Chapter 34 #2
I’d had nowhere else to turn. Damien’s threat had been real. I’d felt it in my soul. I’d always known the man was power hungry. I just hadn’t realized the desperate attempts he’d go to reach whatever brass he was going for.
Including sending me flowers at Saint’s house. What kind of man did that? The answer kept my anger level high.
A bastard like Damien.
At least my father had found out the woman Damien was originally set to marry had been two-timing him.
Good for her. With some crazy mandate that all partners of the firm were required to have a family, he’d set his sight on what he’d thought were easy pickings.
I had a feeling he’d been made partner because I was part wolf and not because he’d dumped me for the right girl.
At least that gave me something to smile about.
After the man was professionally castrated, I had every intention of handling a very personal dose of what happened to a two-timing man who’d roll over anyone to get what he wanted.
I had the perfect scissors in mind.
As I jumped into the car, I thought about what I’d say to Saint. He deserved an explanation of my weirdo behavior. Just thinking about the look on his face when the flowers had been delivered had driven a knife through my heart.
Dull, serrated, and rusty.
Just like I deserved.
Maybe I’d been crazy to try to protect him, but I had no doubt the big, bad wolf would erupt from the darkness the moment Saint learned what Damien was attempting to do. As I headed for the freeway, all I could think about was how hot the man looked in his hockey uniform.
This was his big night and I wasn’t there.
The fury inside me continued as I drove, constantly looking at the time. If traffic continued smoothly, I’d only miss the first period.
When I noticed brake lights ahead, I issued a ragged groan. “No. No. No!” Luck wasn’t with me today. I wasn’t certain if I’d ever had much luck.
Who fell in love with a werewolf? Shifter. Get it right, girl. Shifter.
As soon as I slowed then was forced to roll to a complete stop, I smacked my head against the steering wheel. This just couldn’t be happening to me.
The sound of my phone brought a sense of hope, the special ring one I’d attached to Vicky’s number. I snatched it from the passenger seat as I craned my neck to try and see how far the line of traffic went.
“Hey, Vic.”
“Hey. Are you at the game?”
“No. I had to go to my dad’s house. Now I’m stuck in traffic.” Every single lane was stopped on this side of the highway. Oh, this was great. Just great.
Vicky was way too quiet.
“Is something wrong?” I asked, resisting blowing the horn like a few other idiots. Like that would do any good.
“Are you back with Damien?” Her tone was accusatory.
“Are you kidding me? That asshole is the most horrible piece of garbage I’ve ever met.” With the last couple of days a whirlwind of activity, I hadn’t found a chance to tell her the shitstorm Damien was attempting to create.
“Then why is there a picture of you kissing him with a time and date stamp of a couple days ago?”
“What? That’s crazy.” I shrank back as soon as I realized what she was talking about. “Where did you hear or see this?”
“It’s all over social media, girl. I don’t know what the hell is going on, but both you and Saint are being crucified on about every platform. There’s more. Did you know Damien has an Instagram account?”
“Yes, but he rarely posts.”
“Not any longer. He was busy posting pictures of the two of you with comments about getting married.”
Oh. My. God.
“I’m going to fucking kill him. Let me take a look.
” I shifted to Instagram, easily finding the picture she was talking about without trying too hard.
I’ll be damned. The asshole had set me up even though I’d insisted on meeting him in the parking lot of his office.
Someone had taken a photograph of him forcing himself on me. The ugly kiss.
Castrating the man would be too good for him. I’d cut off a limb an hour starting with his fingers.
“Shit,” I said into the phone.
“What are the chances Saint’s seen that?” Vicky groaned.
“About a million percent. Plus, he thinks I need time and Damien sent flowers. I fell into a trap.”
“Why?”
“It’s a long story. However, I can’t let this happen. I just can’t lose him.”
Vicky snorted. “I thought this was a fake relationship.”
“Oh, shut up,” I snapped. “Ugh. I’m sorry.
No, it’s not fake at all. I don’t know if it ever really was.
What in God’s name am I going to do?” If I slammed my forehead into the steering wheel a few more times, I’d have a permanent dent as a reminder of all the fun I’d had while dipping into insanity.
“You’re really not getting back with Damien?”
“No!” I snapped again. I guess I was a little frazzled. “Oops. No,” I repeated, this time whispering.
“Then you fight fire with fire.”
“How am I going to do that? I’m stuck in traffic that doesn’t seem to want to go anywhere and my guess is the first period is almost over.”
“I won’t tell you how badly they’re doing. I don’t think that would make your day. But they suck right now.”
Groaning, I did an angry dance with my butt on the seat and out of frustration, slammed my hand on the horn.
“Ouch!” Vicky yelped. “Saint is acting like a crazy man. Hell, he hit the puck so hard it flew into the stands. And I’m not talking about the seats closest to the ice.
That was caught on ESPN. Even worse, one of the dudes on the show commented that we all might be seeing the Wolfman before the night was over. ”
This nightmare couldn’t get any worse.
Yes, it could. If I didn’t get to the arena on time, bad shit was going to happen. I felt it in my bones.
Fuck a duck and then some. He was losing his cool, which could mean he’d shift accidentally. That just couldn’t happen. “I have to get to the rink. There must be a way.”
“Any flying saucers around?”
“Don’t laugh at me at a time like this. I’m in crisis mode.” And I was sucking at it. Think. Think. “We’re in this together, you and me.”
“What do you mean you and me?” Vicky retorted.
“You’re my best friend so you’re going to help me. You owe me.”
“For what?”
“You’re the only person I can count on.”
“Fine. What do you need me to do?”
As I craned my neck toward the passenger side, I noticed I wasn’t that far away from an exit ramp. Hmmm… It was against the law to drive on the shoulder. “You’re coming to the game.”
“I don’t have tickets.”
“Tell them you’re with the Masters suite.”
“Right. Like that’ll sway them. I’ll see what I can do. What else?”
“You’re going to make a stop for me on the way.”
She chuckled. “I can feel your wicked wheels turning. Tell me what you need, 007. I’m your gal Friday.”
I only prayed they weren’t turning in the wrong direction.
After giving her a list, I debated breaking the law.
What the hell. I was in way over my head in every aspect of my life. Now I had to prove my love to a wolf shifter. Might as well go out with a bang.
With my hands firmly planted on the steering wheel, I jerked it to the right.
And drove like a bat out of hell on the shoulder toward the exit.
The police could arrest me if they wanted.
Then my furry fiancé would come knocking on their door.
Just like the big, bad wolf.