“Toss him off the balcony,” Carolina demands.
“No!” Knox whimpers as Fitz advances on him.
Knox looks around in horror at his friends. Well, “friends.” None of them are defending him from their boss.
“The insurance I have on the team will cover your untimely death,” Fitz says simply. “You’re an accounting error.”
“Please don’t go to jail for him,” I beg.
Fitz grabs Knox by the collar as the hockey player babbles, muscles in his arm bulging as he hauls him up.
“Stay the hell away from her, or you’re never playing hockey again. Not for me, not for any team. Shit, you won’t even play beer league. You understand me?” He throws him back down on the floor.
“You all”—Fitz surveys the huddle of NHL players—“are nothing. You’re just widgets, expense-report line items. You mean nothing. You are replaceablelike that.” He snaps his fingers. “Your millions are what I make moving money around daily. You have no power. You, your pathetic little lives, all exist at my whim. Do not fuck with me. You’re not puppies. No one will care if I shoot you for biting the hand that feedsyou.”
He stares them down as they cower. “Now, I expect hockey players to self-police.”
They nod.
“So make sure this”— he jerks his chin to Knox—“doesn’t happen again. Ever.” Fitz gives them a toothy smile. “I’m trying very hard not to treat you all the way I was raised—collective punishment.”
He’s silent for a moment. With the jazzy music tinkling in the background, it’s unnerving.
“Don’t forget you are the least important of all the sports teams I own. Know your place in the world. She”—he points at me—“is higher in the hierarchy than any of you.”
42
FITZ
“Who uses their own engagement party to start drama like this?”
“Loony Laura.”
Carolina and Winnie whisper to each other, shooting daggers at Laura, who is loudly proclaiming that she didn’t mean to do this. She was just trying to make everyone feel included in her love story, and she never would have brought it up; she just misunderstood what was going on.
I hate the way Knox is looking at her like he’s remembering exactly what it’s like to fuck my girlfriend.
Laura comes over to me. “Fitz, I am so sorry. I honestly—I mean, after everything you’ve done for me—”
I ignore her and stalk over to Winnie. “We’re leaving,” I tell her, grabbing her arm and dragging her out of the party.
“Fitz, I—Fitz, please talk to me. Look, I can explain,” she says in the elevator. “It was a long time ago.”
I stare down at her. “He has pictures of you? You sent him photos like some little slut? Is that what you are?”
And here I thought you were saving yourself for me.
“Are you serious?” She races out of the elevator after me as I stride down to my office.
“It’s the middle of the week. Most of the staff isn’t there since the hotel’s busy period is the weekends.”
“You don’t own me.”
“Yes, I do.” I slam the office door behind her and shove her up against it. “Now, tell me.” I lock the door. “Tell me what the pictures look like.”
“Um, well… they’re just topless, mostly.” Her face is red.
“Yeah? Are you playing with your titties for him? Have your mouth open like you’re ready for him to come on your face?”
