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“You’ve never been more wrong. I’m finished with you, Vivian. I have to put up with your presence because the front office says so, but I do not have to let you anywhere near me.”
“Say whatever you want, Beckett. But if you don’t play ball with me—and I think you know exactly what I mean—the whole world is going to know a lot more about you than you want them to.”
“The fuck are you talking about?”
She smiles again. “Check your phone.”
I stare for a second, hear a ting then pull my phone from my pocket. She’s sent me a private video. I don’t have to hit play. I know exactly what that video is. “You recorded us in bed?”
She has gone full Cheshire cat. “I like watching you fuck, Beck. It makes me wet.” And now, she’s draped all over me, hands in my hair, tits pressed into my chest hard enough I can feel the implants.
I push her away from me. “Hands off, Viv. I’m not kidding.”
“Because you prefer the diner whore?”
“Watch your fucking mouth. I won’t warn you again.”
She shakes her head. “You know, I found her in a trashy diner, wearing a pair of pants tight enough I could see her wet spot when I mentioned your name.”
“I don’t give a fuck if she was dry humping my fucking picture. You watch how you talk about her.”
Fire flashes in her gaze. “No, Beckett—you fucking watchyourself. Not only do I have video, I have pictures, text messages, dick pics you sent me, all saved and ready to go for sale to the highest bidder.” She’s telling the truth. Her usual liar’s twitch is absent. “Don’t try me, or the world is going to see you spanking me while I’m begging you to stop. It’s not Christian Grey sexy, either. Some might even call it a little…alarming.”
I’d forgotten about that night. She’d taken roleplay to a whole other level and I’d been coked up enough to go along. It was her idea, all of it.
And like a fool, I let her play me.
She must see something in my eyes, because her grin widens. “So you will do what I say and we won’t be discussing your little girlfriend again. Am I clear?”
I step closer and shove a finger in her face. “You release any of that shit and I’ll sue you until you’re begging for a cardboard box to live under the fucking Space Needle.”
We stand there for a moment, fangs bared, each of us ready to rip out the other’s throat. Then I have to tear myself away, because if I linger any longer, I’m going to actually do it.
As I stalk toward the locker room, she laughs. The sound makes my blood curdle.
Something tells me this won’t end well.
23
BECK
The locker room is quiet when I walk in and the rink is quiet when I step onto the ice. It’s individual practices today, everyone showing up at their leisure to get workouts in as needed.
There was a time when being on the ice was the only place I ever wanted to be, a time when being here could calm my soul.
Today isn’t that day.
Today, I want to be with Sloan.
I don’t want to run her off, but she has to know by now that I would burn the world down for her. She is everything that matters to me. She’s my family now.
I start skating, running through puck-handling drills in between sprints that leave me dry-heaving from the intensity. Halfway through, I notice Viv chatting animatedly with Coach Walker in the bleachers. I grit my teeth and do the next sprint even faster.
All the exertion helps for a time to get my head on straight. Viv disappearing from her seat helps, too. But I can feel the violentthoughts bubbling back up when I sigh and glide to the exit tunnel.
When I walk off the ice, Coach is waiting for me. He pats my shoulder. “You look good out there, Daniels. I hope you can stay this fired up against the Bulls tomorrow.”
I nod, grunt wordlessly, and walk past him. If he isn’t going to mention whatever bullshit Viv filled his head with, neither am I.
