Since I’d spent the last couple of nights in jail and still hadn’t been home, I didn’t know if they had tried to call me.I could only imagine they had.
“Oh god,” I heard Lucas gasp.
“What?”Knox questioned, turning around.
“I just got a text from Ella.”
Ella was Lucas’s wife and worked in the Dominators Promotions department.If that wasn’t bad enough, she was also Larson’s daughter.Ella hadn’t been around because she’d been taking care of her grandmother, taking her back and forth to cancer treatment; she’d probably already heard about the situation.
“And?”Lorelai questioned.
“Ella just got an email from Larson.She says she doesn’t want to get involved, but we should check out theIce Insidersapp.”
“I’m not looking at that drivel,” Levi said, pulling his phone from his pocket.
“Neither am I,” Scarlett added, shifting Mia from one side of her lap to the other.“You guys know what kind of garbage they publish.”
“Check The Blue Line Bulletin,” Clay suggested.
“Yes, that will give you the most up-to-date information,” Dylan said, winking at Scarlett.
Scarlett had worked for theIce Insiders, and it soon came to light how much they loved to ruin anyone, so I could only imagine what was being printed about me there.
“What does it say?”I questioned.
The entire team checked their phones, each one of them staring at the screen for a few seconds before looking over at me.
“Well, is someone going to enlighten me?”
“They’ve suspended you from the team.”Lorelai gasped.“Effective immediately.The article was published last night.”
I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone, quickly checking my email.What she was saying was true.Larson himself had emailed me with their decision; I’d just chosen to ignore it until I was in a better frame of mind.
“What about the playoffs?”Levi questioned.“We need him, Dylan.”
“I know I can always talk to Thompkins, ask him to talk to Larson to reconsider his decision until after the playoffs,” Dylan added.
“Dylan, don’t get involved.It looks like you’ll all have to do without me, boys.The email from Larson states they will determine my fate at the beginning of next season.Until then, I’m not to step foot in the arena aside from working out and for practice.It doesn’t even say whether I can go to the games.”
“That’s bullshit.I’ll talk with him,” Dylan said, handing Jackson to Aurora.
“No, I did this.I’ll take the heat.I’ll go in and talk with him, and if they decide to pitch me at the beginning of next season, they do.”I shrugged.
“No, Colton, I’ll talk with them,” Lorelai said.
I got up from the chair I was sitting in.“No, sweetheart, you won’t.I did this.I own up to it.”
“You were only protecting me.”
“Exactly, and I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.Now, if you guys will excuse me, I think I’m gonna head on home.”
Lorelai looked up at me with tears in her eyes.
“No worries, sweets, things always have a way of working out.”I leaned down and placed a kiss on her cheek, gave Knox a fist bump, and left the backyard while waving to the others.As I made my way to the front of the house to where my truck was, I hoped I was right.I hoped things would work out because, for the first time in my entire career, I was actually happy where I was.
Chapter Two
Emma - End of August
