The lounge area ofmendressed as equallydrab as theyare old, watchon. Eachone wearinga polo shirtincornflower blueorabuttonupinoff-white Boringandbasicforbeingworthsevenfigures Mycheeksflush.“Awooooo!”
The manseated closestto Hawkleans forward to pickup his canofDietCoke, raisingittoward me Daniel Beringer, numbertwoincharge.“Here,here.HopefullyyoucandoabetterjobthanourlastPRconsultant,Jerry.”
Mr.Hawkpierceshimwithasternlookthatgivesmeaningtotheanimalhe’snamedafter.“Thisgirlhasturnedshitaround enoughtimes for enoughteams. Idon’tgive a damnifitwas for the fuckingNational League ofProfessional Pickle Ball resultsareresults!”
“Before her hamstringinjurythat prematurelyended her career,” says Mr. Monotone. He blinks so dryly, Iwouldn’t be surprisedifhisthoughtshavewanderedtohisdinnerplansforthenight
“Ablessingindisguise,”Isay,chintiltedwithconfidence.“Sports publicrelations is muchmoremyspeed.It’s mytrue callinginlife.”
Mr Beringer sighs “Good luck The Wolves need it We were voted mosthated teamfor a second year ina row bythe fans.That’snoteventouchingonperformancelastseason.”
The hall outside is decorated in decades worth of Seattle Wolves memorabilia. Numerous jerseys of star players and framedphotographsofhistoricmomentsfortheteamlinethewalls Theentirehallisatributetothelegendaryteam Istopa few times alongthewaytoadmireapreservednewspaper headlineaboutachampionshipwinor tostudytheever-evolving teamlogoovertheyears.
Tiffanyscootsoffthebedandslidesbackintothediscardedpieceoflingerieshe’deagerlytakenoffonlyanhourago An auraofself-loathingrollsoffher,likeit’ssunkinhowbadlyshe’sfuckedup.
“Don’t know, Tiff What kind of wife fucks her husband’s teammate?” I grin wide when she shoots me cold daggers, alreadypreparedfortheinevitableshoeshetosses.Ihopoutoftheking-sizedbedjustintimeforthesneakertosmackintothe headboard
Her shrill screamrocks the cityfor miles It’s still echoingbythe time I’mheadingdownthe frontpathofPhil’s large, gated mansion, myt-shirtfolded over myshoulder and a cigarette inmymouth. Ipause longenoughto flip offthe security camerathattracksmyeverysteponmywalktomyCorvette.
“Sometimes,Coach.Onlytoattractivewomen.Sorry,youdon’tqualify.” Hescoffsinoffense.“YouwishIdid.IfIbattedfor theother team,I’dliketothinkIcoulddobetter thanyou at least
Kaisaysthe best ofthe worst,butmypointstands.TheWolvescan’tdoshittomewhenI’mtheirbestshotatanyhopeofa comeback
After three straightseasons where we’ve failed to make the conference quarterfinals, letalone winmore games thanwe lose, we’re inpiss poor shape. Last season, Walsh, our best blue liner, signed withthe BrooklynBlades. Duringthe same season,welostourbestgoalie,Sandoval,tohissubstanceabuseissues
That’snotevengettingintotheotherscandalsthathaverockedtheteam likethesexualassaultallegationsagainstFoley or the tensions risingbetweencertainplayers The team’s beenfumblinginrecent times withno signofimprovement in sight.
I’mthe MVP. The firstline center everytime. I’mthe one thatputs us onthe scoreboard. I’mthe one thatplays defense whenMorascaandGilliamfallshort,whichisjustabouteverygame.
Icutoffawholelineoftrafficspeedingontothehighway,racingfromBellevuetoourtrainingfacilityinunderfifteen The othercarsontheroadquicklylearntogetthehelloutofmyway.Somehonk.IthrowmyheadbackandlaughatthemasIslam onthegasandleavethemcoughinginmydust
Passingthe huge no smokingsigns plastered everywhere, Ipuffonmycigarette and thenflickthe buttto the ground for maintenancetopickup Istroll throughthebuilding,makingmypresenceknown Themorethepersoncan’tstandme andI alwayscantell themoreIeatitup.ThemoreIrubitin.
Fromthe time Iwas a kid, everybodyalways assumed the worstofme. Theywere always stuckonoutrage, jumpingto conclusionsaboutme Whynotfeedintothebadimpressions?Whynottake’emfrombadtoworse?
Hawk’s expressionremains frozenonhis face.“Youreallyare EliotGolding’s son.Youknow your father was always a proudWolf Sowasyourbrother It’straditionforyourfamily” Iloseinterest,turningtothewallofaccoladesperchedonshelves.
ButI’mnotDad or Colt IdowhatthefuckIwant AndifIwanttobreaktraditionandsignwithadifferentteam,Iwill “Tell youwhat, Alpha,” Hawkgoes on. “Youcan’t talkmuchnow. I get it. But show up to the teamevent at the Onyx tomorrownight We’llhaveadrinkthen Justyouandme”
Butit’s not just the tightcurves she’s workingwith it’s the strikingcontrastofher honey-colored skinagainstthe wild maneofburnt-redcurls Thenaturallyupsweptdimensionofherface,cheekbonesprominentandhigh,andhereyes,largeand expressive.Herfuckinglipsthataredistracting,thebottomslightlypoutierthanthetop.
“Would you like something to drink?” I ask the moment we’re inside my office. I was especially mindful of how I decoratedthespace,choosingthecobaltblueandmetallicsilverknownastheteamcolors
It’s a givenRafe Goldingwould have this effect onme objectivelyspeaking, he’s the definitionof anattractive man Sincehiscareerbegan,he’sbeeninthetoptenofeveryHottest Athletes listoutthere.
“Whydon’tyoulearntocall people bytheir appropriate name? The lasttime Icheckedmyname’s Marisse March.You mayrefertomeasMs March”
“ThelasttimeIchecked,Idon’tcare.”
I take a moment to recollect myself, recognizingthis is what Rafe Goldingdoes, and I steer the conversationina new direction Hemaybelievehe’llbeabletosteamrollovermelikehe’sdoneeveryoneelsefromMr HawktoCoachOatesto histeammates,buthe’sextremelymistaken.NothingandnoonewillbesabotagingthejobI’vebeenhiredtodo.
I roll my lips together, fighting off the scowl that’s threatening to tighten my features. “Rafe, ” I say in a tone that’s restrained, “this process will be a loteasier ifyoujustcooperate Iwas thinkingthe bad boyimage does fityouwell It’s clearlysomethingyou’recomfortablewith.Butwhatwill reallytakeyour imagetothenextlevel is sometouches ofagood heartsomewhereinthere.Maybeasmallcharityeventvolunteeringwithchildrenoranimals.It’llreallywinoverthefemale fans ”
The smile drops offhis face. The laughter ends. He unfolds his arms and sits up fromhis recliningposition. The boyish qualityofhisdimplesisnomore,andthepatronizingglintinhisgazehasfaded.Instead,allthatremainsarethehardedgesof hishandsomeface Intimidatingandarousingallatonce
Get a fucking grip, Mari.
“Bullshit,”hespits
Mybrowsjump.“Excuseme?”
“You heard me bullshit,” he says, standing to full height. “I’mnot Hawk’s puppet, and I damn sure won’t be letting anybodypullmystrings.IdowhatIwant,whenIwant.Igetinbarfights,andIfuckpeople’swives.Itotalfastcars,andI’d stealtheshirtoffsomebody’sbackifIfeltlikeit.Ifyouthinkyou’regoingtocomeinhereandswitchthatup,it’struewhat theysay Nosuchthingasawomanthat’ssmartand beautiful Butatleastyou’reeasyontheeyes,SugarTits”
Hestepsaroundme,comingsocloseIdamnnearfeelhisbodyagainstmine,andthenstridesfromtheoffice Hispresence lingersforminutesafterhe’sgone.Anenergythat’shotandsuffocatingandfeelslikeit’stakenoverwhat’ssupposedtobe my space
Other playerslikeOliver HousleyandRhettGilliamgivelukewarmreactionstomysuggestions Onehasbeenknownto haveaprescriptiondrugproblemwhiletheotherisembroiledinanastycustodybattlewithagroupiehesleptwith.
I blow out anexhausted sighsinkingonto the sofa once mylast meetingwraps up. If the image consultations were this difficult,therealworkwon’tbeeasy.
Jerryinterrupts myreflectiontime bypoppingher head inand lettingme know Mr. Hawkwould like to see me inhis office.IpromiseherI’llbeoverinafewminutesandmoveontothesilvermosaictiledmirrorthathangsonthewall.Mythick maneofcurlshasgottenprogressivelybiggerasthedayhasgoneon Yetanothersignit’sbeenaroughday
He cracks outa crass-soundinglaugh. “So damnprofessional, darling. Loosenup sometime. No need to be so uptight. I mightbeyourboss…butI’malsoyourfriend.You’llcometoseeit.Whichremindsme,tomorrownight,we’rehavingateam eventattheOnyxHotel Everybody’sgottobethere Includingyou Sonogettingoutofthatnightcapyouoweme” Iswallow,myskinpricklingwithanuncomfortablewarmth.“Ofcourse.I’dlovetobetheretosupport.”
Hisgazerakesoverme.Nosubtlety.Nofurtiveness.Noeffortatalltohidewhathe’sdoingandwhathe’sthinkingashis eyes slide over everycurve ofmybody. Ido mybest at playingmyrole, wishinghima good eveningand turningto walk gracefullyoutofhisoffice.
Displeasurecrinklesinthelinesbracketinghiseyes Heresemblesawalrus,hisfacepudgyandhismustachethickasfur Hedoesn’tlikewhenIrefusetogetwiththeprogram;he’sfullyonboardwiththeimageoverhaulofourteam. And withtherevampofmeandmypersonainthepubliceye
“I wouldn’t rule anything out, Coach,” I answer, stepping ahead of him. I’mdone with talking about Morasca and my contractbeingup “IgowhereIwanttogo Alwayshave,alwayswill”
Ienter the roomtoathletes andother importantpeople everywhere Ilook It’s notsome hoity-toity,high-class affair like Hawkpretendsitis.Ifiteverstartedthatway,it’smorphedintosomethingelse.Somefuckedupmirrorversionofitself Ice Girlsandescorts-for-hirearenegotiatingthetermsforthenightwiththeathletes Teamexecssnortblowasacasualpastime Wealthybusinessmenputtheirheadstogetherinhushedprivatetalkaboutbusiness.
Legalandotherwise
I spot Hawk right away. He’s not alone, standing with none other than Quigley Blackman, owner of the hotel, and… MarisseMarch.
The second they’ve caught my attention, Marisse says something that makes Hawk clap his hands together in amused approval.
Myeyes narrow, thoughIremainwhere Iam, lurkingamongdozens I’mnotthe lurker type Icause too muchchaos to everblendinenough butforthisbriefmoment,I’mfulfillingtherole. Itshouldn’tbothermeseeingherkissHawk’sass
Kai’soffontheothersideoftheroominthemiddleofaconversationwithWoodrowChanning,probablythemostfamous golfer in the world Woody’s hopped up on a cocktail of uppers and downers, sweating bullets, barely able to slur out a sentence.
“Colt!Th-there youare… was just… saying… where’d Coltgo?” he stammers. He brings his beverage to his lips and misses bya quarter ofaninch,spillingwhatlooks like whiskeydownhis front “How the heckya been,man? Stayingoutta trouble?”
KaiandImeeteachother’sgaze Kai’smaybetheonlypersonatthispartywhoIcanstandforlongerthantenseconds He sharesalmostasmuchcontemptforthesepeopleasIdo.
We understand eachother Ithrive offcausingchaos and he thrives offobservingthe chaos I’ve caused Aleftwinger oftenplayingfirstline withme, he’s the type womenwould call darkand mysterious. His mother’s Japanese and his father Swiss,sohegrewupoverseas,travelingbetweenthetwocountries,beforehedevelopedanaffinityfortheonlytwothingshe caresaboutinthisworld:hockeyandsportsbikes
The payout was one of the biggest hush-hush celebrity payouts in history The guy and his family never have to work anotherdayintheirlives…butitdoesn’tmakeWoodyanylessofapieceofshit.
Ileave the partybehindfor the new opportunitythat’s come up.Tiffany’s textedme toletme know she’s waitingfor me outsidetheladiesrestroom Forallthescreechingandcondemningshe’ddone,it’samusingtoseehercirclebacksoquickly I expectedshe’dholdoutatleastaweekortwo.
She grabs me bythe handandleads me intothe women’s bathroom.Idon’tobjectevena little bit.I’malreadyover the party,andHawk’sdragginghisfeetonourmeeting WhynotgetmydicksuckedwhileIwait?
Butshe doesn’tslow down She bobs up and downmylength, makinggood use ofthe hotsuctionofher mouth Tiffany MorascawasonceagroupiepassedaroundinNHLcircles,thoughMorascalikestopretenditneverhappened. He’striedtoturnaslutintoawifeandit’sneverpannedoutinhisfavor Tiffany’salwayswillingtoauditionforapartontheteam.
MybrowsdrawcloserasIreturnthedresstotherackandthenbrowsethewideselectionofothers theattendanthelping me puttogether so manystyle options, it’s overwhelming. The second she heard the words NHLeventand the Onyx, she’d zippedtowardmewithameasuringtapeandfeverishexcitement,promisingshecouldfindtheperfectdressfortheoccasion What’sfollowedhasbeenanhourandahalfofbeingfittedformorethanadozendifferentdresses.
She drains the champagne the designer boutique has provided and then reaches for a few more of the complementary strawberries. “All I’msayingis, these industryevents have a whole lotofverysingle, veryavailable professional athletes. Somewomenhavefoundtheirhusbandsattheseevents Itwouldn’thurttoshowsomeskin”
JhenecomesupbehindmeinthemirrorandpressestheValentinoagainstmyfront.Consideringshe’safewinchesshorter thanme, barelyscrapingfive feet, it’s a comical sight. “This is the dress, Mari. Wear it. Find yourself a husband. And be professionalorwhatever”
We walk out of the boutique clutching a few shopping bags including the five-thousand-dollar Valentino dress I’ve splurgedon.It’sarecklesspurchaseI’vejustifiedbyarguingIcangetplentyofuseoutofitinmypersonallifetoo.
Players Coaches Investorsandadvertisers Theownerhimself,JasperHawk He spots me right away. His dark-green eyes gleamas he waves me over. The tall man he’s with eyes me with equal interest
The leggy, cutoutdress makes me feel as sexyas Imustlook. I’ve kepteverythingelse simple, optingto leave mylarge maneofauburnhairwildaboutmyshoulders I’vebarelyaccessorized,stickingwithhoopsandmyfavoritepieceofjewelry the goldlinknecklace Dadgiftedme whenIwas selectedtobe partofthe U.S.female speedskatingteamfor the Winter Olympics
Islinkthroughthecrowdofwho’swhoinnotjusttheNHLworld,butinthebroadersportsworld,recognizingthree-time PGAwinner Woodrow Channingand infamous NFLcoachEverett Combs. Most of the players onthe Wolves are present, socializingeitheramongthemselvesinironicpacksorwithIceGirlsinbarelytheredressesthatfitJhene’searlierdefinition ofthotty.Thesearethegirlsoutforhusbands… or anathletetoentertainforthenight.
Mr Hawkwears the toothiestgrinI’ve ever seenonce I’mwithina few feet Irespondwitha modestlittle smile ofmy own,asifI’mhesitanttojoinhimandhisveryimportantfriend,QuigleyBlackman.
Receptionfromthe Ice Girls is more mixed a few give me the coldshoulder while a couple others seemharmless and bubbly Astheteamcheerleaders,theyseemtofeelalevelofpossessivenessovertheplayers
Mr.Blackmanabandonsmysidetogoaddressotherbusinesspartnerswhohavecaughthiseye.Idon’tletitdetermefrom more mingling. ThoughIdo notice himonlya few minutes later, walkingout the door withMr. Hawk’s personal assistant, Jerry Nothingabouttonighthasbeenasurprise.
Rafe Golding’s anass He’s a rude,insufferable jerkIhave nodoubtwill be hell toworkwith I’ve evenbegunmusing overhowIcansabotagehim.Maybedothe opposite ofhelpinghisimageandgethimkickedofftheteaminstead.
Don’t fuck with me, Golding You’ll be surprised how far I’m willing to go Hemightbeattractive,butthat’sabouttheonlygoodthinghehasgoingforhim. Thankfully,myphonedingswithanotificationanddistractsmefrommyconflictingthoughts. Thatis,untilIrealizeit’sMr.Hawk.
Justata glance,Isee Woodrow Channingsnifflingone toomanytimes withwhite dustrimminghis nostrils Several Ice Girls give lap dances to players like Kai Fakuda and Rhett Gilliam. Colt Golding, who bears a close resemblance to his younger brother, looks disinterested and bored as he walks out with an Ice Girl trailing behind in puppy-like fashion Elsewhere,Iseeexecutivesandamysteriousmaninallblackandgelledhairexchangecashinwhathastobeabribery. Iturnmybackonthe manysecrets outinthe openand head for Mr. Hawk’s penthouse suite. The door leadinginside is proppedopenaninch.Doesheexpectformetoletmyselfin?
“It doesn’t fuckingmatter!” comes Mr Hawk’s voice fromdeeper inside the suite “You’ll do whatever the hell I say! We’renotlettinghimgo.Isthatclear,DannyBoy?”
“Youcan’tcontrol things forever, Hawk. Sooner or later, something’s gotto give. Somebody’s goingto pull thatrugout fromunderyou”
“Isthatathreat?Huh?Youthreateningme,DannyBoy?”
“Of ofcoursenot I Ijustmeant ” Mr.Hawkhusheshim.Thetwomenfallsilentasiflisteningforsomething. Listeningforme They’verealizedthey’renotalone
I figure there’s no use pretending like I’m not here. I step farther into the suite, emerging from the short hallway that connectstheentrancewiththelivingroomspace.
Their reactions are like nightand day Daniel Beringer lets
My stubbornness needles away at me It demands I tell himto fuck off and stormout But my ambition blares louder, screamingatmetostay.Justforalittlewhile.Longenoughtohavethedrinkandinventanexcusetogo.
This could be mychance to solidifymypositionwiththe Wolves Another steppingstone to a successful career inthis world.
I can’t let David win…
Ichoose the seatfarthestfromhis and take a small sip ofthe drink Myface pulls anexpressionofdisgustatthe strong taste.Alcoholhasneverbeenmything,butthiswhiskeytastesevenworsethanusual.
Tenorsominutesgobylikethis,wherehepokesaroundforpersonalinfoandmakesoff-colorremarks I’mfinallyableto steer himtoward the topic that’s relevant to work the players and their public image overhauls. He listens on with mild interestasIgointodetail
Irubmyeyesandshudderoutayawn,thenrealizeI’mnotathome I’mstillattheWolves’party I’mstillinMr Hawk’s penthouse. This jolts me more thananything. Ijump outofmyseatonthe sofa, questioninghow Icould lose trackoftime and fall asleep.
My horror makes me incoherent and irrational I back up against the wall and shake my head profusely It can’t be what it looks like It can’t be what I’m seeing This has to be some horrible nightmare Black spots appear before my eyes. My pulse thrashes away. I drop to my knees and scream at the blood on my shoes. David can’t be dead He can’t be! How could he leave me like he has? Is this what he wanted? For me to lose him like this
“I don’t know,” I answer for what feels like the millionth time I peer up at the police officers with tears glossing my eyes. My jaw trembles. “Please… I don’t know what happened. He called me earlier to come over… and… and I found him like this ”
“You had his blood on you, ” says the police officer on the left. Blond. Older. Face creased with suspicion. He glances at his partner, then back at me “How did you get in?”
“The the door was unlocked ”
“As we understand it, you and Mr. Abernathy have had a falling out…” “Heshouldbehereanyminute,”Rafesays.“He’lltakecareoftherest.Makesurehe’sneverfound.Acleaningcrewwill comebyandhavetheplacespotless”
“That’s the last thing we need to do You have his blood all over you There’s a murder weapon that likely has your fingerprintsonit.”HegesturestothebrokenliquorbottleImust’veusedtodefendmyself.“Doyouhaveanyideawhatyou’d beopeningyourselfupto?Itwouldbeafull-fledgedpoliceinvestigation,andguesswhosuspectnumberonewouldbe?” “I’minnocent.”
It’s too much to process at one time My hand comes to the top of my head My fingers massage my scalp, hoping to ease the tension bundled up inside me. It feels like I’m about to explode from so much confusion.
David had sounded eager to see me He’d mentioned talking about our future
Why would he do this?
Police and other first responders flood the ground floor of his house I stand off to the side, answering any questions the lead police officers ask me.
It’s not until Jhene shows up that I’m pulled away and reminded I need an attorney. I shouldn’t be answering any of their questions without one Jhene slides an arm around my shoulders and escorts me off. “Never talk to the police unrepresented, Mari. What were you thinking?”
“David’s… gone… ”
It still hasn’t sunk in yet If it ever will Mitchfinallyarrives.He’sanolder manwithlinesonhisfaceandwholookslikehe’snever smiledadayinhislife.A fewothermenaccompanyhim.Theycomeinasaunitedfrontandsetrighttowork.TheyfinishwrappingMr.Hawkingarbage bags,hisentirebodyconcealedwithblack,shinyplastic Thentheydumphiminalaundrybinthemaidsuse Theycoverhim upwithtowelsandbedsheetsandwheelhimoutlikethey’reemployeesatthehotel. Oneofthemevenwearstheuniform Theotherssettocleaning.
I thought we were a we, but I had been wrong David never had any intention of making it real He was always a predator looking to take. He spoke all the right words and did all the right things to make me blind to the fact that he wasn’t a good man
He knew just how to lure me into his trap Make me think he really did see something special in me. I wanted to believe that it was true That I was special And that we would be together.
Rafe leads me downthe hall We ride the elevator tothe groundfloor manylevels below He never leaves myside as I floatinadaze,bouncingbetweenthepresentandthepast.HowmuchdidIhavetodrinktonight?
“Nobody has to know,” Rafe mutters to me and me alone. He squeezes my hand tighter inside his, pulling me along. “Nobody’llfindout There’snothingtoworryabout” I believed him when I shouldn’t have. I won’t make that mistake again.
Jhenewandersacrosstheopenspaceofmyapartmentandstopsatthefloor-to-ceilingglasswallthatoverlooksthesandy stripknownasAlkiBeach.Shemightthinkshe’sbeingcasualandnonchalant,butthatcouldn’tbefurtherfromthetruth her vacantstare,therollofherlips,thestiltedstanceatthewindow,theyallgiveheraway Ipinchthebridgeofmynoseandgritout,“Whatisit,Jhene?Somethingonyourmind?”
My arrival to the broad grin of Mr. Hawk and the peaked brow of his business associate, Mr. Blackman himself. I’d navigated the party like the professional networker I am, weaving between guests, making connections, with Mr. Hawk’s meetingloomingovermyhead I’dhadthingsundercontrol…atfirst.
EnterRafeGoldingandhisgratuitousbehavior HewasinthebathroomgettingablowjobfromPhilMorasca’swife By thetimeIstumbledmywayuptoMr.Hawk’spenthousesuite,Iwasalreadyfrazzled.
The memory of our meeting no longer feels real. He’d lavished me with compliments and praise, his words and leer inappropriateanduncomfortable.I’ddonemybesttobeprofessionalandbearit.
I can’t involve Jhene She’s a reporter for the Sentinel who frequently writes about the city’s most shocking news developments.NotthatIbelieveshe’dturnwhathappenedtomeintosomesalaciousnewsstory,buthowcanIputherinsuch acompromisingposition?
TheentirehockeyworldhasbeeninafrenzyoverMr.Hawk.Asfarasthegreaterpublic’saware,he’sbeenmissingfora week now. His whereabouts are completely unknown, and a full-scale Seattle PD missing persons investigation has been launched.Bothofhisex-wiveshavebeenoneverynewsnetworksobbingintohandkerchiefstolettheviewersathomeknow howmissedheis
“Hey, Marisse! There you are,” calls Coach Oates He’s headed down the corridor coming the opposite way He’s clutchingagianttravel mugofcoffee,donninghissignaturenavy-blueWolveswindbreaker jacket,withbagsunder hiseyes. “Wanttocomedowntothebench?Theguysareoutdoingsomedrillswiththeothercoaches.Figurewecouldalluseapickme-upwithHawk’sabsence”
Irollmyeyes,outofexcusesbeyondIjustdon’twantto.Whichalwaysseemedtoworkwellinthepast,butconsidering circumstances, seems flimsy at best. No one at the Wolves suspects I have a thing to do with Mr. Hawk’s supposed disappearance I’m supposed to be as downtrodden as they are If it pleases Oates and takes his mind off his boss’s whereaboutsforevenafewminutes,thenit’llbeworthit.
The Wolves have splitthemselves into two groups We come up onthe row ofglass seats intime to witness one ofthe players onoffense a leftwinger bythe name ofKai Fakuda send the pucksailinginto the net. He’s metbyGoldingand Schmidtwhobothbumpfistswithhim
It’sonegoalofmany.
Within minutes, I’m able to gather the dynamics of the team just by watching them interact during practice. There’s a distinctdividebetweenRafeandhisclosestalliesandmanyofthedefensivemen ThetensionfeelstangibleasRafedribbles thepuckdowntheiceanddefensemanPhilMorascarushestointercept.
The second the clockstrikes five p.m., I’ma blur onmywayto the parkinggarage. Imorphinto the maniac driver I’m alwayscomplainingabout,weavingbetweenlanesandcuttingpeopleoff BythetimeImakeittothetopfloorofmyapartment buildingandunlockmydoortothrowmyselfinside,I’mpracticallyinthemiddleofapanicattack.
ItmayseemlikeSeattlePDandtheinvestigatorsonthecasearenowhereclosetosuspectingme,butwhatamIgoingtodo once they inevitably are? They’ll review camera footage that shows me arriving at Mr. Hawk’s suite, interview character witnessesandbystandersaboutwhattheysawandoverheard,andlikelyevenuncoverincriminatingphysicalevidence.
There had beenbrokenglass everywhere Mr Hawk’s blood had splattered Surely, the menRafe broughtinto cleanup must’vemissedsomething…
I’ve strolled into her apartment unchecked, my hands stowed in the pockets of my sweatpants My head’s on a swivel,glancingaround.HerprivatespaceisexactlyhowIimagined bright,clean,andsmellingofsomesoft,sweet scent Jasmineorpeoniesorsomeotherfloweryshit Feminineandkindofarousing. Itmorethanfitsher.
“ImissedthepartwhereIinvitedyouinas aguest,”shesayssharply Ifitwereatallpossible,mygrinwouldwiden.Marissetriessohardtopretendshe’scoolandunbotheredinmypresence, likeshe’sabovebeingagitatedbyaguylikeme.Somebodyshedeems beneath her. She’s gotnocluehow shemakes itsomuchworsewhenshebehaves this way Her snootiness makes mewanttobeten timesthetrollingassholeIalreadyam.
“Mysilenceisn’tfree,Sugar,”Isaybetweenmorelaughter.ThenmylaughdropsoffandIletmyseriousnessbleedintothe once-playful expressiononmyface Mydimples disappear and myeyes harden It’s like a maskslippingawayto reveal a predatorbeneath.Inaroundaboutway,that’sexactlywhat’sabouttohappen.
She reallydoes looklike she’s aboutto pass out. Her breathing’s audible, stiffand shortgasps for air, and her face has glazedoverinpermanentshock Icanhardlyresistreachingouttothumbhercheekandbrushsomeofherwildmanebehind herear.
I’m really, really going to enjoy playing this game
Friday morning rolls around with my alarmblaring loud. Almost obnoxious enough for me to smash my phone against the farthestwall Irolloutofbedandhalfwayforgetabouttheotherbodylyingbesideme SomeeasychickIpickedupatAxis lastnightandbroughthomeafterI’dcaughtmyselfthinkingtoodamnmuchaboutMarisseandwhetherornotshe’llacceptmy offer.TheeasychickaskedlittletonoquestionsoncesherealizedIwasRafeGolding. Prettystandardformostgroupiesintheclub.
