Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Viktor
I’m so fucking pissed it’s hard to keep from punching something.
Holly’s father is a world-class ass and now I better understand why she’s been so nervous. He’s a stereotypical politician—smarmy and calculating and full of himself. Like abandoning me at the arena, and Holly in downtown Atlanta, will teach us some kind of lesson.
What a fucking asshole.
By the time we get to the arena I’m ready to explode but I keep it together for Holly’s sake. I don’t want her to think I’m upset with her.
“Gate seven,” I call out to Lawrence, who follows the sign in that direction.
“Here.” We stop by the gate, which is manned by a security guard since this is the players’ parking lot and entrance.
I open the door before Lawrence has a chance to get out, tugging Holly by the hand.
“Good morning, Rex!” I call to the startled security guard.
“I’ll be in touch, Holly!” Mr. Grant calls after us but I’m already moving toward the entrance, practically dragging Holly behind me.
“Viktor, slow down, please!” she whispers.
I do but I can’t look at her yet because I’m so fucking mad.
“Viktor?” She says my name softly, like she’s afraid of what I might do, and I finally slow down enough to face her.
“I am sorry,” I say gruffly. “Your father…” I go off in Russian, saying all the things I can’t properly express in English.
She watches me, letting me vent, and I finally let out a breath.
“I am angry,” I explain needlessly.
“I can see that. I’m sorry. I warned you my father would be difficult.”
I scowl. “He is…impossible!”
“I know.”
“Come. Is good you are here—you must speak to HR about health insurance and other items. Will be good time for you to do this. Then West or Bodi will take us home.”
“Are you going to be able to practice without your stuff?” she asks as we walk inside.
“My equipment is here. I have no…soap or clean clothes, but this is okay. I will manage.”
My hand is still closed around hers as we walk down the hallway toward the elevators and the first person we run into is my head coach, Jamie Teller. He’s a good guy, in his late thirties, and so much better than the coach we had for the first half of the season.
“Viktor.” He turns in surprise and then smiles at Holly. “Hello. I’m Jamie Teller.”
She smiles back. “I think we met briefly at West and Serena’s wedding, but I’m Holly Grant. Well, I guess Holly Maslak now.”
“Congratulations.” He glances at Viktor. “I thought you weren’t coming today?”
“My fault,” Holly says quickly. “My father—Senator Franklin Grant—showed up unannounced and made a nuisance of himself. Luckily, we’re moving into a gated community soon so that won’t happen again.”
“Your father is…Senator Grant?” Coach Teller seems surprised by this but quickly masks his expression.
“I know.” She shrugs. “I don’t share his policies or ideals. I didn’t even vote for him.”
He chuckles. “Well, it’s nice to see you. Do you guys need anything?”
“I will take her to HR,” I say quickly. “Then I will be ready for practice.”
He nods. “See you later.”
We’ve just gotten to the elevator when my backup goalie and roommate, Simon Lacroix, grins at us. “Hey, you two! What are you doing here, Holly?”
“Going to see HR,” I repeat. “See you later!”
I practically yank her into the elevator and she lands against my chest with a little thud.
“Oh!” She loses her footing but I catch her with my arm around her waist. Her hands are flat against my chest and as she gazes up at me, eyes wide with surprise, body warm against mine, I have the incredible urge to kiss her.
Her lips are parted, almost like she’s expecting the same thing, but I’m not sure if this is the right move. Kissing her is not part of the deal. Is it?
Before I can decide, she steps back.
“Sorry,” I murmur, though I’m not sure whether I’m apologizing for making her stumble or for not kissing her.
“It’s okay.”
So why doesn’t it feel okay?
By the time I get to the locker room, I’m calmer but completely wired and definitely not ready to focus on hockey. Normally, nothing gets in my head before practice or a game, but these are not normal circumstances. Not for me anyway.
“Hey, man.” West gives me a friendly clap on the back.
I turn to him. “Holly’s father—he is an asshole.”
His brows inch up. “Yeah? What happened?”
I give him an abbreviated version and he grimaces. “Jesus. You okay?”
My hands are on my hips and I look up at the ceiling. “No. I do not know.”
“Okay, let’s focus on getting through practice and then we’ll figure out what to do next.”
I nod. “We need ride to apartment.”
“Of course. No problem. Get your head in the game and then I’ll do anything I can to help.”
I know he will.
West is a good friend.
“Hey, it’s the newlywed!” One of the younger guys on the team, Ashton Knight, comes over to me with a grin, extending his hand.
I’m in no mood for this but he’s a good guy and there’s no reason to take my bad attitude out on him.
“Thank you,” I say, shaking his hand.
Then I’m surrounded by my teammates, and for a few minutes, I forget about Holly’s father and how badly I wanted to kiss her in the elevator.
For a few minutes, I enjoy the camaraderie of my teammates and the high spirits in the locker room.
This is where I’m usually happiest and today is no exception.
For the first time since the wedding, I’m completely relaxed.
Even though I feel a twinge of guilt at the way I’m deceiving my friends.
I’m not a liar by nature. I prefer to be up front regardless of the situation, but these are extenuating circumstances. And the fewer people who know what’s going on, the easier it will be to protect Holly and myself.
“You’re really moving up in the world,” Ashton says to me when we finally separate to start changing. “A senator’s daughter—that should bring a lot of attention to the team. I just hope it’s good attention.”
I scowl. “He is...jerk.”
He lets out a low whistle. “Yeah? Daddy not happy his daughter married a foreigner?”
“He thinks I want her money.” I roll my eyes.
“Does he have any idea how much your contract was for?” Ashton asks in surprise.
I just grunt, yanking on my shoulder pads and rolling my neck to release some tension.
Issues were inevitable but I didn’t expect such open hostility from her father. I also didn’t give much thought to the fact that he was a senator. She told me but I guess it didn’t fully sink in.
Until this morning.
The car rolling up to the apartment without notice.
A driver banging on the door.
His demeaning attitude.
She warned me but I somehow missed it.
And in two days we’re going to add my mother to the mix.
This is shaping up to be the hardest week of my life—right in the middle of the playoffs.
In retrospect, we should have waited until summer, but I know my mother.
There is no doubt in my mind she’s already picked out another wife for me, and there’s a very good chance she’s bringing this woman with her.
The only way to stop her plans is for me to be one hundred percent, legally and emotionally, unavailable.
“Just be careful,” Ashton says after a moment. “Men like that, well, they tend to play dirty. So you don’t want to get on his bad side.”
I stare at him. “What do you mean?”
He shrugs. “You know, politicians. They aren’t exactly salt of the earth most of the time. And now he’s your father-in-law, so you’re going to have to play nice.”
“Holly does not like him,” I say. “I did not like how he spoke to her. He will not treat her like this.” I set my jaw. “No way.”
“Hey, I hear you. Just make sure you and Holly are on the same page when it comes to family. Because it’s only going to get more complicated as things progress.”
He has a point.
Not that Holly and I aren’t on the same page—we definitely are.
But I need to be more cognizant of what’s happening on her end.
I honestly thought my mother would bring all the drama.
Holly trusted her ex with her trust fund, and he invested it in a tech startup that went belly up.
She lost everything, and in addition to potentially losing her grandmother’s farm, she also explained that she didn’t want to have to admit that her boyfriend had swindled her to her father.
I thought the money I gave her would be the end of her troubles.
Apparently, I was wrong.
Now I have to figure out how to manage everything, while focusing on hockey, moving into a new house, and simultaneously trying to understand why I so desperately wanted to kiss my wife this morning.