“There’s not, like, mansion security or someone who’s going to show up and stop us?”
“Hopefully not.”Miles’s crooked smile was not fully reassuring.“Her dad has a driver and a bodyguard with him whenever he’s out.When he’s home, they do perimeter security, but right now, both of them are at the party.They’re counting on passive monitoring, the cameras and alarms.Avery turned off everything she could.Our plan is to distract them enough at the party that they don’t have time to monitor any remaining video surveillance, but that’s why I need to be there.Avery can’t confront her dad loudly enough to keep his attention, let alone the bodyguard’s.”
I turned in a circle again, cataloguing all the shit that needed to be moved, my hand on the envelope in my pocket.A big fight with one of the richest men in Eugene wouldn’t make me popular with the Gryphons’ ownership.Those rich guys all watched each other’s backs.
I could still say no and walk away.
Except I’d walked away from Miles once before and hurt him badly.If Miles had a shot at happiness now, with Avery, I was fucking well going to give him that chance.If it put my career in jeopardy, well, realistically, how many years did I have left?I was never going to make the NHL, so what did it matter if a second-rate ECHL player retired early?I’d help Miles and Avery find their happiness, even if it killed me.“Okay,” I told Miles.“Got it.Go rescue your girl.”
“You’re sure?”He stared at me, and I stood straighter under the intensity of his gaze.
“Positive.”
“God, Logan.I can’t believe… We need to talk, but after, all right?”
“Okay.”My chest ached.I wasn’t sure I could get through a heart-to-heart with Miles about how I’d fucked us up, especially if the goal was for him to forgive me and move on with Avery.But I’d worry about that later.“Come on, give me the info I need and get your hot ass in gear.”I flinched.“Oops, not hot ass.Just you.Let’s go.”
Miles opened his mouth to say something, but his phone chimed and he took a fast look.“Fuck.Okay.”He typed quickly.“I told her I’m on my way.Come on, I’ll show you the gate controls.”
I jogged after him back down the driveway, cursing all my decisions for the last year.
Chapter 4
Miles
I drove to the party on autopilot, my brain replaying everything Logan had said, every tilt of his head and quirk of his full lips.His gray eyes seemed tired, and where he used to wear his hair short, now the ends straggled past his ears without any effort at a style.A year wasn’t long, but he’d seemed older, more worn.Maybe that was the effect of another season at the lowest level of pro hockey, with the toll the sport takes on a guy’s body, and not much success to show for it.Maybe his stress was making that journey alone for the past year.I certainly felt much older than a year ago.
Although I was only assuming Logan was alone.He was a great guy, hot, funny when you got to know him, with those cheekbones, that mouth, the hockey ass, and that kind heart.Logan was the total package, as long as you didn’t ask him to come out.Maybe there was some man in his apartment tonight who’d said, “Yeah, go help out your old buddy who’s in a jam.I know you’ll come home to me.”
That image should’ve made me happy for Logan, but frustration and loss rose to choke me.That could’ve been us, if… if…
I forced my mind away from that hypothetical situation and eased off the gas pedal.
Tonight’s fancy show-off-the-wealthy-people event was some kind of golf charity thing at a clubhouse on the most elite course in town.I parked in the main lot for a fast getaway, rather than letting the valet have my keys, and walked up the hill to the front steps.I’d put on my good slacks and jacket and wrapped a tie around my neck before getting in the car at Winters’ mansion.I probably seemed a little mussed, but my clothes were in the right price range, and when I said I was a guest of Avery Winters, the doorman recognized me.
Inside, a throng of folks a generation older than me, dressed in designer wear, mingled, sipping drinks and chatting.The background murmur of conversation had that typical brittle sound, voices artificially bright, laughter muted and for show.I spotted Avery and her father across the room and headed their way.A waiter interrupted me with a tray, and I took a glass of bubbly, to have something to do with my hands that wasn’t strangling that bigoted old man.
Avery looked miserable, her slim body sheathed in shimmering silk, her shoulders hunched.Her father gripped her elbow with his big hand, and I had the impression of a small bird under the hunter’s grasp, frozen in the overwhelming need to shrink from notice.Avery was lovely, and brilliant, and trapped.No wonder Rachel, a crusader if there ever was one, had fallen so hard for her.
Avery saw me first and her face brightened.“Miles.So glad you could make it.”
“I wouldn’t have missed this.”I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against me, dislodging her father’s grip in the process.“I hope they’re raising great funds for… the charity.”
Winters said, “Some decent silent auction stuff.A signed Tiger Woods program I have my eye on.”
“I’m sure you’ll bid generously,” I replied, in part to tweak him since he prided himself on his sharp business practices and never paying a penny more for something than he had to.
“Of course.”Winters looked me up and down.“You didn’t make much of an effort tonight, did you?Your tie’s crooked.”
“Here.”Avery turned to face me.“I’ll fix it.”
I tried to silently ask how she was, widening my eyes while she tweaked my tie into place.She gave me a little headshake, which I couldn’t decipher beyondnot great.
Winters said, “I want you to sue that man who put out the slander against you.There’s a time to ignore the muck-rakers and social-climbers, but this story’s spreading.It makes Avery look bad.Get a lawyer, get the media articles squashed, and take the bastard to court.He doesn’t look like he can afford representation.I’m sure he’ll back down.Or pay him off, if that’s faster, but make sure you have a solid NDA in place.”
I kept my tone mild.“I’ve found in my long career as a public figure that ignoring bad press is the best route to take.”I was beyond pissed that Jayden had tattled on me to the media.We’d had two dates, two hookups.He wasn’t a bad guy and he was broke, but there was a code of sorts, that you don’t betray your gay fuck-buddies to the straight world.
Maybe he thought he was doing it for Avery’s sake, warning her.Maybe it was just about the money they’d no doubt paid him.Since wehadfucked, or at least sucked, I could hardly threaten legal action, and buying him off would look even more guilty.Fuck this situation.I managed not to glare at Avery.She’d been rescuing herself, and a little mud on my reputation was a small price to pay.I snugged her against my side again instead.
