Edge (20 page)

“Fucking prick,” he sputtered, punching me in the gut. I connected with his jaw and then he hit mine. I tasted blood, which only fueled me.

“Don’t ever talk to her again.” I grunted with the effort of shoving him to the ground, where I jumped on top of him. I couldn’t see Dell in my peripheral vision anymore, but maybe it was due to my swollen eye.

“Kinda fucking hard when we’ve got a kid together,” he said, choking on the last words as I punched his gut.

I froze for a second, shock washing through me. “What? You’re Kyler’s father?”

“Yeah. I’ve had a claim on her for six years, asshole, so back the fuck off.”

His words just pissed me off even further. He was the one. He’d taken Dell’s optimism and smashed it. He saw Kyler once a month and left everything else to her alone. And he didn’t fucking deserve to be in the same room with her, let alone … I couldn’t even think about it.

“You fucking asshole,” I said, my tone hot with anger. “With your fucking money, you don’t provide for them? She worries about money while you’re living the high life?”

I was about to hit him again when arms pulled at my chest and shoulders. I thrashed to get away, but there was no hope. I was hustled toward the locker room.

“Easy, brother,” Ryke said in a low tone.

I swallowed the blood that had accumulated in my mouth. “Don’t,” I panted. “Don’t leave Dell here with him.”

Ryke looked over his shoulder. “Looks like her dad’s with her. Come on, man, you need a shower and some ice.”

Vic yelled at London. “Get out of our tunnel, motherfucker!”

I slumped, letting Ryke and Vic lead me into the locker room. More than any hit I’d taken from London tonight, his words had knocked me on my ass. Dell had told me she was long over Kyler’s father, but it was clear London wasn’t over her. It didn’t change my feelings for her, but it reminded me once again that she was more than a passing thing for me. Why else had I been so compelled to punish London for talking shit about her? I’d been overtaken by a wave of possessive desire to protect her.

I’d unconsciously called her my girlfriend back there. Whether I wanted to or not, I’d come to think of Dell as mine. Now I just had to hope she wanted that as much as I did.

Dell

The sharp slam of my father’s office door made me jump. He’d ordered me in here, following behind me. At least the blinds were closed, since I knew he wasn’t opposed to public humiliation.

“And just what the hell was that?” he demanded, leaning against his desk and crossing his arms. “What are you even doing down here, outside my locker room?”

“I’m off tonight.”

He pointed at me, his face ruddy with anger. “You know that’s not what I mean, Adella! Why in the hell am I going to have to suspend one of my best players for a fight in the tunnel in front of a bunch of damned reporters?”

“Talk to John about that.” I crossed my arms and met his dark, furious gaze.

As he stared, his anger softened into an expression that was almost hopeful. “Are you guys seeing each other again?”

Against my will, I snorted my disdain for that idea. “No. I’d love to never see John again. I’m here to see Luke, and we were standing in the tunnel when John came up and said something that started the fight.”

“Luke?” His brows shot up with surprise. “Luke Hudson?”

“Yes.”

“Why would …?” He sighed deeply. “Tell me you aren’t seeing him.”

“What’s it got to do with you if I am?”

Dad rubbed his temples, the lines on his face making him look tired. “For one, you ought to be at home with Kyler.”

“Sadie’s there, Dad. Single parenthood isn’t as easy as you might think. I love Kyler more than anything, but I’m still a woman.”

“Christ, Adella.” He shook his head. “Hudson’s a playboy. He’s bad news. I played with his father, and he’s nothing but a deadbeat.”

A flare of defensiveness rose in me. “Luke’s not responsible for his father’s mistakes.”

He sighed again. “I have things to take care of in the locker room, but we’re not done. Stay right here until I come back.”

I was caught off guard by him not yelling. It was hard to fight back with him when he was like this. Luke would be a while icing and showering anyway, so I sat down.

I was surfing the Internet on my phone when the door swung back open. It wasn’t my dad, but John who stood there.

“Can you come out here?” he asked.

“Go to hell.”

“Dell, can you just come out here? Please?”

Reluctantly, I rose and walked into the locker room, where John stood alone.

“What?” I asked.

“Our trainer’s gone.” He gestured at the knuckles on one of his hands, which were swollen and bloody. “Can you wrap this for me?”

He looked a lot worse than Luke. John’s eyes were both swollen and his cheek had a large bandage over it. His nose looked slightly crooked, and I hoped Luke had broken it.

He held out a roll of gauze and I snatched it.

“Put your hand out,” I ordered. He walked to a bench and sat down, holding his hand toward me.

“You look good,” he said. I said nothing, wrapping his hand mechanically, as fast as I could so I could retreat back to my dad’s office.

I’d just finished when John stood up and put his good hand on my waist.

“I’ve missed you, babe.” His dark gaze was intense.

“John, we’ve been over for such a long time. Almost six years.”

“Not because I haven’t tried.” He backed me into a locker, blocking me in with a hand on either side of my body. A sickening taste filled my mouth at the memories stirred up by our position.

“John—”

“I still love you, Dell.” He leaned in so close I could smell his spicy deodorant. “I never stopped.”

I hummed my doubt of his words. “It wasn’t like that with us. And you’re not stuck on me. You’ve probably slept with hundreds of women since we were together.”

“Only because you wouldn’t have me.” His lips were an inch from mine now, and I turned my head to the side to avoid his kiss. “Give me another chance, Dell.”

He pushed my cheek to line my face up with his and descended on me. I pressed my mouth closed, my body trembling with fear. It didn’t seem to bother him. He grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked on it, making my cry out. When my mouth opened, he shoved his tongue in it.

I pushed on his chest with both hands, desperate to escape his grip and his unwelcome kiss. But he was a brick wall, easily absorbing every movement I made.

“I miss this,” he said in a low tone, gripping my crotch with his hand.

“Stop!” I cried. “John, stop. I don’t want this.”

“You always liked it a little rough.” He spoke against my cheek. “Have you forgotten how good I can make you feel?”

“We’re over.” Anger surged warm in my veins. “We’ve both moved on. Let me go.”

“You and me and Kyler are a family.” He reached for the buckle of his pants and I let out a panicked gasp.

“No.” My voice shook. “Don’t do this. Do not do this, John.”

“You were mine before he came along.” The jangling sound of the belt buckle made vomit start to ease its way up my throat.

I couldn’t break free of his hold, but damned if I’d let this happen.

“No!” I screamed. “Dad!”

John pressed a hand over my mouth. “He left so we could be alone. This is what he wants, Dell – for us to be together. It’s what everyone wants. Especially Kyler. You’re the only one who won’t give it another chance.”

Hot tears stung the corners of my eyes as he shoved down his pants and set to work on mine. I pushed, clawed, tried to get my feet off the floor, but he was so much bigger and stronger. Even with his injuries, I was just a plaything to him. He laughed at my efforts.

“Fucking pussy,” I spat at him. “Forcing someone weaker than you. You’re disgusting.”

His eyes narrowed and I screamed again. He pressed a hand to my mouth, using his arm to jam my body into the locker, which sent a wave of pain down my back. His forearm hovered over my neck. My fear of how easily he could crush my airway silenced me.

His fingers gripped my shoulder so hard I whimpered. I felt his hand slide into my pants and I squeezed my eyes shut.

“No, no, no …” My plea had a note of defeat in it. This was happening, but he would have to listen to me telling him no until it was over.

“What in the fuck is this?”

Another voice. John turned and my heart skipped a beat with hope. I looked, too, and saw my dad, his face eerily calm.

“I’m trying to convince her to take me back,” John said.

“Get your goddamned hands off my daughter,” Dad said, his tone low and menacing. “You filthy fucking excuse for a man.”

He stepped closer to us, and with each step, my body melted a little more with relief. My dad was protecting me. I couldn’t help the sobs that broke free from my chest.

“Look, I know what I’m doing,” John said. “It’s not like I’ve never had her.”

“Pack your shit and get the fuck out of my locker room.” Dad’s face was flushed with anger. “If you ever set foot in here again, I will choke you to death with your own dick.”

John stared at him, aghast. “What are you saying? I’m suspended?”

“You’re gone.”

“You can’t cut me. I’ve got a contract.”

Dad’s face was filled with contempt. “Stay, then. Find out how goddamned sorry I can make you for it.”

John gave me a dirty look and opened his mouth, but my father silenced him.

“Don’t you so much as fucking look at her ever again. I’m ashamed of you.”

The words made John flinch. He’d been Dad’s protégé for years. He dropped his head and headed toward his locker.

Dad wasn’t the hugging sort, but I flew against him and squeezed with all my strength. “Thank you, Dad. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I was so afraid. And I know you wanted things to work out, but—”

“No.” His voice was gravelly with emotion. “I was wrong. Everything’s gonna be okay now.”

I cried. Not just for what had just happened, but for all the years of disappointment and resentment we’d both felt. I’d always loved my dad and he’d always loved me, but we weren’t close like we’d been before I got involved with John behind his back.

I wanted everything to be okay, like he said it would. I wanted my dad to talk to me, not bark at me. I wanted him to be proud of Kyler whether he played hockey or not. Now he knew John and I would never be together again. Maybe that would be the start of things getting better between me and my dad.

Dell

I could almost taste the worry lodged in my throat. Luke and I had met up outside the locker room, but neither of us had said a word. He was quite a sight, wearing a tailored dark brown suit and a crisp, off-white dress shirt with a black eye swollen nearly shut, a fat lip, and a butterfly bandage over one eyebrow.

Was he mad? I didn’t know him well enough yet to be sure, and I couldn’t think of the right thing to say to gauge his feelings.

So we walked to the exit door in silence. I was relieved the post-game crowd of fans was gone. Luke held the door open and stepped aside so I could walk through. When he let go of it, he wrapped that arm around my shoulders and pulled me against his chest while we walked.

“So,” he said softly in my ear.

“Yeah.”

“You mad at me?”

I stopped and looked up at him. “Mad? How could I be mad at you? I thought you’d be mad at me.”

“You didn’t do anything.”

“Yeah, but … did you get suspended?”

He shrugged. “Just one game.”

“John’s an ass,” I said, shivering as I recalled the run-in I’d just had with him. “But … you fought with him the whole game just because he’s my ex?”

Luke shook his head and let out a single note of laughter. “I didn’t even know that. He’s the one whose knee to knee hit caused my injury.
That’s
why I fought with him during the game. I didn’t know why he was being an asshole to you until he told me he’s Kyler’s father.”

I cringed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know he was the one who hit you. And I didn’t think it mattered that he was Kyler’s father, since I didn’t know he meant anything to you.”

He took my hand and we resumed the slow walk to the curb, where he hailed a cab. “Well, this was an eventful way for us to learn those things, right?”

I smiled up at him. Even with his face a mess, he was so damn sexy. I’d actually liked seeing him fight. It was primal and masculine and just … hot.

“What should we do tonight?” he asked while we waited for an approaching cab to come to a stop.

“Well, I plan to get you on your back as soon as possible.”

He gave me a look. “Don’t fucking tell me you expect me to rest.”

I grinned and pressed myself against him. “No. There’ll be no resting for quite a while. You owe me, Hudson. You’ve made my panties very wet, and I didn’t bring extras.”

“Is that so?” He tipped my chin up and kissed me, his lips warm and demanding. We carried on like that, wrapping our arms around each other, until the cab driver sounded a long, angry honk of the horn.

We slipped into the cab and Luke gave the driver his hotel name.

He pulled me against him, nuzzling his lips against my neck. “Can I come see you on my day off?”

I laughed at his words and at the tickle his stubble caused on my skin. “A day off, huh? Like a vacation day?”

“Sure. I didn’t feel like flying all the way to Canada for that game anyway. So can I?”

“Yes, of course. I’d like that.”

His lips traveled up my neck to my ear, which he nibbled playfully. I could smell his cologne now – it was fresh and powdery in a very masculine way.

I ran my hand over the hard ridge in his pants and he bit down harder on my ear lobe. We spent the whole car ride that way – making out like a couple of hormonal teenagers. I just couldn’t keep my hands off him. Seeing him protect my honor had me hot and ready to show him my appreciation.

The cab cruised to a stop and Luke handed the driver some cash.

“Have fun,” the driver mumbled. We both laughed as we got out of the car and rushed into the hotel together. This was the kind of crazy happy euphoria I’d never had with anyone else. I didn’t want the night to ever end.