Chapter 36
SCARLETT
IT’S BEEN WEEKS, AND everything’s fine. Gabriel and I are sort of continuing our lives, and I love hanging out with him. We go to classes, I take photos at his games, and we spend most nights together in one of our dorms.
No one has reached out to us with threatening messages or tried to come for us. It’s almost like the whole thing never happened. Almost. But I still catch Gabriel looking over his shoulder and see the way he tenses when an unfamiliar car drives past.
Gabriel’s parents got transferred to other prisons.
Cory’s uncle helped arrange it. They’re in a different state now, far away from the mafia’s reach.
Gabriel talks to them once a week on a monitored line, and every time he hangs up, I can see the relief on his face.
His mom and dad are doing okay, and they’re safe, which is what matters most.
Gabriel’s team welcomed him back without too many questions. Coach was just happy to have his star player return. Gabriel’s been playing better than ever. He can finally focus on the game instead of worrying about who’s watching from the stands or what orders will come.
I love watching him play too. He moves on the ice with confidence and control, and his whole face changes when he scores. It’s like he’s a different person out there.
Tonight, his team won. It was a close game, but Gabriel scored the winning goal in the final minutes. I got some great shots of the celebration with Gabriel getting mobbed by his teammates and Zyair lifting him.
Now we’re heading to a restaurant off the campus to celebrate. The team wanted to go out to some bar downtown, but Gabriel and I decided to do our own thing. Just the two of us. Something quieter.
We’re moving through the dark parking lot when a car pulls over in front of us. It’s a black sedan with tinted windows.
My heart jumps. Gabriel tenses next to me, and I feel his hand grip mine tighter.
The window rolls down, and I recognize the face inside.
Niccolò.
“Get in,” he says.
I glance at Gabriel. His jaw is tight, and his free hand clenches into a fist. For a second, I think he’s going to refuse and tell Niccolò to go to hell. But then his eyes narrow slightly.
“Okay,” I say.
We get in the back seat. Niccolò is in the front passenger seat, and a driver I don’t recognize is behind the wheel.
The doors lock with a soft click, and my chest tightens.
“You’re in my territory now,” Niccolò says, turning slightly in his seat to look at us. “And that makes you both mine.”
“What do you want?” I ask.
“Nothing much, just for Gabriel to go pro.”
I blink at him. “What?”
“You heard me. Go pro. Professional hockey. Make it happen.”
Gabriel stares at him. “That’s it?”
“That’s it. But I’m not like my rival. If you make it happen, you get a reward. If you don’t... Well, nothing. You live your life. But if you do make it, you’ll be protected. No one touches you or your family. Ever.”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. After everything... After all the threats, the violence, and the fear, this is what he wants? For Gabriel to succeed?
“Why?” I ask.
Niccolò smiles. “Because I’m a businessman. You’re an investment. A good one, from what I’ve seen. Gabriel has real talent. And when he makes it to the pros, I’ll have a connection. Someone who owes me and who I can call on when I need a favor.”
“What kind of favor?” Gabriel asks.
“Nothing illegal that would jeopardize your career. Just information. Who’s betting on what. Who’s talking to who. That kind of thing.”
Gabriel’s mouth presses into a thin line. I can see him thinking it through and weighing the options. It’s still someone holding something over him. But it’s different. It’s not about forcing him to throw games or sabotage his team, or about threatening his parents every time he makes a mistake.
“And if I don’t make it?” Gabriel asks.
Niccolò shrugs. “Then you don’t make it. Like I said, nothing happens. You live your life. I won’t bother you. But I think you will make it. I’ve seen you play, and I’m betting on you.”
Gabriel swallows hard. “Right.”
Niccolò nods. “You may go now.”
The door unlocks, and we step out. For a moment, we don’t say anything, just watch the car disappear down the street.
“That was weird,” I say.
Gabriel nods. “Yeah. I guess he’s betting on my success.”
“Forget him. I’m betting on your success too, because I know you’ll make it.”
He looks at me, and a small smile crosses his face. “You really think so?”
“I know so. You’re the best player on the team, and you’re going to get scouted. Then you’re going to get drafted, and you’re going to make it to the pros.”
“What if I don’t?”
“You will.”
“But what if I don’t? What if I get injured? What if I’m not good enough?”
I grab his face in my hands and make him look at me.
“You’re good enough. You’ve always been good enough.
And yeah, maybe you’ll get injured. Maybe something will happen.
But that doesn’t change the fact that you have the talent and the drive to make it.
You’ve been playing under impossible pressure for years, and you’re still one of the best players.
Imagine what you can do when you’re not carrying all that weight. ”
His lips find mine, and I kiss him back. When we pull apart, he’s still smiling.
“Come on,” he says. “Let’s go celebrate.”
We head toward the restaurant, and we get a table in the back, away from the windows. Old habits die hard.
Gabriel orders a burger, and I get pasta. We talk about the game, his goal, and about Zyair almost getting into a fight with the other team’s captain. Normal things. Happy things.
“I can’t believe it’s over,” Gabriel says after a while. “I keep waiting for something to go wrong, and for someone to show up and tell me it was all a trick.”
“It’s not over,” I say. “Niccolò still exists.”
“Yeah, but it’s different. It’s not... I don’t know. It doesn’t feel like I’m trapped anymore. It feels like I have a choice.”
I reach across the table and take his hand. “Just promise me you’ll be careful.”
“I promise.”
I grin at him. We’ll be fine. I just know it.