She trails off, but she doesn’t need to finish.
I get it.
My history. The fights. Letting myself be rage baited on the ice last year. The incident with the guy who hit his wife, the one Kai knows about because Beatrice probably told him all about it…
That fucking snake.
Kai isn’t just attacking me; he’s weaponizing my reputation to get to Beatrice. I want to wrap my hands around his scrawny neck and…
Well, it’s going to take more self-control than I’d like to keep from giving him the reaction he’s obviously looking for.
“Okay, well, I’ll get an expert, then,” I say. “Someone who can analyze the file and prove it’s fake. I don’t know where to find?—”
“We already have someone on it,” Keely says. “But it’s going to take time.”
“And the optics are bad rightnow,” the GM cuts in. “They’re damned catastrophic. The league called ten minutes ago, demanding we take action.”
“Whether we like it or not,” Merwood says, “we have no choice but to suspend you, pending a full investigation. You have to leave immediately. You will not travel on the team charter, and you are to have no contact with team personnel aside from Liam, who’s already packed your suitcase and will put you in a car to the airport.”
To the airport…
Holy shit.
It’s all…gone. All of it. Just like that.
At least for the foreseeable future.
And if I can’t find a way to prove that recording is a fake…
As I follow Liam out of the complex, I try to tell myself that Beatrice will talk to whoever she needs to talk to—the police, the press—and straighten this out. But I know how bad people are at agreeing on objective facts and reality these days.
The press, her fans, my fans…they might simply decidenotto believe her. To believe Kai, instead. Because his story is juicier. Or because he’s older. Or because he’s a man.
I’m a man, too, but I’m a man who was caught using his fists to solve his problems. While, as far as the rest of the world is concerned, Kai is as pure as the driven snow. A DUI isn’t great, but it’s not kidnapping or forced imprisonment. It’s not almostkillinghis ex-girlfriend, like what he did with that poor girl in Nebraska.
I realize for the first time that he’s accused me of the crime heactuallycommitted.
Talk about a textbook case of projection…
It’s almost funny, in a dark, twisted way.
But nothing is truly funny right now. Nothing. Ten minutes ago, I was the master of my destiny. I was the future of the franchise, with a chance at MVP honors. Now, I’m a toxic-waste-level liability.
I’ve been outplayed, there’s no doubt about that, but I’m not down for the count. I’m not about to go down like this, not without a fight.
But not with my fists this time…
As soon as I’m alone in the cab on the way to the airport, I text Charlotte and Beatrice in a group text—I know what’s happening, and I’m so fucking sorry. I’m on my way home. Myplane lands at eleven. I’ll be at Charlotte’s as soon as I can, and we’ll tackle this together.
Charlotte texts back almost immediately—Thank God! I would normally tell you to stay and play hockey, but we need you here. I can’t believe how much that message he faked sounds like you.
Exhaling a deeply relieved breath, I type—I know. I’m just glad you know I didn’t say any of that. I would never.
Of course not! I knew it was fake from the jump—Charlotte replies, her faith in me enough to bring grateful tears to my eyes.But it sounds so real, Baylor. It’s just… It’s insane, honestly.
So insane—Beatrice agrees—I’m so sorry, Bay. I would say I can’t believe Kai’s doing this, but I can. But I’m not going to let him get away with it. Laurel and I are already brainstorming a plan to clear both our names, and Charlotte’s going to call in a favor with her media contacts when we’re ready to hit back.
Charlotte seconds—And we’ll hit back hard. We just need to be careful. Strategic. Since not everyone knows what we know about Kai, and we have no way to prove what we know. It will be good to have you here to talk through the variables. Was the Coach upset that you asked to come home early?
