Her words burn like fire flicking across my skin, burning pit holes through my flesh.
“How many more suspensions will it take before you finally wake up one day and realize you’re no longer the incredible hockey player you hoped you’d be? What would Gretchen have to say about that?”
She gets right up in my face, and my anger becomes a living, breathing thing.
“You have no right to talk about her,” I snarl, but have zero intention of touching her. I have become a monster lately, but a woman beater is not who I am or will ever be.
To my left, Ash and Leon jump out of their seats.
“Step away, Wade,” Ash shouts from across the table at the same time Leon snaps, “Cool your shit.”
And the entire time, Kali doesn’t look at all fazed by my outburst as she holds her hand up in their direction. “I’ve got this.” She’s unflappable and I sort of admire her for that. “Do you think Marcus is joking about transferring you?” Her voice firm as she asks.
“Who do you think you are talking to?” I move a millimeter closer to the woman who is every man’s wet dream and has suddenly become my nightmare.
“I’m talking to the asshole that’s about to throw away his career because he refuses to get the help he needs.” Her breath, that smells sweeter than I imagined, puffs against my face.
Desperately trying to keep my cool, my fists clench by my sides as my annoyance bubbles low and deep in my throat. “You know nothing about me,” I point out, gritting my words through my teeth.
“I know enough to see what you can’t.” She lifts a brow. “There’s a contract written, with your name on it, transferring you to an AHL team of Marcus’s choosing.”
“Bullshit.”
“Show him.” She crosses her arms in front of her and pops a hip like Little Miss. Know It All.
“Here, read it over. It’s all there.” Marcus drawls as if bored with my antics and pushes what looks like a contract across the table.
I can’t bring myself to look at it, but I glance at it for a split second. It’s all there in black and white.
Fuck, she’s not lying.
I take a step back and run my hands through my hair. I swear all the blood has rushed to my feet; I feel lightheaded. “You would never?” Shaking my head back and forth, I look up and down the table at the fixed faces.
“Agree to let us help you, Wade, and that gets torn up and never spoken about again.” Laying a much gentler hand on my forearm than expected, Kali’s touch stops me from spiraling any further than I already am. “Can you all give us five minutes, please?” Kali instructs everyone to leave and drops her hand away.
Head nods and sympathetic smiles acknowledge her request.
One by one, they leave on her command.
Last to go, Leon gives my shoulder a quick reassuring squeeze.
Until it’s just the two of us.
Me and Kali-fucking-Roth.
CHAPTER FIVE
Kali
I wait for Leon to exit the boardroom. He cheekily throws me a wink through the gap in the door before he closes it, making me roll my eyes at him. He’s been sliding into my DMs for a while. God loves a trier and boy does he try. He’s a ridiculous flirt and knows Michael, my ex-husband. He also knows Michael cheated on me, and went on to upgrade me with a much younger model.Predictable jackass.
I can’t deny his messages did massage my ego, but Leon is so not my type. He’s too upbeat and goofy. And blond like an excitable golden retriever.
The reality of having to work with him so closely is already making me feel like I need a nap.
Send help.
Looking over at Wade, whose shoulders are set, he looks oddly petrified as he stares straight ahead and not at me.
