Chapter 9
DECLAN
“Avah!” I call after the woman who just landed herself in the middle of my messy life.
The night air is cool and refreshing after the circus that just went down inside.
At least for a second until the reporters stick their cameras in my face, their questions in tow. They’re all taking a picture of me, while the woman who’s been on my mind a lot lately is driving away in a cab.
I take a step forward, but Jenn’s voice slices through the crowd. “Declan.”
She moves through the sea of reporters, and they actually make way for her. None of them seem to care about her short stature. Her presence, maroon glasses, and tight bun is intimidating enough.
“You don’t say a word right now. I’ll deal with them,” she says, shoving me back through the museum’s front doors.
The doors slam shut behind me, muffling the insistent voices and camera clicks.
I find myself back in the foyer, marble underfoot, giant chandeliers overhead and the sound of the band playing a waltz leaking from the ballroom.
The coatcheck girl tosses a lopsided grin my way before disappearing behind her station again.
And standing not far off is EJ. Jaw tight and eyes like ice.
“Where is she?” he barks. “What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything.” EJ shoves past me, deliberately clipping my shoulder in the process as he walks up to the door to look for Avah. “She left in a cab. Jenn’s dealing with the media outside.”
Slowly, he turns around. His jaw is so tight, I swear I can hear his teeth grinding. He closes the distance between us in a few hard steps.
“I swear, if you come near my sister, you will regret it. She’s not one of your play things, Murphy,” he says, low and sharp.
He runs a hand through his hair, a mirthless laugh escaping him as he steps away from me for a second.
“You know, I’ve always looked the other way.
Sometimes I tried to save you from yourself, but mostly I let you burn your own bridges.
Because you’re a grown man who can make all the mistakes he wants to make.
” He points toward the door, toward his sister who just left.
“But I won’t do that when it comes to her. Do you understand me?”
A sense of betrayal stings in my chest. Is this what he really thinks of me? That I play games with women? And that I am a threat to his sister?
“I told you before, and I’ll say it again,” I say, meeting his gaze head on.
“You’ve got nothing to worry about. I don’t have any intention of going after your sister.
Plus, she can’t stand me, so you need to calm down.
You’re my teammate, EJ. You’ve been bringing her around for a year now.
We’re bound to talk to each other at some point. ”
His eyes search mine for a hint of untruth. I’m not sure if he’ll find it because technically I’m telling the truth. But even as the words left my mouth, something about them felt…hollow.
I might not have any intention to go after Avah, but there’s no denying the fact that I’m intrigued by her. And tonight, I saw another side to her.
The last thing I want is to lose my teammates. I can’t afford to lose their confidence in me…at least no more than I already have. I need them to be on my side if I have any hope of keeping my place on this team.
“You’re my teammate, my friend,” EJ says through gritted teeth. “Don’t mess this up.”
Then he turns on his heel and heads back inside, leaving me alone in the echoing foyer.
Groaning, I toss my head back. I need a drink.
“Can you see the headlines, Murphy?” Jenn’s voice comes from behind me. “Because I can.”
She closes the door on the media and security takes over to keep them out. Adjusting her maroon-rimmed glasses with one finger, she then ticks off the headlines as she recites them.
“Declan Murphy: One defenseman. Three dates?” she says. “Or maybe even ‘One woman not enough for Murphy?’ Take your pick, they’re having a field day out there.”
“I thought you’re going to fix it?” I ask, worry stirring sharp and cold in my gut. “It sounds like you were brainstorming with them.”
“I did my best,” she says, her voice rising. “You’re making this impossible for me.”
Shaking my head, I mutter, “I never meant for this to happen, Jenn. I was doing what you told me to do.”
“Until your girlfriend showed up and ruined everything,” Jenn says, gesturing toward the ballroom where Lynn and Melissa still are. “You needed to manage the situation better.”
“And what would you have me do, exactly?” I ask, wondering how on earth she thinks I was supposed to diffuse the situation in there. “Somehow I managed to go from ‘date with a plane Jane’ to ‘having a foursome’ in under six seconds flat. Harry is going to—”
“Murphy!” he shouts and I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Murphy!” The sound of Harry Matlock’s voice reverberates through me.
“I can’t save you on this one. Go face your demons,” Jenn says, tapping me on the arm before leaving me alone to face the GM and his outrage.
“Harry, I—”
“I just got off the phone,” he cuts in, his voice like ice. His broad shoulders fill out his navy suit, the silver in his dark hair glinting beneath the lights. Harry’s whole presence is hard and unrelenting. “The PTO is arriving within the next week.”
Something inside of me freezes solid.
“You’re replacing me? Are you being serious?” I ask, running my hand through my hair. “You’re not even going to give me a chance to explain? After playing for you for years, don’t I deserve the benefit of the doubt?”
Harry’s eyes harden. Behind him Jenn gently closes the door to give us privacy, sealing us in the foyer.
“I’ve been giving you the benefit of the doubt.
You’ve been toeing the line for a long time, doing just enough to stay on the right side of it.
But these past few months, you’re crossing it without thinking.
You can torch your own career if you want, but I can’t stand by and watch you take down my team in the process. ”
“I would never hurt the team on purpose, Harry. You know that.”
He frowns deeply. “I don’t know anything, Murphy. I can only go on the facts. And the fact is, the sponsors, the media, the fans, are all losing confidence in you.”
“And that means you have too.” I turn away from him, not believing that I’m even having this discussion. The loyalty feels one-sided. I have given him everything. Hours and hours on end, my body, my talent, my skill, everything. And what do I get in return?
Harry sighs behind me.
“This guy will be coming here on a professional tryout. Nothing is definite regarding his position with the team.”
He continues, his voice a little softer, “I didn’t have to warn you. I’m here telling you that you have a chance to clean up your act and keep your place in this organization.”
I turn to face him, hating that I have to stand here and plead my case. But I can’t lose hockey, I can’t lose my place on this team.
“It’s not my fault…” I start.
“I really don’t care who’s fault it is,” he snaps. “It’s done. Now you fix it.”
“How?”
He shrugs, his eyes hard and without sympathy. “I don’t care how you do it. Go see a therapist. Get a steady girl. Go for anger management. Go to church. Just sort out your mess or I’ll do it for you. And you won’t like the way I do it.”
Without another word, he heads back into the ballroom. Everything seems to have quieted down in there, but there’s no way I’m going back in there now. I’m pretty sure Lynn would be more than happy to be rid of me after what just went down.
And I have nothing left to say to anyone in there anyway.
The doors open one more time, revealing Melissa in her short, red dress.
Frustration stirs inside of me. If it wasn’t for her, none of this would’ve happened. I would’ve been able to get through the mind-numbing night without a media circus.
“What are you doing here, Melissa?” I ask her as she steps closer to me, her eyes sparking with anger of her own. “You can’t just show up at my events.”
“Oh,” she says, pressing her hand to her chest, her eyes wide with mock innocence.
“I wasn’t supposed to show up to your event?
Well, that’s not the agreement we came to a month ago.
An agreement where you specifically told me where you needed me, when you needed me, and when I should show up… and when I shouldn’t.”
She’s twisting my words…making it seem like she’s a puppet and I’m pulling the strings. “Melissa—”
“Don’t get me wrong, I was more than happy to agree with the terms,” she cuts in, her tone sharp. “Let’s not pretend like this is a love-match. We both know what this is. It’s beneficial, plus the added part of physical fun.”
She jabs a finger to the ballroom behind her. “But what happened in there, wasn’t part of the agreement.”
I bite back a groan. I thought we were on the same page of what this isn’t. No promises. No strings. Which means she shouldn’t be this riled up about a missed call or a different woman on my arm.
“I had to show up with a different date tonight, for PR reasons,” I tell her. My voice is flat, tired. “I thought you’d know not to come when I didn’t call you to make arrangements for tonight.”
“I’m not a mind-reader.” She sighs, exasperated. “I’m keeping up my end of the bargain, Declan. What am I supposed to do when I walk in and find you already entertaining two other women?”
She doesn’t love me but gets territorial? Seriously. “I thought you knew this wasn’t a love match.”
She chuckles without humor. “Even when there’s no love involved, I’m going to get irritated when someone steps into my territory.”
Territory. Like I’m something she claimed.
“I should’ve called you, let you know. It won’t happen again.” The apology sounds hollow, even to my own ears.
She shakes her head, unable to meet my gaze.
“It doesn't matter. Because you’re suspended. Which means I won’t be able to come to your games for two weeks.”
I frown, caught offguard. “I didn’t think coming to my games was so important to you.”