God, I miss her.
“I can’t speak to what you do or don’t know, Mr. Giovanetti,” I said coolly. I sit back in my chair and cross my legs at the knee. I won’t let him intimidate me. Renee made it clear from the jump that Dante likes to push people. So let him try. “But Owen’s right. Two of your players made contact on the ice today, and neither of them is in this office right now. If you’re going to keep Owen under a microscope, you won’t give him the opportunity to earn your trust back. And if you treat him this way, it’s going to cause problems with the rest of your team, and that won’t get you any closer to the magic of a third Stanley Cup.”
Renee’s eyes are almost completely round. Sergio signs through a series of hand gestures that I can only interpret as,Abort mission! Abort mission!Owen stares at my face with a completely neutral expression.
Dante’s eye twitches several times. “Are you seriously suggesting that Owen’s behavior is my fault?”
“What behavior is that, exactly?” I shoot back.
Dante jabs a finger at Owen. “He lunged at his teammate!On camera!”
“It’s a contact sport. If you’re going to threaten him every time he gets within a foot of another player, then you might as well pull him from the team now.”
I can see some flailing in my peripherals, but I don’t break eye contact with Dante. I know that I’m taking a risk here, but I’ve read through Owen’s contract. I’m willing to bet that getting rid of him would be more trouble than Dante wants.
When he doesn’t call my bluff, I offer him a tight smile. “I’ve watched some old footage since Owen became my client. I know how good he is. I’m asking you to trust him to display better judgment. He has as much to lose as you do. Maybe more.”
Dante crosses his arms. We glare at each other, locked in a staring contest.
“Fine,” he barks. “I’ll back off, on one condition.”
Oh, Lord. I can already tell that I’m going to hate this.
He points at me. “If he’s on the ice, you’re at the glass. If he’s in a meeting, you’re in the meeting. If he’s shitting, you’re shitting. If he’s breathing Venom air, you’re sucking it in behind him.”
Dammit. I should probably have seen this coming. There’s no way that he can legally demand this.
Owen fidgets in his chair. He hates this. Not the work. The lack of control. “This isn’t necessary.”
Dante ignores him. He’s still watching me.
I could get up right now. Walk out, slam the door, and run crying to Ezra. But I’ve fought too hard for my career to fold under pressure without putting up a fight. Dante has areputation, so if I can survive his little power trip, my name will carry some weight.
Also, I’m Irish. We don’t bow before tyranny.
“Any changes to my contract will be reflected in my pricing structure,” I tell him. If I’m going to be dragged into this mess full-time, I’m not doing it at a discount.
Dante slaps his open palm on the desk hard enough to make the pen holder jump. “That’s settled, then. Until the League stops busting my balls, Miss Callahan is your shadow. She’ll be stuck to you like glue. Glue!Glue, Rourke!”
So much for boundaries.
Owen holds up his hands. “Now, just wait a minute…”
The debate breaks off when, without warning, the office door swings open. Another player strolls in, his hair damp from the showers. His casual posture and oblivious smile make him look like a visitor from another world stumbling blithely into our war zone.
“Hey.” He holds up a reusable water bottle in the Venom colors. “Did anyone lose a water bottle? ’Cause I’ve got, like, five—” His eyes meet mine, and he stops short. “Ohhh, you’re the new handler. Seen you around. Hi. I’m Adler.”
I offer a polite smile. “Adler Newberry, right?” I recognize him from the past games I’ve watched.
Adler beams. “You’ve heard of me?”
Oh, Christ. Is he… flirting? I glance at Owen, whose jaw flexes hard enough to crush diamonds. He doesn’t like this. Not even a little. And for reasons I can’t quite pin down… neither do I.
Dante lurches forward to snatch the bottle from Adler’s hands, only to brandish it at his head. “Get out,Newberry. You’re almost as bad as your father. Maybe I no longer like magic, you know that? Maybe the fucking magic has lost its allure!”
Adler is clearly unperturbed by this response. He winks at me and aims finger-guns in my direction. “Love the energy. Keep it up!” He practically moonwalks out of the office, leaving the door open.
Renee has been silent this whole time, but the open door presents an opportunity too good to miss. She gets to her feet and gestures to Owen and me. “Now that we’re all in agreement, why don’t we take this conversation elsewhere?”
