Page 41 of A Vegas Crush Collection #2

Boris

Four months later.

The team is heading into winter break and I am very much ready for the time off.

It has been an amazing season, made better by seeing Talia in the stands at nearly every game—even the ones on the road.

She really is my good luck charm. I convinced her by pleading my case that if her being at the games helps me to score more goals so the Crush can win more than they lose, well then you keep doing it.

Hockey players are superstitious as fuck, and I’m not ashamed admitting it.

Talia is feeling better too, after finding a therapist to help her through her PTSD from the abduction.

Having someone to listen and tell you it wasn’t your fault is powerful medicine toward healing the mind of painful burdens.

My investors in Russia went silent in the aftermath; and I have never heard from them again.

The gun fight was all over the local news immediately after it happened, speculated as a drug deal gone wrong.

Two were dead at the scene and the third died at the hospital a day or two later, so there was never a witness to make a statement.

Heisenberg’s guys were ghosts in the whole thing, so no connection there either.

The reports dwindled away as soon as the next crime story took center stage in the local news, and people quickly forgot about the mysterious Vegas underworld shooting resulting in three dead criminals with fake visas.

Those three got exactly what they deserved in my opinion.

Karma, you know. I don’t lose sleep over it anymore.

It helps that my investments are doing much better, my wealth starting to take real shape under Talia’s close attention.

I can fly her first class to any road games she wants to attend, upgrade our hotel rooms, and take her out to amazing places with me.

It’s fun, traveling with her, exploring the cities we visit, growing closer as the months pass.

For Los Angeles and Anaheim games we always make time for a visit to the home where she grew up with her parents and three siblings—two older brothers and a younger sister.

They have welcomed me with open arms, though it has taken a bit getting used to so many smart, nerdy people in one family.

Her father is a university professor of astronomy, her mother is the principal of a high school, her brother Deryk, the CEO of a computer engineering firm he founded, her brother Alec, a lawyer, and her little sister, Dahlia, at just eighteen, has already completed two years at university, studying to become a veterinarian.

So many super-intelligent humans under one roof can be overwhelming, but the dinner conversation is never boring.

I am always learning something new from listening to them go full-nerd on every topic imaginable over plates of her mom’s lasagna or her dad’s grilled tri-tip.

When we arrive at the airport, Talia puts her hand on my arm and asks, “Are you sure you want to travel though? We’re on the go all the time for games. I thought maybe you’d want a break from airplanes and buses and hotel rooms?”

“I’m good with this travel, krasotka.”

“When are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

“You’ll find out in another minute I think.”

We check in at the first-class counter and I hand over my identification. “To Orlando,” the attendant says.

“Yes,” I confirm.

When I glance over at Talia, she gives me a funny look. I can see her trying to puzzle it out. “What’s in Orlando?”

“The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.” I’m unable to contain my grin for a second longer.

Her eyes go wide, and she jumps up and down, clapping her hands in delight. “Harry Potter World? Really?”

“Really, krasotka.” She hurls herself into my arms and kisses me until her glasses fall off her beautiful face. I set her on her feet, put her glasses back into place, and then press my forehead to hers. “I am thrilled you approve of my choice.”

“Thrilled is an understatement, my love, and you always choose perfectly because you’ve got game.”

“You think that I’ve got game? Me?” She can’t be serious.

“So much game, dragon man, so, so much.”

“I think you’re just saying that because you love me, krasotka, and you really want to go to Harry Potter World.”

She shakes her head no. “I love you of course, but it’s irrelevant to your level of game-ness at any given time.

Have you forgotten all those precious love notes you sent to woo me back to you, along with enough roses to fill a barn?

Your love notes beat out Harry Potter World by a mile on a scale of woo-worthiness. Seriously.”

“Oh, I remember writing the notes, krasotka. I dictated it first into my phone and then I enlarged the font size and copied it onto paper. It took a long time, though I did get faster the more I practiced.”

“I rest my case. Not just another pretty face, folks, but whip-smart too. How did I get so lucky?”

As my krasotka chatters away, we head toward security and our boarding gate.

She likes talking about so many things all the time, and I can honestly say it makes me happy to listen to her.

But I still have fun teasing her whenever I get an opportunity.

“I don’t know. You won the boyfriend lottery maybe? ” I suggest.

“That and don’t forget your wooing skills,” she reminds me. “You could teach the class on wooing and hand out certificates to the guys who passed it. I’m thinking, Tyler for example, could certainly benefit from your vast and intricate knowledge on the topic of how to properly woo someone.”

“So, are you trying to say I am good at the wooing?”

I can barely keep a straight face when she goes quiet, because that’s when I know she’s onto me messing with her.

“Don’t push your luck, dragon man. I know what you did there.” She gives my hand a squeeze for emphasis.

I take her hand to my lips and kiss the top of it. “You can take it out on me when we get there.”

“Oh, you can bet on it.” Her eyes spark with a certain look that makes me hard.

I can’t fucking wait.

An hour later, we’re seated in first class about to take off, when Talia puts her head on my shoulder. “I’m so excited. Thank you for this. It’s going to be pure magic, you’ll see.”

I pull a small box from my pocket and hand it to her. “What’s this?” she asks.

“You have to open it, krasotka.” She takes the tiny box and shakes it next to her ear. When she removes the lid and sees what’s inside, she can’t help squealing a little. I’m pretty sure she likes it.

The Harry Potter-themed charm bracelet comes out of the box and is slipped onto her wrist. “I love it so much and I love you. Thank you.” She admires for it a moment more and then leans over and offers her lips to me for a kiss.

I never pass up an offer to kiss my girl.

“It’s a promise I will keep, krasotka.” I point out the silver charm that reads “Always.”

“Always, Boris.” Within her stormy blue eyes, I can only see the love I have for her and the love she has for me shining radiantly up at me.

“Always, krasotka Natalia.”

I do believe it will be.