“Say it again,” she whispers.

I repeat myself, and my eyes widen at what feels like a kick.

“Was that?” I ask as I stare down at her belly, willing little miss to kick again.

“Yeah.” She grins up at me. “She’s been extremely active today, but she started kicking when she heard you. She knows the sound of her daddy’s voice.”

I blink a few times. Who the hell is cutting onions in here? I draw her closer to me.

“I love you, Sutton Henderson. You two are my whole world. I will do whatever it takes to protect you, both of you. I hope you know that.”

She hugs me back. “I know. I love you so very much. I want the three of us to be a family, to raise our daughter together.”

I wipe my eyes. Now someone really is cutting onions. She shifts to face me, and then she’s kissing me. We get lost in each other for a few seconds before I pull away and lean my forehead against hers.

“It’s late. We should get you to sleep.”

She yawns, moving off my lap. I get to my feet and follow her into our bedroom, my mind going in a million different directions as I try to come up with a way to solve this problem her father has created. Because there’s no way in hell I’m going to let him win. Whatever it takes, I will protect what’s mine at all costs.

Chapter thirty-seven

Sutton