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Orders? Piper tilted her head at him like he was simple.
“One thousand dollars,” Dodo said firmly.
Jeez. She’d been doing legit tasks for her cousin for that money. He thought it was worth a thousand dollars for her to carry a puck five steps? That she’d betray her family so readily?
Dodo squared off his posture. “Twenty thousand dollars.”
CHAPTER 35
Enough to move out. Piper’s hands grew clammy, and her hold on the box loosened.
Dahlia’s dark-green eyes widened with a mix of shocked emotions.
Ashamed of the momentary thought, her cousin’s unsure expression, and of how confident Dodo looked that she’d take the bribe, Piper retightened her grip. She shook her head.
Willow whimpered and twitched as if she’d walk over and take the puck for $20k.
Dude’s priorities were immeasurably skewed. Piper put her back to Dodo and eyed the dumpster. They were only twenty yards away. With anger and adrenaline, Dahlia could reach that target. She faced her cousin. “If you wind your arm overhead, you should get a wonderful lift.”
Dahlia swung the belt overhead like a rally towel. The lucky puck whistled with each rotation.
Fear streaked across Dodo’s face. “Don’t.”
Dahlia steadied her gaze on the trash. Without a moment’s hesitation, she let the belt fly. The puck sailed high into the air before sinking into the large commercial dumpster with a loud clunk, followed by clanking as it made its way to the bottom of the steel bin that was reeking up the air.
She’d now associate that trash smell with Willow, strawberries no more.
“Dammit.” Dodo ran forward, his arms out. The rail stopped his body’s forward momentum. Dodo slammed his palm on the top bar. The metal reverberated with a hollow cry. “That was my lucky puck.” He turned furious eyes on Dahlia. “My property. You stole it.”
Dahlia said nothing. The wind whipped at her blonde updo, tearing at the strands, and she didn’t defend herself, which was right. She was the victim, and Dodo was doing a classic cheater move, going on the offensive.
“That’s what I saw,” Willow said.
“No one gives a shit what you saw, Willow. Never have, never will.” Yeah, not exactly taking the high road. But Willow hurting her family crossed a different line than when she’d hurt her. Dahlia had done nothing but try and help Willow. She hadn’t deserved to be betrayed.
Willow crossed her arms over her low-cut red top. “You’re fired, you know.”
Duh.
Her cousin still didn’t seem able to say anything. Fine. Dahlia needed time to process. If that’s what she wanted, that’s what she would get.
One of the maintenance workers, dressed in blue coveralls, came up to them as if they weren’t obviously in a tense personal standoff. He held up a twisted bit of hoop with flapping shards of black chiffon. “Found what was jamming the elevator, sir.” He held out the remnants of the puck costume toward Dodo’s chest like a pleased cat bringing his owner a dead mouse. Dodo grabbed the sphere and jerked it like he’d toss the offering to the ground.
Piper edged backward. “We should go.”
They left.
* * *
Thursday night, after the exhibition, Mikah’s family had eaten dinner and interacted like they didn’t have a million underlying problems. Now Friday was here, along with the Snowers’ big game against the Geels. Mikah laced up his skates. He was almost always the first one out into the holding area. Tonight though, there’d be no Piper on the other side of the door, or the tunnel, or his bed.
Coach came into the room carrying a sheet of paper. Never a good sign. “Update from the head office. Dodo’s engagement is off. Willow will be taking over Dahlia’s project management position.”
Yep, he saw that coming.
His teammates stayed silent, putting together the pieces of what that meant.
Rookie checked his phone. “I saw that email. The office suggests we send Willow a welcome present.”
