I wave him away and step out of his truck, then look around. We’re not in front of his hockey house. Not near my apartment either. I expected one or the other after we left the restaurant that served us a huge brunch.
We’re in a nice neighborhood a few blocks from campus, close to the stadium.
“I rented this for us,” he says in my ear, wrapping his arms around me from behind.
I eye the white house he directs my attention to, filling with suspicion. It’s nice. Manicured lawn, a covered porch with two rocking chairs on it. The backyard is fenced, from what I can tell.
He opens his hand in front of me, revealing a set of keys.
I take them and let him guide me up the concrete walkway. I unlock the front door and step through, poking around. Still suspicious, maybe, that something’s going to jump out and ruin everything.
It’s been a week since I was released from the hospital. I’ve been hiding away in Greyson’s room at the hockey house, only emerging when he returns from practice to coax me into the kitchen for food. He’s accompanied me to the rented studio, too, although I’ve been dancing without my pointe shoes.
They’re evidence, I guess. Not that I would want them back.
Mia made me dance until my toenails cracked and bled. When the nurse gently slid the shoes off my feet, she cringed. Dried blood stained the satin.
I have to go back to class tomorrow. And next week, the Hawks play in the national tournament finals. They beat the team in the quarter finals, then won again on Friday. Saturday, we head to Boston to face a team they’ve already played—the Pac North Wolves. One of the first games I went to, actually. Greyson says they’ve had a major improvement over the season and they’ll be harder to beat than they were.
Anyway, this is real life, and I need to get back to it.
Mia was arrested. She’s sitting in county jail, and Grey’s dad has told us that they’re transferring her to Virginia—where she was born and raised, I guess. He kept his word and pulled some strings. He also told the judge of her threat against his son, and the judge was more than happy to withhold bail.
I will have to testify at some point. Face her again.
“You with me?” Grey asks.
I refocus on him and force a smile. “Yep.”
He holds out his hand. I take it and let him show me the house. It’s small, a perfect size for just the two of us. A kitchen with a window into a living and dining room. A bedroom and bathroom tucked out of the way. Stairs lead up to a big bedroom and bathroom on the second floor. It’s bright and airy.
“Do you like it?”
I nod, releasing him to run my hands over the kitchen counters, the walls. I turn on the faucet just for the hell of it, wetting my fingers before I shut it off and wipe them dry on my pants. I let out a laugh.
“You mean we don’t have to worry about anyone overhearing us?” I ask.
He smirks.
My smile slowly fades. “I have something to ask you.”
His expression turns serious, too. “You can ask. You don’t have to preface it with a warning.”
“Okay.”
He waits. When I remain silent, he stalks forward and smoothly lifts me onto the counter. I part my knees, letting him get closer, and loop my arms around his neck.
“Vi,” he urges. “I might die of curiosity.”
He knows that Mia threatened his life. He knows his father came to the hospital and his guarantee of her prosecution was the only reason I confessed.
But he doesn’t know what Mia told me.
“Jack’s the one who broke into my room,” I admit. “And I think he had something to do with the articles about you. Or at least my portion of them.”
Grey’s gaze shutters, and then he meets my eyes again. “That’s not a question.”
I grip the back of his neck. “I know you took care of it last time.”
“Still not a question.”
“I figure you might strike back again. With this new information. And… I want to be there. Will you let me?”
“You’re asking to come along with me?” The corner of his lips turn up. “You want to watch me break his other leg, Violent? Or maybe you want to break it yourself?”
He doesn’t wait for an answer. He presses his lips to mine.
My eyes close, and I hold him tightly. I let my mind go with his kiss, wiping the slate clean. His hand moves up my front, his index finger finding the scabbed cut on my breast. He pulls my shirt down and breaks the kiss to look down at it.
“We’re connected, you and I. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
I nod.
“If Mia Germain ever gets out, I’m going to kill her.” He catches my lips again, nipping me before retreating again. “That’s a fucking promise.”
“I believe you.”
He brightens. “Good. Now, let me show you how I really feel about you…”
59
GREYSON
We win by one. My one.
The buzzer sounds, and suddenly my teammates are rushing onto the ice. They slam into me, jumping up and down. Celebrating. It echoes in my ears, mixing with the roar of approval from the crowd.
I automatically search the crowd and find Violet pressed against the glass with a huge smile. She’s surrounded by a sea of blue and silver. I point at her, and she pretends to catch it. I’m pulled away before our exchange can continue.
The next hour is a blur. There’s an award ceremony, where the national tournament officials bring out a trophy. And then Coach Roake names me most valuable player. I stare at him, a little bit in disbelief, until Knox prods me forward to accept it.
The crowd is still cheering, the lights dim, and a spotlight is on us.
Insane.
It’s one of those dream-come-true things.
“And we’re only juniors,” Knox says, hooking his arm around my neck. “Just think about next year’s potential.”
I grin at him. Knox, Steele, and I will be seniors next year. Miles will be a junior. Jacob and Erik are moving on, but I’ll be honest—I’m not close enough with them to care. It feels right to be here, to solidify this as my family.
The place I belong.
We go into the locker room, still riding a high, and Erik calls out that we’re celebrating at a club. Apparently, he has connections in Boston, and the owner is letting us in—even though we’re not all twenty-one.
I change into my street clothes, the button-down shirt and slacks we all arrived in, and stuff the rest of my shit into my duffle bag. We drop off our bags in our hotel rooms. We spill out of the elevator into the lobby. We crammed too many of us in there, but none of us gave a shit.
My phone goes off.
Vi
I see you
I whip around, trying to find her. There’s too many people, but then she stands out. My eyes are drawn to her like magnets. She comes through the crowd in my jersey, and my cock instantly twitches at the sight of her. An image of fucking her in that jersey and nothing else comes to mind, and I have to banish that thought before I ignore the club and drag her back upstairs.
A quickie wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.
“Hey, MVP,” she greets me.
I wrap my arms around her, pressing my body to hers. Her eyes widen slightly at the feel of my erection, and I laugh. I feel… I don’t know. Lighter than a fucking feather.