Page 19 of Callous Shot

For once, I was lost for words, and so I followed my instincts.

I got the hell out of there as quickly as I could.

9

LINCOLN

“Didn’t realise Kimberly was into marking people up. Or was it someone else?”

“Huh?” I glanced up at Jasper Campbell, who was staring at my neck with a smirk on his face.

Oh, shit. The mark. Fucking Hoyton.

The party felt as if it had been a dream. No, a nightmare. Kimberly had left a tiny hickey on my neck. Barely even noticeable, more of a smudge than anything else. Then Daniel Hoyton was at my throat, the morning after watching me get my dick sucked, covering her mark with a hickey that was noticeable from outer space.

I didn’t want to think about what had happened afterwards. It was a moment of insanity, fuelled by rage.

No one else got to me the way he did, and that was a big problem. If this Operation Foxglove was going to bring him into my vicinity more regularly, then I needed to take precautions.

“Yeah. I guess I’m just that irresistible,” I said, smirking right back at Jasper. “What about you? Get lucky at the party?”

“Obviously.” He lowered his voice, glancing over at our captain. “Heard Fontana got lucky with two women at the same time.”

“You know I can hear you,” Enzo said drily. He sauntered over, fully dressed in his hockey gear, and clapped Jasper on the back. “Get your facts right, Campbell. It was two women at different times. Yes, they were both aware, and yes, they were both left satisfied. Any other questions? No? Good. Enough talk about your dicks. We’ve got a game to prepare for. We played like shit against Cranham, and we can’t afford to lose the next game. That means we need to put in a hundred and ten percent in practice. Got it?”

“Got it.” Campbell saluted him before moving back to his own bench. Enzo reached into the cubby next to me, rummaging around, and then threw something to me. I reflexively caught it.

“Cover that shit up, Bells,” he said, nodding towards the neck guard. Amusement danced in his eyes. “I need everyone focused on the puck, not your vampire marks.”

“Yeah, alright,” I groaned. When he’d disappeared to have a word with Coach Malkin, I grabbed my phone from my gym bag, tapping out a message.

@linkb_flames:

you have a lot to fucking answer for

@danhfirestarter:

shouldn’t you be in practice?

@linkb_flames:

know my schedule do you? stalker

@danhfirestarter:

in case you forgot we share a rink. i know the rink schedule. what the fuck is your problem now

Glancing around me to make sure none of my teammates were paying attention, I discreetly snapped a photo of the side of my throat and sent it to Daniel.

@danhfirestarter:

let’s forget that ever happened

@linkb_flames:

i’d love to if you hadn’t left such an obvious mark. fucking hell what were you thinking? my teammates are taking the piss

A photo came through. Deep bruising on a throat, standing out in sharp relief in the harsh strip lighting of wherever Daniel was. I inhaled sharply, despising the tremor in my hand as my grip tightened on my phone.