Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
SHAW
Fuck team unity, harmony or whatever shit people went on about. The Ghouls decimated the opposition.
Cruz and Easton played like their lives depended on it. Dean didn't let a single biscuit into the basket. The Kings were aggressive and played well, but no matter what they did, we were right there, driving them back, stealing the puck, checking them against the boards.
Was it the best we ever played? No, but we destroyed them anyway. We did it so thoroughly their left defence picked a fight five minutes from the end of the third period and got sent to the penalty box. Bench, technically. The power play gave us another goal, leaving the score at eight to nothing.
I would have celebrated along with my team, but every time I glanced at Cat, she looked tense as fuck. More than I'd seen her before. She was hot as hell in my jersey, but her body was almost as rigid as my cock under my cup.
I would have put it down to her being back here, but her friends were tense too. They pretended they were enjoying themselves, talking and laughing, but that was all it was. A pretence.
The minute the horn went for the end of the third period, I was off the ice and showering in about thirty seconds flat. I was dressed when the guys were still patting each other on the back and hugging to celebrate the win.
I hauled open the door to the locker room and slipped out into the crowds. I scanned them quickly, searching for the most gorgeous redhead in the place. Was she still here or had she left when the game ended?
I'd almost decided she was gone when I caught a glimpse of her distinctive hair. As if she sensed my eyes on her, she turned around and gave me a nervous look.
I shoved my way through the crowd to her and cupped her cheeks in my hands. I didn't care who saw. I leaned down to kiss her mouth. She kissed me back, but she was trembling.
"Should we get out of here?" I said. I kept my tone light. As light as I could manage anyway, and curled my fingers around hers.
"Yes, we should." She looked relieved. She glanced at her friends who nodded their agreement.
Something was definitely going on here.
I ignored the congratulations and pats on my back and walked with the three of them out the doors of the rink and into the cool of the night. It was refreshing after a long, hard game, but Cat's hand in mine kept my blood hot.
I led them over to my car and helped Cat inside.
It wasn't until all the doors were closed and I turned the engine on to heat up the car that I turned to the three of them. "Okay, what the fuck is going on?"
Marley and Eden's eyes were on Cat.
She cleared her throat. "I think it was Dean who attacked me."
My blood was immediately on fire. Waves of fury washed over me. Not at her. Never directed at her.
I kept my voice even. "You think Dean attacked you. What makes you think that?" If that was what she thought, I believed her, but I needed to understand why.
"He gave me a look when he was warming up." She shuddered. "It was… I can't explain it. I just knew. I don't know his voice because I've never heard him speak, but I feel like… If he could punch me in front of all those people, he would have. I don't know what I did to him."
I sat back and rubbed a hand over the back of my neck. "He was pissed off at Cruz and Easton and our lack of team unity. I got the feeling he blamed you for it, but I never thought he'd do shit like that."
"He saw you in my jersey," I said slowly.
"So did Cruz and Easton," Marley said. "They looked pissed off. Then Dean looked pissed off at them. "
"Then at me," Cat said softly.
"That stupid fucking bet was the start of all of this," I said. "Because of Cruz and Easton, you were right in the middle of all of it."
"I'm sure they didn't mean for him to come after me," Cat said uncertainly.
"Whether they meant for that to happen or not, he did," I said. "They are almost as bad as he is." I wanted to punch both of them, but it wanted to hurt Dean so much more.
"What do we do now?" Eden asked.
"I need to hear Dean speak," Cat said. "Is there any chance there's an interview with him I can listen to?"
"The Ghouls don't have a high enough profile for people to bother to interview us, yet," I said regretfully. "If we were, Dean is the shy one. An interviewer would be lucky to get a peep out of him."
"Then we need to talk to him in person," she concluded.
"I don't want you anywhere near him," I said.
"It's not enough for the police to go on," she said. "I'm not sure they're allowed to take him in just to record him speaking. That would involve a lawyer, which would make trouble for the team. And I don't want you beating the shit out of him because of my suspicion. What if I'm wrong?"
I rubbed the heel of my hand up and down my forehead a couple of times. "Is this one of those things you have to do and I can't talk you out of it?"
"Yes," she said firmly. "But there's no way in hell I'm dealing with him alone. I'll need you close by to make sure he doesn't try anything."
"Fucking right you do," I said. If anyone suggested otherwise, they were out of their fucking minds. "For the record, I don't like any of this."
"Neither do we," Eden agreed. "But if Cat can confirm it's him, we have something to go on. I don't think we have any other choice. I mean, if you ask him to speak into your phone and take it back for her to hear, he's going to find that suspicious as hell."
"And if he gets suspicious, he might do something rash," I said.
"Exactly," Marley said. "He might try to leave the country. Then this whole thing ends up a movie of the week."
"I'm not sure it's not already movie of the week material," Cat said dryly. "Who would believe any of this?"
"I wouldn't," I admitted. "Everything apart from you feeling the same way about me.
I thought those asshats might stand in our way for longer.
" I never had any doubts we'd end up together.
She was always going to be mine. If it took years, I'd have fought for her.
The universe couldn't have kept us apart forever. I wouldn't have allowed it to.
She managed a smile. "I'm sure you would have shoved them out of the way soon enough."
"That's right, I would have," I agreed. "Or if you decided you wanted them too, I would have shared you. Whatever it took to be with you, I'd do it."
Marley leaned over the seat and gaped at me. "You'd share her with two other guys?" She looked like she didn't quite believe what she was hearing.
Fair enough, it wasn't something a guy said every day.
Cat wasn't an everyday sort of person. She was special.
The most incredible thing about her was that she didn't seem to know that about herself.
She had no idea she was drop dead gorgeous.
Even when her face was bruised, she was still the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen.
"If that's what she wanted," I said.
"Would you share with them if she forgave them for being douchebags?" Marley asked.
I wanted to say that wouldn't happen, but I'd seen the electricity between Cruz, Easton and Cat. Did I like it? Not particularly. Was there anything I could do about it? That remained to be seen.
"If she forgives them, I'll support her, one hundred percent," I said, my eyes on Cat. "And if she wants to go on being pissed off with them forever, I'm behind that too."
I wouldn't mind having her and her glorious pussy to myself. My cock twitched at the thought of her. Okay, it didn't take much. A thought, a glance, a touch. My cock was as in love with her as I was. His favourite pastime was filling her body with my cum. Not surprisingly, so was mine.
"Can we deal with one thing at a time?" Cat asked. "Dean first, then Cruz and Easton." Her expression gave away nothing about the way she felt about them. She looked anxious to deal with Hayes. She didn't need to be. If he lay a finger on her, I'd rip it off and shove it down his throat.
I didn't hate the idea of her attacker choking on his own finger. If the police asked, we could tell them he accidentally bit it off. No big deal, it probably happened every day.
"To O'Reilly's?" I asked. "The whole team will be headed there to celebrate.
" I would have preferred to take her home, strip her naked and lick her from head to toe.
Then fuck her until she couldn't remember her own name.
Carefully, so I didn't do more damage to her leg.
I meant what I said when I told her I wanted to drape her legs over my shoulders while I thrust into her, but I was patient.
Cat nodded. "Perfect. I can have a drink or two before I have to talk to him." She smiled faintly.
"You don't need Dutch courage," I told her. "You're the bravest woman I know."
"Marley and Eden are pretty brave too," she said.
"Yeah we are," Marley said. She was still draped over the seat. "But Cat is queen of being a badass."
"I don't feel very badass," Cat said in a small voice. "I want him dealt with before he hurts someone else. Off the ice."
Her tongue darted over her plump, luscious lips.
I was looking forward to sliding my cock between them.
When she was ready for that. We had all the time in the world to scratch every one of our itches.
When it came to her, I had plenty of them.
I wanted to have her in every possible way a guy can have a woman.
On her knees, in the shower, on a blanket under the stars beside the lake. Everything.
"You don't mind people being hurt on the ice?
" I asked, amused, but only slightly showing it.
I'd never been inclined to smile. Never had much reason to.
Cat might give me one. If anyone could, it would be her.
But not tonight. Tonight was all about proving to her, and everyone else that she could be bent and battered, but she wouldn't be broken.
Dean on the other hand. Shame the Ghouls were about to lose such a good goalie.
"It seems to me like all's fair in love and hockey," she said. "Including punching the crap out of each other." She grimaced, but her eyes seemed to light up slightly when she said that.
"Is that your way of saying you want me to leave some opposition blood on the ice the next time we play?" I asked.
"I'd say it's hot, but don't tell my father. He wouldn't approve." She glanced at Marley.
Marley grinned. "I think you might be surprised what he'd approve of. If he knew about Dean, he'd be going for a scalpel already."
"Yeah, I guess he would," Cat said with a small shrug. "Let's get this over with."