Page 11 of Crossing the Red Line (Vancouver Dominators)

Lucas - One Week Later

I’d completed the photoshoot without issue, as promised, but still hadn’t seen or spoken to Ella since the Sip and Stir. I glanced down at my watch, threw my sweatshirt over my head, and took off toward the boardroom.

Dylan, Knox, and Clay sat with the rest of the team as I walked in and took my seat.

Coach Thompkins called this meeting late last night.

We’d all got an email from Pamela, the head of PR, telling us to attend.

It was mentioned that Guy Larson would attend as well.

It was rare that Larson came to any player meeting, and with that information we knew there was an important announcement coming.

“Where the hell have you been?” I asked Clay, as I pulled my chair over closer to the guys.

Clay had been scarce the last few weeks and had been oddly quiet when we’d contacted him. I was worried about him, and so were the other guys, but we didn’t like to push. He was a private guy, and we all knew he’d come around when he was ready.

“None of your concern,” he muttered, flipping through his phone as Dylan and Knox glanced over at him and frowned.

“Okay then. Do you guys know why we’ve been brought in here? I have things I need to do today.”

“Don’t we all,” Knox said, sending off a text message to I assumed was Lorelai.

“Word has it we are getting some new players,” Dylan said, looking up just as Coach Thompkins and Guy Larson entered the room, followed by Pamela.

Everyone stilled as they made their way to the front of the table, placing some papers down in front of them before talking amongst themselves.

I couldn’t read the expressions on anyone’s face to know whether it was good news or bad.

There were more words exchanged, and then they turned their attention to all of us.

“Good morning, gentlemen,” Thompkins said, filling the glass in front of him with water. “Good practice this morning.”

The entire team sat there, quietly, waiting to find out exactly what was going on.

“We won’t keep you in suspense any longer. As you know, we’ve been short of a couple of players. Stanton and Whittaker are both out as of last month, which means we’ve been looking for new players. After some crazy negotiations, we want to announce to you the players that will join the Dominators.”

I looked at my teammates as we sat there waiting for the names of the players.

“The players are Colton Fox and Levi Anderson.”

My head jerked up after the announcement of our new team mates.

While Levi Anderson was a solid player coming from the New York Predators and would be an amazing addition to the Dominators, Colton Fox was another story.

He was hell on skates, a skilled player but a bad boy, both on and off the ice, with an extensive track record to prove it.

No doubt the Boston Enforcers saw an opportunity to rid themselves of a player with a troublemaker attitude.

I glanced over at Dylan, Knox, and Clay, each of us saying with our eyes what someone should have said to Larson with this decision. It was then Pamela leaned over and whispered something to Larson. I watched as he nodded, then looked at each of us.

“I know you are probably worried about Colton Fox bringing a bad rap to the team, but rest assured, he’s cleaned up his act.”

I glanced at the boys, who just shook their heads. Colton Fox had done nothing of the sort. The last game he played should have proved that, but apparently Larson was blind.

“Thompkins, if you have anything else to add, I’d take this opportunity now, otherwise let them head home and get ready to leave tonight. I have to go meet with my daughter.”

At the mention of Ella, I sat up a little.

I wondered if she’d told her father she was leaving the team already, or if she was about to do it now.

Either way, knowing she was in the building at this moment sent a wave of excitement through me.

All that ran through my mind were the things I needed to talk to her about.

I watched as Larson left the room and Thompkins stepped into his place. He stood in front of us, looking at each one of us. Of all days, today was the only day I didn’t want to stay in some blasted meeting.

“Alright, guys, I will not keep you. Why don’t you all head home?

Be back here for three, ready to head off for our games in Florida.

Oh, and Clark, you’re coming with the team tonight.

Got word you’ve been cleared to start playing again.

We already have plans in place for this game, so we will keep you as backup. ”

I nodded as I glanced at my watch. It was already eleven. If I was going to talk to Ella, make it home to pack and get back to the arena, I’d have to move fast.

“Anybody wanna go get lunch?” Dylan questioned as we all stood up. “I have a craving for The Sushi Garden,” he said, patting his stomach.

“You’ve always got a craving for that,” Clay muttered, “but I’m down. Knox? Lucas?”

“Yep, count me in,” Knox answered.

“I have a meeting I have to attend first with the therapist,” I lied.

“Uh-huh,” Knox and Dylan said in unison, causing Clay to look at them in question.

“He’s working his magic with some chick, which he still hasn’t filled us in about, but we’ll fill you in with the information we have. Perhaps we’ll make some shit up as well. Let’s go.”

I took off down the hall toward the main offices in search of Ella while the guys went for lunch, where there was no doubt in my mind, I’d be the major topic of conversation.

I rounded the corner in time to see Ella disappear into her father’s office. I’d have figured I’d be able to beat her to the office and stop her from making a huge mistake.

I continued down the hall and stopped just outside of Larson’s door. The door was open a crack, and I could hear him talking—well, yelling, like he always did.

“Daddy, I didn’t come here to talk about my next assignment. I came here to tell you I am resigning from my current position,” I heard Ella say.

I stood there, waiting to hear what Larson was going to say. The office was quiet; I imagined them standing there, staring at one another in some sort of father-daughter showdown.

“Ella, what are you talking about?” he questioned in that stern voice I hated.

“This isn’t the job for me, Daddy.”

“Ella, what exactly is for you? You never follow through with anything. You begged me for this position, and I gave you exactly what you wanted. I should have known better because you never stick with anything.”

“I gave it a chance. I can’t help it if it’s not for me.”

“Ella, you should know that if you walk away from this, there is no more coming back to me.”

“I know, and I don’t plan to come back to you.”

“Until the next plan doesn’t work out so well. It’s a pattern with you. You don’t think I already know that you’ll be back here, begging me for another chance.”

Ella really did not know what it was she was giving up. A solid job with a solid team. She couldn’t be that irresponsible.

“It’s because of Clark, isn’t it?” I heard Larson question. “You’re leaving because of him. When are you going to get that through your head, Ella?”

“This has nothing to do with Lucas, Daddy.”

“I’ll be the decider of that.”

I stood there for a moment and was about to knock on the door to stop this craziness when the door was abruptly pulled open, and I stood face-to-face with Guy Larson.

“Well, well, look who it is…Clark, get your ass in here.”

“Sir?” I muttered.

“Don’t sir me. Get in here,” he said, stepping to the side.

The moment he stepped to the side, my eyes met Ella’s. She stood there with her mouth agape.

“Don’t drag Lucas into this, Daddy. This is my decision,” Ella said.

Only Larson didn’t stop. Instead, he shut the door and then moved to his chair behind his desk.

“Until Lucas got injured, everything was fine. You’d been working side by side with both Dylan and Knox on the hospital fundraiser.

Things were good, you were succeeding in your position.

Then your entire demeanor changed when I pulled them off the promotion and put Lucas in their place.

Within a day, your work slipped, your attitude toward everything went downhill to the point you requested a weekend off because you could no longer handle the stress of the workload.

I won’t say I didn’t worry about the fact that your ex-boyfriend was a player on the team, especially after the time it took you to get over him, and now you want to quit.

You can’t tell me it isn’t because of him,” Larson said, glancing in my direction.

“Daddy, really, just stop. I didn’t have any issues getting over him.”

“Ella, honestly. You can’t even be honest with yourself. You think I don’t hear you talking with your friends? You don’t think I see the sideways glances you give him, or the longing look in your eyes each time he’s mentioned. There is nothing to be ashamed of Ella, you love the man.”

“Seriously, Daddy, stop.”

“Truth hurts, doesn’t it?”

I glanced over at Ella. I could tell she was on the verge of tears.

“Can I speak with you outside for a moment?” I said, leaning toward her.

She didn’t tear her eyes from her father; she just stood there staring back at him. I had to do something before she fucked up her entire life by telling him off and quitting her job.

“Ella?” I whispered, reaching out and placing my hand on her arm, trying to get her to look at me.

“No,” she said, her eyes still trained on her father.

“Ella, for once, be wise. Go talk with him,” Larson said, pulling his chair out and sitting down, placing his attention on his computer screen.

Ella stomped her foot, let out a huff, and then marched out of his office. I took off after her without another word, pulling her father’s door closed behind me.

“What do you want, Lucas?” she asked, her back to me, her arms crossed in front of her as she stared out the fourth-floor window. “I am trying to resign.”

“Don’t be stupid, Ella. Don’t throw away an amazing career. You are great at what you do.”

“That might be, but I am just here because my father got me the job, remember? At least that is what you’ve always said, and it appears you are right.”

“I never meant it. I only said that to get under your skin.”

“Well, mission accomplished.” She sniffled.

“Look, I’m sorry. I never thought you’d take those words to heart. I used to bust your ass all the time when we dated.”

“Well, I was a different person then.”

“What changed?” I asked.

“What didn’t?” she said, rubbing her upper arms as if she were cold. “Anyway, what was it you wanted to talk to me about that couldn’t wait?” she asked, finally turning to me.

I’d said that just to pull her out of the situation. What I needed and wanted to say really should be said when we were out of earshot of her father.

“It can wait,” I said, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

She gave me an irritated look and made her way over to me. I moved in front of the door to her father’s office, blocking her. She stopped and, with her jaw clenched, she met my eyes.

“Lucas, get out of my way.”

“Ella, I will not stand here and allow you to make the biggest mistake of your life. This job is you. We need you here.”

“Lucas, please, the Dominators will be fine without me. Now please…” she said, pushing past me.

She was just about to push open her father’s door when panic flooded me.

“Dominators may be fine without you, but I won’t be,” I said.

“Lucas, now isn’t the time for this.”

“I’m serious, Ella.”

“Lucas, please, next thing you’re going to tell me is that you didn’t get someone to annul this stupid marriage,” she said loud enough I was certain her father would hear.

Had I found someone? I had, I’d kept my word. Had I booked an appointment for us? I’d done that too.

“When?” she asked, turning toward me, her back to her father’s office door.

“When what?” I questioned, just as her father’s office door opened and he stood there staring at me.

Instead of making eye contact with him, I continued to stare at Ella.

“Lucas, when is the annulment?” she demanded.

It was wrong of me not to stop her, but she needed to know I was serious about my feelings, and if this was the only way I was going to prove to her I was serious, fuck it. I’d take my life in my hands.

I didn’t need to look away from her; I knew her father was staring at me. I also knew he was going to kill me.

“Annulment? What annulment?” Larson questioned.

Ella spun around and looked at her father, and then back at me, her eyes horrified and then filling with tears.

“Why would you have just stood there and not told me he was there?” she said through clenched teeth.

“Ella, I demand answers,” Larson said, looking between the two of us.

Larson’s eyes drilled right into me as he stood there waiting for a response from one of us.

Ella was like a deer in headlights. She looked first at her dad, then at me, then back to him, not saying a word.

“So, just as I figured. He had something to do with it. You’re not resigning, and I want an explanation right this minute. What the fuck is going on here?”

I looked over at Ella. She looked like she was on the verge of a panic attack; she was pale, and her chest was rising and falling in rapid succession.

“I…I can’t do this…” she muttered and took off down the hall, not looking back at either of us. Instead of following her, I turned back to her father, met his eyes, and stepped forward.

“What do you have to say for yourself this time, Clark?” he questioned.

“I have nothing to say, but I think we should talk.”

I pushed past him and entered his office, pacing back and forth while I waited for him to close his office door.