“Because, because shechangedit.”
“No, she didn’t,” Jonathan said.“And I’m sure of that because I was her legal counsel at the time, which is why I’m representing Millie now.”He leaned forward.“You committed fraud, lied to your only child, and used her money to try to coerce her into a life she never wanted.In exchange for the money and properties and businesses you bought using her funds, we won’t press criminal charges.”
Trent sat back in his chair, mouth gaping.Clearly he’d believed Chasten was the wealthy one—the holder of the cards—not me.I tried to squelch the satisfaction rolling through me as he turned paler and began to sweat.
Okay, I didn’t try very hard—at all, really.Trent deserved to sweat and worry after telling me he’d keep me locked in the house, where a woman belonged, while he went out and lived his life.Misogynist scum.
Luka settled our clasped hands on his thigh.I rubbed my thumb along his muscle enjoying the flex under my caress.
“That’s preposterous,” my father—no,Chastenexclaimed.His face was a mottled, deep red.
Luka shifted his hand, and his engagement ring rubbed against my finger, causing me to smile.
“You think this is funny?”Chasten snarled.
I wondered if he might have a heart attack or a stroke.That would be…sad.Yes, I’d feel bad if my father, my only blood relative besides Bree, was gone.But I wouldn’t miss him.I couldn’t.He’d never really been a part of my life.
I cleared my throat.“No, what you did to me—what you tried to do—isn’t funny at all.But I do guess I’ll get the last laugh, because despite your awfulness, I found Luka, and I have a beautiful daughter.A family.Something you’ve never achieved.”
Andre Castinelli smirked at me, and Luka squeezed my hand a little harder.I knew he was struggling to let me handle this my way.No doubt he wanted to shove his fist through Chasten’s teeth.
“What are you going to do with my holdings—should you manage to weasel them away from me?”he asked.
I shrugged.“Nothing.”
Both he and Trent seemed to relax at that, and I let them.I wouldn’t do anything with those companies.People counted on them for their livelihood, and I wouldn’t disrupt their lives.I would fire Chasten and Trent, of course, and if they hadn’t had egos the size of Texas, they would have figured that out already.
Sometimes others’ entitlement really paid off.
Chapter17
Luka
The next morning, after the team’s morning skate, I sat down in the chair in Coach’s office—his fancy management office located in the Wildcatters’ executive suite.This space was even nicer than the office at the arena.The chair supported me with sumptuous cushions made of some fine, soft material.Coach’s desk was an eclectic mix of wood and glass and metal—a sculpture in its own right.Thick carpet muffled his footsteps as he rounded the desk to sit in the chair behind it.
I couldn’t help feeling as if I was the peasant, and Silas Whittaker was the judge, jury, and probable executioner of my future.I reminded myself that Millie and Bree were at my condo.They were myhome, not a city or even the walls that housed us.Wherever the three of us weretogether, I could flourish.
“This is really a formality, but I prefer to meet with my players face to face.”
I clenched my hands where they lay on my thighs.
“Gunnar will be here shortly, as he has a few things he wanted to say to you, too.”
I dipped my head, unwilling to open my mouth.I might as well have swallowed nails.Leaving Cruz, my unexpected best friend and, yeah, my brother—I loved that scary-ass son of a gun—not to mention Cormac, who’d overcome so much to earn that sheen of perfection.Then there were Naese and Maxim.The guys had been more of a family to me than my parents ever were.How was I going to do it?
“I don’t think we have to wait for him on all of this, though,” Coach continued.“I sent the details to your agent before you came in.We wanted to get ahead of your contract negotiations during the next off-season, Luka.We don’t want to wait.We consider you one of the Wildcatters most valuable core members, and we’re offering you a five-year extension with a nice pay bump.I hope you’ll consider what we’re doing here and how we want you to fit into that plan, because I’m almost positive Colorado’s going to beat our offer.”Coach’s nostrils flared and his lips pinched.Everyone knew Coach was the most competitive of us all.He hated losing anything, ever, including a bidding war.
I swallowed as his words sank in.“You want to keep me?”
Coach smiled and tilted his head.“You thought otherwise?”
“Well, yeah, I wasn’t sure you’d see me as a good fit after all the drama.”
“Do you know what I’ve witnessed this past season?”Coach asked.His gaze remained direct, his hands folded on top of his desk.His nails were short and neat, his hands now smoother than any player’s.But if you looked closely, he still had the nicks and scars of a former player.That was another reason I respected Coach so much.He’d sweat and bled and stressed over the game just like the rest of us.
I shook my head, a knot of barbed wire bobbing in my throat.
“I’ve watched you go from unfocused and sometimes lazy—using your talent and athleticism to skate by—to a man who’s dedicated and focused.One who prioritizes his family and has the other younger players turn to him when they have questions about growth.”
