21. Chapter Twenty-One
My blood is pulsing through my head, the vein in my temple is pounding out as the anger courses through every part of my body.
I couldn’t find Calliope so I wandered off in search of her, but when I find her, that fucking asshole has her cornered. She has tears streaming down her face and it looks like she’s begging him to stop whatever it is he’s doing or saying.
“Get. The. Fuck. Off. Her.” I growl at him from just far enough away I can’t fucking punch him. I can’t decide if that’s a fact that’s better for me, or him.
“The fuck you gonna do it about? Fight me here at the gala? Risk the bad press?” He laughs at the situation we’re in.
But I’d burn everything to the ground for her. Including my career .
“You have three seconds to get your hands off what’s mine, and get the fuck out.” He stares at me, taking in the feral look on my face.
“One.” I take a step forward. My fists getting ready at my side.
“Two.” He still doesn’t move. This game of chicken he’s playing won’t end well for him. I already know Kayce and Joaquin were right behind me sensing something was wrong.
“Three.” I lunge forward, ripping him off her and throwing him out the side door of the hotel.
I pull my arm back, him pinned against the building.
“You’re fucking crazy. She ain’t worth it. Any of it.”
My fist pummels forward making contact with his nose. I feel the bones crack under my knuckles and the blood dripping down my hand.
“The fuck is wrong with you?” he whimpers.
I release him and turn to see Kayce and Joaquin.
Joaquin speaks first. “Man, you’re really drunk. That fall must’ve hurt. Can we help you find your car?”
“Yeah. I think it’s time you go. If Viktor here can’t even hold you up you must have had about five too many. Let us help you,” Kayce adds.
The two of my boys grab each of Thad’s arms and haul him off to the parking lot. Some of my senses come back to me and I look up and around to see if there’s any security cameras. Luckily, I don’t find any.
I rush back in to find Claire, Joy, and Jolie sitting on the floor with Calliope.
“Skatten Min.” I breathe out.
Seeing her crumpled on the floor, red rimmed eyes fresh with tears absolutely breaks me.
“Viktor, he’s going to sue you! And you’ll lose everything! Hockey, all of it! He won’t stop until you have nothing!” she cries out.
“Will I have you still?” I kneel down next to her.
“What? Of course. Why would you ever-”
I crash my lips to hers.
“Then I’ll have everything I’ll ever need,” I say as I pull back. “Come, dance with me, or we can go home, I’ll do whatever you need.” I stand, holding my hand out to her to help her off the floor.
“But what about-”
“Nope. It’s all taken care of. He doesn’t get the right to ruin your night, Skatten Min.” I kiss the tip of her nose before leading her out to the dance floor.
He will not take anything away from her anymore. No more memories are going to be tainted by him.
Is Viktor Karlsen’s girlfriend pregnant? And is the baby his?
Photos from the Golden Foundation’s gala have surfaced, and while we know that Karlsen’s girlfriend has always had her weight be the topic of discussion, it appears this dress may be debuting more than any of us know.
So, what do you think? Is this a pregnancy, or just a case of too much champagne before the gala?
My phone’s notifications alert me to yet another tabloid article. This time, they’re stirring the pregnancy rumor and the comments are downright nasty, to her and me.
Me: Who the fuck is behind this bullshit? Where are we at on figuring it out?
Harry: I have a lead, but I want to make sure before I give you the name.
Ken: I don’t give a shit if you’re sure. I want the name. This is a media hellfire for me to put out every fucking day. Get me that name by tonight.
Me: Agreed. Ken will help you if you just give him a direction.
Harry: Fine. I’m 60% sure it’s Thad, Calliope’s ex. All the articles have too many personal facts that the average person couldn’t know about her. Everything about you I can search for online - but her - it’s personal.
Me: I’m 99.9% sure. Amber Arrington left him for some new guy at her father’s office. Ken - get the lawyer to send a cease and desist please. I want to make sure we aren’t leaving things to chance. If it’s not him, we’ll keep going, but I think Harry is right.
Ken: Already writing the email.
That fucker. I didn’t think he had the balls to attack us like this. He seems like the kind of guy who is all talk, taking credit for someone else’s work so he can scare Calliope into doing what he wants. But Callen told me last night that Mr. Arrington had it with Thad’s bullshit work, and wanted him out. When he brought in a new guy, Amber left Thad for him, and Mr. Arrington all but fired Thad when he was demoted and the new guy was promoted. So I guess it makes sense that he’s floundering for control.
And he’s very much the type of coward to make other people, like reporters and paparazzi do his dirty work while he gets to hide behind the anonymity of being a source.
I take a deep breath. Letting the anger pass. I do not want to get my parents from the airport with this anger simmering. And Calliope sure as hell doesn’t need to know anything.
She has stopped reading the tabloids, especially the comments. Everything that people felt they had a right to say was undoing all the confidence building she has been working on lately. She has come a long way in appreciating her curves and body the way I do, and then the keyboard warriors come in and destroy it all.
So she doesn’t need to know that something else happened .
My phone dings again, this time it’s my father letting me know that they are going to be landing in about forty-five minutes. One last deep breath and I’m ready to find Calliope.
“Skatten Min,” I call out, looking for her, “Are you ready to go to the airport?”
I find her in the kitchen, looking like an actual angel in a light blue dress that grazes the floor.
“Do I look okay?” She fusses with her dress, smoothing it down over her bump. “I’m so nervous.”
“Nervous? You’ve been talking to Mamma for weeks.” I raise my brow in question.
“But this is the first time they’re seeing me in real life, and what if they’ve seen any of the articles that have been published? I know you’re not telling me about them, especially the one this morning. One of my clients thought they were being helpful and sent me the link to it a few hours ago. And I know you told me not to, but I couldn’t help it. I started reading the comments and -”
I step into her, between her legs, pushing her against the counter. I slide my hand around her throat and up onto the nape of her neck, pulling her hair so her face is tipped upwards to me. Capturing her lips in mine, I pull her tight to me with my other arm looped around her lower back.
I deepen the kiss until she’s melting into me .
“You have nothing to worry about. You are perfect, and both my parents love you already.” I kiss her quickly once more, pulling away. “Now let’s go before I bend you over this counter and make us late. That is something that Mamma does not like.”
“If you’re sure. I’ll trust you.” She slides her shoes on and follows behind me to the door.
“I’m sure. You think they haven’t been the target of tabloid articles back home? There was a time that there was an article going around about how they shipped me off to boarding school because she never wanted children, and that’s why they’re never at my games.”
Calliope gasps. “That’s awful!”
“It was. But my point is, she gets it. She never believes what she reads anymore.” I lace my hand with hers and tug her out of the elevator to the truck.
The ride to the airport is spent in silence. Both of us deep in thought about whatever is happening. I know she’s worried about how people are perceiving her, but I want to protect her from it all.
“I think I want to let Alesandra post my photos,” she says, surprising the hell out of me.
“I think that’s a great idea.”
“You do?” She turns to face me, searching my face like she does when she’s trying to decide if I’m just appeasing her or if I truly agree .
“I do. What better way to stick it to the assholes than to let Alesandra show the world what I already see. Show them that they can’t bring you down.” I grasp her thigh, giving her a reassuring squeeze.
“Ok then. I’m going to text her now. Are you sure Ken won’t be mad?”
“I’ll deal with Ken. But I think he’ll be happy enough to let the focus come off the team, and at least it’s positive. I trust Alesandra to make it positive and keep the trolls away.”
She smiles at me, pulling out her phone.
I’m glad she isn’t letting people win and owning her body once again. Fuck them all.