He laughs with too much ego and not enough sense. It’s the hearty ha-ha-ha you can only let loose when you think you’re invincible.
It will come back to bite him, though. I’m surer of what I have to do than ever.
“You’re entirely predictable, Garbage Man,” Holland says lightly. “I’m not sorry to say, that’ll be your downfall.”
This asshole.He’s so fucking cocky, but I’d rather be a garbage man than a gofer for the elites. I’d rather bedeadthan be him.
And soon, he’ll realize just how willing I am to prove it.
“How about you worry about your own shit, goferboy,” I reply.
“Oh, but I am.” His gaze flicks back to mine. “That’s kind of the problem.” He steps closer to me. It’s not enough to provoke, but it’s just enough to encroach on my space.
Kane and Cal both crowd my back, ready to set a whole fucking explosion in motion if they have to. Evan and Mark do the same behind Holland.
“I know what you’re doing. I know what you’re trying to do. And you know better than this,Rook,” he says quietly. “Don’t get attached to her.”
I don’t move, but my jaw is pure steel. “Say her name.”
He doesn’t. That’s deliberate too.
“That blood…” Holland continues, voice low, smooth. “It’s not for you, and you know it. Step aside.”
“Over my dead body,” I declare.
Holland’s smile is foretelling. “That can be arranged.”
“You have no ownership rights, and you know it. To any of them. And the time for you and your masters to do whatever the fuck you want is running out.”
Holland chuckles. “Clearly, I need to remind you how things work.” He steps even closer to me. “Walk away from her, or pay the price.”
Walking away isn’t an option.She is mine.
“You know, Holland, things work until they don’t work anymore. Something tells me we’re right on the cusp of you finding that out.”
His eyes flash. “Careful, Slater.”
“Careful what?”
He shakes his head, smiling again and disengaging by taking a step back. “It doesn’t matter. After tomorrow, she won’t be your concern.”
That isn’t a threat; it’s apromise.
He straightens and claps his hands once. “Come on, boys. Let’s get out of here before we start smelling like fuckingtrash.”
Cal waits a beat before following them out of the locker room and into the parking lot tolisten, and Kane stays back to calm me.
“You all right?” he asks, trying to push me back to the bench to sit down, but I muscle past him instead.
“Rook. Hey. Rook, where are you going?”
I’m shirtless, still in half of my gear and my feet only covered by a pair of fucking socks, but I don’t give a shit. There’s only one place I need to be, and I need to be there yesterday.
Kylie’s by the bleachers, bag at her feet, and pulling her hair back like she’s about to take the ice when I get to her. She looks normal and calm and completely fucking unaware, and because I don’t have time to be careful, I nearly startle her right off the bench and onto the floor with how fast I approach her.
“Kylie, you need to go home,” I say immediately, my tone heavy with demand.
“Oh hey, Rook.” She snorts, gathering herself. “Hello to you too.”
