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"Perfect." She grins. "Post it."
Two hours later, everything has settled into a low simmer. What felt like a catastrophe when I woke up this morning now seems like a minor blip on the radar. By the time I get to the rink, no one even mentions the video. My plan is to pretend it never happened. It's not like someone will blow it up on the jumbotron at centre ice.
I get a few knowing looks from the players, and some facilities workers blush when I greet them, but I pretend not to notice and carry on.
When warm-up starts before the game, I feel calm, collected and somewhat normal considering the day I've just had. Fans pile into the building to watch playoff hockey and cheer on their team. The WAG box is full of the usual suspects. The Starlings dip their head in greeting when they float in and take their seats. April can't help but drop some innuendo when she enters, making everyone giggle. Even Colton laughs in the corner, keeping a watchful eye on everyone.
"Good girl." She winks, grabbing a drink from the bar. "Way to work off some tension. Jake and I may need to go for a drive tonight to relieve some stress ourselves!" That gets several chuckles from everyone within earshot, and the tension I've been holding leaves my shoulders.
Everything seems to be under control until Holly's phone rings.
I watch as she listens intently to whoever is on the other end of the call. She nods a few times, mumbling yeses into the phone, finally thanks whoever it is, and then ends the call. My eyes follow her as she walks over to Colton and whispers something in his ear. He nods once and exits the box.
What the actual fuck is going on?
"We need to talk," she whispers with a fake smile, hooking her arm through mine and leading me out of the box towards the elevators. "Payton's here.”
19?
Round Two
Avery
"We are fairly sure Randy is the one who leaked the video, but we are still unsure of how he was able to hack into Ryan's dashcam," Payton explains. She's wearing skinny jeans, a fitted button-down top, and a pair of black Converse. Her ponytail swings behind her as she walks over to me, pulling me in for a quick hug. As always, her steadiness calms me. We're sitting in one of the empty training areas near the locker rooms and I'm about two seconds away from a meltdown. "And, just to be safe, I have a team headed to your apartment to check for any surveillance devices. It's unlikely, but I don't trust Randy as far as I can throw him."
I never even thought of that! Oh god, what if he put a camera in my shower or my bedroom? Randy could have enough footage of Ryan and me to start an Only Fans page. My nerves get the better of me and I start shaking. I can't help it. My body has gone into fight-or-flight mode. It doesn't know how to deal with this much stress.
"I don't understand," I cry, unable to keep the tears at bay. "I get that he wants to scare me and seek revenge, but why would he spy on me? How does this help him? And why is he targeting me? I am not the reason Tyra and Ryan broke up, and I'm not the reason he got caught embezzling money!"
"I don't think he's thinking rationally, Avery," says Holly, rubbing a soothing hand on my back. "The only thing we can do is use the resources we have to try and catch him. Adam did a search and found where the video was first posted. It's a popular gossip site called Social Sinners. Luke and I have had a few nasty articles posted there. It's a trashy gossip column that pays for celebrity scoops. Adam couldn't trace where the payment went, but he found out that the site paid the sender fifty-thousand dollars."
Follow the money. Isn't that what detectives and historians always say?
We already know Randy needs cash to pay for his drug problem, and god knows what else. It only makes sense that he's looking for income sources.
“So, I'm his cash cow?" I say in disbelief. "He's trying to sell pieces of me to the press for cash. I'm surprised he hasn't tried blackmailing me. I work for the richest team in the NHL, dating one of its top salaried players."
"Too risky," Colton interrupts, shaking his head before explaining. "He knows if he tries to contact you directly, he's more likely to get caught."
“So, he's just tormenting me with spy cams and whatever else he can think of to sell to the press?" I blurt out, my voice getting higher as hysteria sets in. This is insane. I can't live like this, looking over my shoulder and wondering if a hidden camera in my bedroom is waiting to capture me in a compromising position.
"He's getting desperate, and desperate people make mistakes. We'll catch him," Colton promises, taking my hand and giving it a squeeze. I struggle to get a hold of my emotions. I'm failing miserably, but I need to keep my shit together so Ryan doesn't needlessly worry when he should be focused on hockey.
Payton's phone buzzes, and I jump; my eyes darting to her pocket like it's going to magically solve all my problems or ruin my life.
"Your apartment came up clean," she reassures me, and I sigh in relief. At least there's that.
"Oh, thank god,"I all but whimper, throwing my arms back around her. I can't help myself but cry a little more. Payton awkwardly pats my back, trying to comfort me. She's never been a touchy-feely type of person. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to cry, but this is a fucking nightmare, Payton!"
"We are going to catch him, Avery. I promise."
I sit in shock as Payton takes down some notes along with Adam's contact information so he can collaborate with the police to see if they can extract any more information from the video's digital fingerprint.
The world has gone topsy-turvy. Outside this room, thousands of fans are laughing, celebrating, and cheering like they have no care in the world, while I feel like my life is coming apart at the seams.
"Don't bullshit us with the generic cop talk, Payton,” Holly says seriously. "Don't give us the 'we're going everything we can' spiel. Tell us the truth. Are you guys any closer to finding Randy and stopping this shit?"
Payton's mouth turns down into a thin line, looking from Holly and then back to me as if trying to decide what to divulge.
