“You leave today. You have a jet waiting for you right now. Housing is already set up with everything you’ll need, and your things will be sent to you ASAP.”
“Today? I can’t leave today. I have…and I’ll need...” I guess I could leave tonight. If I leave practice now and drive to Mila’s, I can see her in time to make it back for a flight. “Okay, I can make it tonight, I’ll just—”
“I didn’t say tonight, I saidright now. You have fifteen minutes to pack up your locker. I’ll tell the guys. It’ll be easier that way.”
Fifteen fucking minutes? There’s no fucking way. This has to be a joke…right?I wait for a moment, hoping this is some stupid prank, but the look in Coach’s eyes tells the truth. The truth is I’m getting on a plane in fifteen minutes to fly over a thousand miles away from the only city I’ve ever known. From Mila…From myhome.
“I’ll…I’ll go get my things…” I say, barely making eye contact with Coach as I get up and go to leave his office.
Silence fills the air until I open the door. “Thatcher?”
Turning back, I think atearfalls from his eye. “I’ll miss you. And good luck in Thunder Bay. Tell Teddy I said hello.”
With a last salute-wave, I say my final goodbye and damn near run to the locker room to grab my phone.Mila still hasn’t responded to my good morning text.She had an important meeting, but that should have ended hours ago. I’m on the verge of a mental breakdown when I remember that I can always just fly back to see her this weekend. Still, I want to let her know what’s going on. I would want her to do the same for me.
I start to text her, but decide to call instead. She said only to call for emergencies, but I think this warrants it. The phone rings once, then twice, before forwarding to voicemail.Maybe she’s dealing with super important Bratva stuff.I guess a text will have to do.
ME:Sorry to call…got some big hockey news. Call back when you can!
Chapter 35
The moment theZadorovs left, I went into survival mode, locking down anyone who could be at risk. The Thunder Bay compound is under high alert with double the normal security. Teddy and Ellie are onstrictorders to stay home, with Teddy’s only allowance being hockey practice. Even then, he’s got an extra security detail with him everywhere he goes.
And then there’s Thatcher.My solnyshko. He was actually my first thought. I knew the moment I saw his picture in that folder that he had to leave. The compound in New York isn’t even safe enough for him. I’m not sure if anywhere in the world would be safe enough for my liking, but Thunder Bay is as close as I’ll get. The Taranov branch there might not be quite as large as it is in New York, but thanks to Teddy’s union with Ellie, he has the added force of the Santori Mafia.
Sending him away was a no-brainer even though Iknowit’s going to hurt him like hell.If I’m honest, it hurt me like hell too. But I need him to let go. This was just the first of what will be a never-ending stream of blackmail targeting Thatcher as long as he’s attached to me. So it has to end.
While I was arranging everyone’s safety, Misha was plotting how to get out of their trap. He’s the only one who knows what’s going on, and even though I would’ve preferred to keep it that way, he implored that I go to Ivan for help navigating this…arrangement.
“So what are you going to do?”
“I guess I’m going to fucking marry Oleg. What do you mean? I can’t let them hurt Thatcher. Or anyone else, for that matter. And if they spread the word about…what happened…I would lose all of the respect I’ve earned over the years.”
“What about Ivan?”
“Ivan? You want me to tell Ivan about all this? What if he—”
“He’s not like that, and you know it. If I’m right about him, and I always am, he will help us. You can’t marry Oleg, and you know it. We haven’t come all this way for me to watch you be ensnared in such a trap as marriage…”
“Okay, so…Ivan?”
“I’ve already arranged a meeting. In an hour at his office in the city.”
I’ve just raised my hand to knock on the office door when Ivan yells from inside, “Mila, come in!”
He’s had this office in the city for years but started operating out of here more often when I moved into the compound. This is the first time I’ve met him here, and I have to say, it’s charming. It’s warm and inviting, yet sleek and professional. The contrast between this floor and the estate tells me that Ivan wasn’t the one who authorized the design choices there.
“Please have a seat, dear. You too, Misha. We have a lot to discuss.”
We do as he asks, and he slides us both a folio, then opens one himself. At first glance, it looks similar to the one I was handed earlier today, and a quick peek inside is all the confirmation I need. Misha waits for my reaction before opening his, and when I place it back on the desk, he does the same.
Silence suffocates me, and I know I need to say something, but I’m struggling tobreathe,much less talk.
“How did you get these?” Misha asks, sensing my panic.
“The Zadorov family thought sending these to me would help their case.”
“And does it?” Misha growls.
