Finally, the bell over the door chimes again.
My head snaps up.
Denton fills the doorway, snow dusting the shoulders of his dark coat. His face is a mask – unreadable, grim, jaw set in a hard line.
“Denton,” I breathe, the word escaping on a ragged whisper. That tiny flicker of hope flares, desperate and fragile, against the vast, cold darkness of the eviction notice. He has to fix this.
Chapter 28
Denton
My gaze sweeps the bakery, instantly finding her. She looks… shattered. Like a dropped fragile ornament. Her shoulders are curled inwards, arms wrapped tight around herself like she’s barely holding the pieces together.
“Holly.” My voice comes out weird, tight with the adrenaline still pumping from her call, from the drive through the snow, fromseeingher like this.
Her head snaps up. Her eyes, wide and red-rimmed, meet mine. For a second, desperate relief floods her face.
“Denton.” Her voice is raw. She points a trembling finger towards the document next to her.
My gaze follows. Official-looking papers. The top sheet screams at me in bold, black type:FINAL NOTICE: EVICTION.
Taviani’s slick, predatory face flashes in my mind. He wasn’t bluffing.
My jaw clenches so hard my teeth ache. The familiar, icy surge of protective fury rises, hot and immediate.I’ll destroy him.
I take a step towards her, my hand reaching out instinctively. “Holly, look at me.”
She flinches. Like my touch might burn. The raw hope in her eyes flickers, dimmed by a fresh wave of tears.
“He… he did it,” she whispers, her voice breaking. “He… evicted me. December 26th.”
She swallows hard, staring down at the papers as if they’re venomous snakes. “You said… you said you’d handle it.” The words aren’t an accusation – they’re a broken plea.
The icy fury inside me splinters. Because beneath the rage at Taviani, beneath the desperate need to fix this for her, another current surges. The voice that’s been whispering in my ear since Paul’s call last night.Security. Stability. Tabby.
The image Paul painted – Tabby in a sunny park, safe schools, a house we own, no more contract-year stress,security– shimmers like a mirage. Tangible. Achievable. A clean break. A power play that guarantees a win. For Tabby.
Then I look at Holly. At the devastation etched on her face. She’s clinging tomeas her lifeline. And what am I? A defenseman facing a five-on-three penalty kill with no goalie. Outmatched. Outmaneuvered. Taviani holds all the cards.
“I had a meeting with Taviani yesterday,” I say, my voice flat, detached.
Holly stares at me, her tears momentarily stalled. “What did he say?”
“He made it clear.” I keep my gaze fixed on hers, forcing myself to hold it. “He seesusas leverage. He threatened to make you look like you’re using me for the publicity. To make me look like I’m using my status to threaten a legitimate business. It’s a PR nightmare waiting to happen. For the league. For both of us.”
I see the moment the implication sinks in. The fragile hope in her eyes flickers and dies. Replaced by a dawning horror.“So… so he wins?” Her voice is barely a whisper. “Just like that? Because he threatened bad press?”
“It’s not just the press, Holly.” The words feel like shards of glass in my throat. I force them out anyway. “It’s the fight. The legal battle to stop this eviction… it’ll be brutal.”
I shake my head, the movement stiff. “Taviani has the resources and the city’s approval for his project. The law, twisted as it is, is on his side. Fighting him… it’s a huge gamble. And a long shot.”
I pause, the next words forming like ice on my tongue. “I can’t do that to Tabby. She’s been through too much.”
She straightens slightly on the stool, her arms tightening around herself again. “Tabby? What does that… Denton, what are you saying?”
“My agent called,” I say, the words clipped, like I’m reading a stat sheet. “The San Francisco Gold has made me an offer.” I meet her bewildered gaze. “Four years. Top-tier salary. Massive signing bonus. A leadership role.”
“It’s a fresh start. Sunshine. Great schools. No more Chicago winters.”
