16. Lincoln
LINCOLN
Pulling into one of the spaces at the almost-empty car park in the local town of Nottswood, near my family estate, I brought my SUV to a stop and switched off the engine.
Tipping my head back against the headrest, I closed my eyes with a groan.
If only I didn’t have this ridiculous superstition about needing to store my gear at our home rink.
If only I hadn’t gone to pick it up before our away game against Oxford yesterday.
If only I hadn’t offered to help that employee carry boxes.
If only I’d kept my mouth shut when I saw the Cranham Kings captain and his teammate.
If only…then maybe Daniel Hoyton wouldn’t be in my head.
But no, I had to open my mouth. I’d spoken without thought, and now I couldn’t get the interaction out of my mind.
My eyes narrowed as I took in Ryker and Jayesh standing at the top of the mezzanine stairs. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready for the game?”
Jay’s brows rose. “Shouldn’t you?”
Placing the stack of boxes on the counter for the rink employee, I regarded him flatly. “As you can see, I’m busy. Where’s the third member of your little trio?”
“At home injured, so you won’t be able to piss him off tonight.” Jay winced as soon as the words came out, glancing over at Ryker with a guilty expression on his face.
I was instantly suspicious. “Injured?”
“It’s none of your business. Jay, come on,” Ryker ground out, shouldering past me. Asshole.
I stared after them as they jogged down the stairs.
Too injured to play hockey? I’d seen Daniel play with any number of injuries, and he always showed up, even on days after he’d been pummelling opponents in the yard and his body was bruised and battered. What kind of trouble had he managed to get himself into this time?
I huffed out a breath as my fingers curled around my phone.
The urge to unblock him to see if I could find out any information was growing stronger every minute.
I’d spent the past few hours driving around aimlessly, blasting loud metal from the speakers to try and get him off my mind, but nothing seemed to help.
Forget being around other people. I was too in my head.
Was he injured from something relating to the Hoyton Firm?
My father’s words floated through my mind.
I want you to dig deep. Find out something your uncle can use and then nudge him in the right direction…
Do not underestimate the lengths I will go to in order to see my goals achieved.
Be reasonable, Lincoln. I’m not asking for much here.
A simple bit of digging, and Operation Foxglove can take care of the rest. See that you keep up your end of the bargain, and nothing will have to change for your uncle and cousin.
I rubbed my hands over my face, frustrated. I fervently wished that I’d never heard of Daniel Hoyton. If I didn’t do what my father wanted, I was risking the two most important people in my world.
There shouldn’t even be any debate. Yes, there was something morally wrong about it, but I owed Daniel nothing. He wouldn’t hesitate to stab me in the back if our positions were reversed.
With that in mind, I unlocked my phone so I could unblock him. But before I had a chance to do anything, it started vibrating in my hand.
Mike was calling.
I swiped to answer, hitting the speaker as I balanced my phone on my thigh. “Mike. What’s up?”
“Alright? Are you busy?”
“No, why? Why are you talking so quietly? Did Tilly fall asleep in the armchair again?”
There was a pause. “No…she’s wide awake, in fact. It’s the weekend—she’s allowed to stay up later.”
“Yeah, that’s true.” I hadn’t even noticed the time. “So, what—”
“Are you free to come over now?” he interrupted.
I was instantly on alert, starting up the engine. “Yeah. I’m on my way. I’m already in Nottswood, so I’m not far. Is something wrong?”
There was another, longer pause. “It’s— I think you should see for yourself. See you soon. Door’s unlocked, so let yourself in.”
“Mike, you’re starting to worry me.” Flicking my gaze between my reverse camera and the rear-view mirror, I backed out of the parking space.
“Don’t be worried. It’s just…something you need to see for yourself.”
“That’s really reassuring,” I muttered. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
The call ended, and I wasted no time in steering out of the car park. As soon as I cleared Nottswood town, I hit the accelerator, speeding down the country roads until I reached the Bellingham estate.
Pulling up in front of the cottage, I wiped my palms on my joggers. I had no idea what I was about to walk into, and something was telling me to be cautious.
With that in mind, I opened the front door as quietly as I could, toed off my Nikes, and padded softly down the hallway until I reached the lounge.
I peered around the doorway, freezing in place with my heart in my fucking throat as I took in the unbelievable, shocking sight in front of me.
What the hell was Daniel Hoyton doing in my uncle’s house?