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“They’re not the sort of people you want to fuck with, King. Trust me on that,” he says, and turns around to slap one of the pucks into the net.
I might not be able to go up there and rip that guy’s arm off my girl right this second, but I can take my frustration, anger, whatever the fuck it is I’m feeling out on the ice. My stick rises up and I swing, hitting the puck as hard as I can. It doesn’t go anywhere near the net. Instead, I send it flying right into the plexiglass. It bounces off and comes straight back at me. I lift my gloved hand and catch it before dropping the puck back to the ground and hitting it as hard as I can again.
“You good, King?” Jameson asks.
“Never been fucking better,” I grind out while swinging at another puck on the ice.
“King, get over here now,” one of the coaches, the one who still hates me, yells out from the bench.
I skate in his direction, really hoping he doesn’t say anything to piss me the fuck off. Tonight is not the night. When I get over to the side, I find Mr. Monroe standing next to the coach with his hands in his pockets. “Coach. Sir.” I nod to Aliyah’s dad.
“King, what the fuck crawled up your ass?” the coach asks.
“Nothing, Coach,” I say, avoiding looking behind me to where Aliyah is up in that box with her so-calledfriends.
“Give us a minute,” Mr. Monroe says to my coach while gesturing for me to stay. Coach looks between us before he grumbles something and walks away. Mr. Monroe waits for him to be out of earshot, then turns back to me. “I respect that you didn’t lie to me. But don’t confuse that respect with approval. You want to date my daughter? Prove that you’re worthy of it. Fuck up once, and I’ll be waiting. Because if you hurt her, I won’t just hurt you, King. I’ll fucking destroy you.”
“Yes, sir.”
“That anger, that jealousy you’re feeling right now. Deal with it on the ice and leave it there. A little word of advice? Aliyah is stubborn and strong willed. She doesn’t take well to being told what to do.”
“I’m aware,” I say.
“Good. Now, do me a favor and win tonight. Those Valentinos are way too fucking cocky and put five hundred grand on the Bobcats to win.”
My eyes bug out of my head. Who the fuck bets five hundred grand on a hockey game?
“I’ll win because that’s what you pay me to do, sir, and no other reason,” I say. But what I’m really thinking is thatI’ll do anything to make those assholes lose their money.
ChapterTwenty-Nine
I’m sitting next to Romeo Valentino, getting ready to watch the game. His family owns the box with probably the best view of the ice. My dad and his dad have been associates for as long as I can remember. They do business together. Romeo and I have always had a good friendship, although it’s his wife who I adore the most. I just won’t ever admit that to him.
“I really wish you would have brought Livvy tonight. How did I end up the only girl in here with you lot?” I ask him.
“Pfft, do you know how many women would kill to trade spots with you and be at the center of this Valentino sandwich?” This comes from Romeo’s older brother, Matteo.
“Please do tell, Tao?” Matteo’s wife Savvy enters the room, looking less than pleased by his comment.
“It’s a hypothetical, babe. I’d never let it happen. But you can’t deny the truth. I mean, look at me.” He waves a hand down his body.
Savvy rolls her eyes at her husband’s antics, and I just laugh and return my attention to the game. I’m used to their bullshit.
“Wanna make it interesting?” Luca, Romeo’s twin, asks me.
“Make what interesting?” I say.
“The game? A shot for every time your brother gets knocked on his ass.” He holds up a bottle of gin.
“Pass. And, really, have you not seen Gray play? He does the knocking,” I scoff.
“You know you’re rooting for the losing team anyway. The Bobcats are going to win,” Luca says.
“In your dreams maybe.” I chuckle, staring down at the ice as the players take position. Something’s up with Liam. I watched him during warm-ups and he seemed off. Not just off. Butpissedoff. Then I watched again as Coach Malcom and my father had a talk with him. I want to go down there and find out what’s wrong, but I know I can’t.
“Does Grayson know?” Theo, the oldest of the four, steps up next to where I’m standing by the glass.
“Know what?”
