Nik says, “My parents died when I was young, Liam. I’d have given anything to have them back for a very long time. I can understand why you wouldn’t walk away.”
There’s a long silence, and then our food comes. It takes up the whole table, all of the plates of food, and we all dig in.
“When did the harassment start?” Dom asks after a few minutes.
I wipe my mouth with a napkin, chewing slowly before answering. “About a year ago. My dad jumped off a bridge. The Brownings showed up at his funeral.”
Nik mutters something low and sharp in Russian.
Dominic agrees with a smirk. “Yeah. They’re dirty, greedy bastards.”
“Yes,” I say. “They told me my father owed them millions. Said it was too much to write off. Claimed that since I was his NHL-famous son, I must be swimming in cash. Told me to pay up and they’d ‘make it go away.’”
Dominic frowns. “And you told them to fuck off?”
“Of course,” I say. “Next day, they’re at my door. Said they’d cut me a deal—one million in cash and they’d disappear. I told them to fuck off again and slammed the door in their faces. Not paying a debt that isn’t mine. And even if I wanted to, I didn’t have it. Can’t squeeze blood from a stone.”
“Persistent little devils,” Dominic comments.
“Oh, that’s not the half of it,” I say, shoveling eggs into my mouth. “They followed me, roughed me up, fucked up my house. It never ends.” I gesture to my still-bruised face. “Obviously.”
“Sounds like the Brownings,” Dominic says with a scoff. “Bottom-feeding bastards.”
“Oh, I know,” I say. “I did some research. They prey on people like my dad. People who have an addiction, people who will keepcoming back, keep digging holes for themselves. Vulnerable people. It’s sickening.”
“I’d love to run them straight out of town,” Dom says. “Right back to the other side of the rainbow.”
Nik takes a slow breath, sits back, and exhales slowly. “I’ll have someone keep an eye on your house. They can tell the Brownings to move along if they try to camp out.”
“Really?” I ask, half-skeptical. “And they’ll actually care what your guys say?”
Nik laughs, but it’s not a humorous sound. It’s dark and full of threats. “Oh, they’ll care.”
I blink, realizing again that I have no idea who I’m really sitting with. I think about asking, but decide it’s better not to.
“I’m also going to set you up with a few meetings. I know a good agent. Sounds like you could use one. And a financial adviser.”
“Oh, I don’t really need any financial advice,” I say.
He chuckles. “You will. It will help to have someone you trust on your side.”
I nod. “Thanks.”
Dom elbows me, grinning. “Told you, big guy—we’ve got you.”
And for some reason, I actually believe him.
11
EMMA
“Where didyousleep Friday night?”I ask my sister who’s making a smoothie.
I was not surprised when she texted Saturday morning saying she’d be home in time to watch Laddie before my shift.
She’s been saying for weeks that sheneedsto get laid, and honestly, good for her. I just haven’t had a chance to ask how it went.
“I didn’t sleep,” she says as she pours the mixture of fruits, vegetables, and yogurt into a big, plastic tumbler. She turns and wiggles her eyebrows at me.
