Page 14

Gwen

N ote to self: No more concussions, because they suck hairy balls. My head pounded as I walked back to the apartment. I might not be allowed to attend class or practice, but I still had shit to do.

At least Tony was letting me work, not accounting work, but easy afternoon shifts at the skate counter.

No class, no hockey, and no guys was kinda boring. Muriel, Vickers’ wife, was pretty fun and her baby boy was adorable. We went to the zoo together yesterday to visit Marty.

My phone dinged, and I grimaced. Today’s meeting with my agent, and yesterday’s meeting with Kylee, combined with yet another message from that fucker the Deloitte’s called a lawyer, meant that there was one more thing I needed to do today.

Or at least get started. Ugh.

Being an adult also sucked hairy balls sometimes.

The guys were busy this afternoon with some team bonding activity in Rockland, since it was sort of a rest day. They won their game against the Scorpions last night. Clark had scored a goal, and it seemed like Clark and Tenzin’s relationship was taking off. I had a feeling that he’d soon be buying a Professor Weird collectible for his I scored a goal figure collection.

I stopped and got a coffee and a muffin, because I deserved a little treat.

When I got inside the apartment, I sent Tenzin a picture of my coffee and muffin. I’d rather send him an insta-chat, but he never actually replied to them, other than sending me pictures with silly filters.

Then I texted Matty.

Me

Are you free? I have grown-up things to discuss.

Matty

Can I call you?

Me

Fine

The phone rang, and I answered.

“Buttons, if this is about the Deloitte Automotive stocks, you never said we couldn’t go after the company. I had to give the dads something to do,” Matty told me.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I replied as Snowball leapt from her cat tree onto me on the sofa. Ooof. “I have a concussion, I haven’t been watching the news. We’ve been rewatching the Defender League movies, because Tens hasn’t seen them all.”

I’d also been watching comfort cartoons. Going to the championship cup dinner had taken too much out of me. But I was glad I’d gone.

“Oh, okay. Well, the short version is our company is fucking with theirs. It’s wreaking havoc with their stocks. The best thing is, they don’t know what they did to piss us off.” Matty started laughing, “I’m guessing your ex didn’t know your other name?”

“He knew I was born Gabriella, but that’s it. He thinks my family is poor, and that’s one reason he had to break up with me. How are the dads fucking with Deloitte Automotive?” Given they were different industries in different countries.

Though part of me was happy they did that on my behalf.

“We ship most of their exports across Canada, especially parts.” Matty sounded smug.

“Gotcha.” I took a bite of my muffin, savoring the sweetness, as Snowball played with the bag. Yeah, they could be petty when they wanted.

“So I’m guessing something is up? Or should I have guessed that from the eleven videos you sent me yesterday of cats riding robot vacuums?” he asked. “Do you need another dress?”

“I’m good for now. But thanks again, the dress was a hit.” The picture of me grabbing Tens and Clark by the ties and kissing them had ended up on the team account with the caption Goalies get what they want.

Mercy had taken that picture, edited with one of her photo programs, and made it look like an ad. There I wasn’t a silly girl kissing her boyfriends, high on emotions. No, I was powerful, taking what I wanted, in my mom’s dress and a championship ring. Her caption was Dubois Girls Rule the World.

Isa had reposted it.

So had the House of Dubois.

“You looked great. Though warning, Maricella and the twins were a little butthurt and called the dads,” he told me.

“What else is new?” I snorted, which made my broken nose hurt. “My agent and the PR person for the Knights say I need a lawyer, like yesterday. I’m ninety-nine percent sure I can’t afford the ones they recommended. My boys are out of town. What should I do? I mean, you’re a lawyer, so you’d know if I really need one, right?”

“I’m a corporate lawyer in Canada. Why don’t you start with why you need one.”

“Okay.” I took a drink of coffee. “When Austin’s brothers attacked me at Tito’s, one of them mentioned I signed an NDA. They must have called their family lawyer after, because I received a bunch of legally-sounding emails reminding me that I signed one. Which I didn’t. Since I have a right to have a copy, I asked for it, knowing there wasn’t one. Now, they want me to sign one that’s backdated. I wanted to, you know, send them the police report, maybe the contract Austin and I had, where he said he was going to pay my tuition. But Stu thinks I should be mature and let a lawyer handle it.”

I took another sip of coffee, then scratched Snowball behind her ears.

“Don’t send them anything. Sign nothing. Um, can you explain the Austin thing to me?”

“Okay.” Getting comfortable on the couch, I told him everything, from what went down the night of our breakup, to the conversation we’d had after I’d hung up with Matty and the dads. “I can send you everything.”

“Please. It’s great that you like to document everything. What outcome do you want? He owes you money?” my brother asked.

“He does. But all I want is to be left alone, and, well, have them not ruin my career.” I sighed, rubbing the scar on my forehead. That was more important than any amount of money and my biggest fear.

“It’s sort of wild that you two ended up together. Him a hidden Deloitte, and you a hidden Capaldi. Were you ever going to tell Austin about us?” Matty’s tone was matter of fact, not judgmental.

“If we got married, I would’ve told him. I’d planned on telling him more, especially about the kidnapping, after I processed everything. But I never did. Yes, I’m in therapy now.” I kept attaching everything to the email I could think of that might be helpful.

I liked my therapist. She didn’t specifically deal with broken soulmate bonds, but she specialized in betas who’d lost their mates, which worked for me. Also, I was still seeing my campus therapist.

“Good job, Buttons. I always wondered if you would, considering while you talked to your ex a lot after the kidnapping, when you were home recuperating, you never took him up on his offer to come see you, even when I said I’d pay for it.”

“I didn’t want him to think I was poverty cosplaying. You all have money. But I don’t. The family lawyer made it clear to me, when I asked about education funds or an allowance for university, when I was graduating from high school.” I hit send, then fell backward on the bed.

I hadn’t been sent away completely alone, even if it felt like it sometimes. Aside from the lawyer contact my family had given me secretly, they’d also slipped me a lump sum that was basically supposed to be two years of typical high schooler allowance.

Nothing flashy, nothing that would draw attention. But enough to buy things I might need, because while my hockey host mom fed and housed me, she shouldn’t have to buy me underwear. I had a job, because that was normal for their family, given they owned a cute little retro ice cream parlor.

Also, I’d been legally emancipated, had a protection program contact, an allowance from the program.

But that support stopped when I graduated from high school, and I was let loose into the world without further instruction. All I had was a number to call if I was in imminent danger. Not that I’d gotten to use it when I was kidnapped.

“Austin and I had this big fight about money right before I was kidnapped. He wanted to move closer to his campus. I wanted him to get a job to help more. He also wanted me to wait another year to transfer, which ended up being a good thing, considering how I screwed up my grades after the kidnapping.” I sighed.

Not so bad I couldn’t play hockey, but enough to lose my outside scholarships. Austin had taken a bartending course and gotten the job at Tito’s. I’d then started serving there. While Tony took me back at the rink after the kidnapping, the Arctic Toilet, where I’d been a bottle girl, had not. Eventually, we’d moved to the place where we’d lived when we’d broken up.

“Yeah, can we talk about those lawyer emails you sent me previously?” Matty started. “We didn’t know about any of that. True, you don’t have an education fund, none of us did. But if you’d wanted it, the dads would have happily helped support you. They were desperate for news about you.”

“Really?” If I wanted to be mature about it, I suppose they had as little choice as I did when the police hid me. But if Nonna could do things from the grave, couldn’t they have thought of something?

Matty continued, “How did you figure out the scholarships were from us?”

“What scholarships?” I frowned. “Well, I had these two I wrote essays for, but I lost them when my grades went to shit, because I was struggling so much. I tried to reapply after I got into NYIT, but they said no .”

Both things had caused fights about money with Austin, but he didn’t have any outside scholarships.

“They were us, Buttons. We made it up and got the guidance counselor to have you fill them out. They didn’t stop because of your grades. We were told you emailed and said you knew it was us and to fuck off and you didn’t need our money. Which, considering everything you said when you climbed out the window, made sense. They never told us you reapplied.” He sighed. “Fuck. Did you not do that?”

I shook a little. “No. I never did that. Who'd do something like that? Never mind, doesn’t one of Maricella’s mates work for that firm?”

It was the dads? But it seemed so official. They’d made up fake scholarships to help me? What a wild thought.

“Luca works there, too.” His voice became soft. “The thing with the scholarships is very Luca. You said you didn’t need our money. He made sure you didn’t get it. He wouldn’t understand why it was wrong of him to do that, because he was honoring your wishes.”

Luca did what? But that was very him.

“Fuck. I… I could have used it so badly.” I tried to sob, but my chest hurt so badly. “High school was fine. I even got the money from Nonna, with the cute notes about what it was supposed to be used for. But sometimes life in New York gets hard.”

“That wasn’t Nonna,” Matty said softly. “She left you things, but that money wasn’t it. Mom made a detailed list for the dads. She mapped out years of presents for you, as well as how much to spend on various parties, what should be set aside for your wedding, even what kind of car to buy you. She didn’t want you to miss out on the things we got without her there to make sure they happened.”

I sucked in a breath. “She did? Can I see it? But everything said it was from Nonna.”

Yeah, I could see her doing that. But the dads?

“The dads didn’t want to bring attention to you. Getting a little money from your grandparents who died made sense. It’s also why the amounts were so much less. Considering you were touted as an orphan of no fortune, you getting the obscene amounts of money mom spent on us would draw attention.”

“Oh.” I processed that for a moment.

But I could see Mom making a list. I understood them changing the amounts, because it would draw attention to me. I drew enough attention just continuing to play hockey, though I’d quit competitive figure skating. Also, I didn’t care about super fancy things like some of my siblings.

“I had no idea it wasn’t Nonna. My host mom was great about helping me. She loved that my nonna had left me money for specific things. I spent everything but the funds for the used car as intended. I was afraid of learning to drive, because they’d died in a car accident. So I used it to go on a trip with my hockey team where we went to Finland to play in this big international youth tournament and travel around.” I smiled, because that had been a fun trip.

“That sounds fun,” he replied.

“Wow, so that was the dads, based on Mom’s notes, not Nonna?” I breathed. That was a lot to take in. choose the gift

“Same with the presents from her.”

“Oh, they weren’t Nonna either?” I’d always figured she’d set that up, too, entrusting Matty or Isa with it. After I’d left Rockland, they mainly arrived via Lenny.

If those weren’t from her, but they left me something, what was it?

“The dads didn’t choose the gifts that Mom designated, because they were trying to be practical and not flashy. Like the last gift. You didn’t need a watch that could get you mugged, but they figured you’d need a good laptop. I know everything was less, but I’m sure they have plans for parity,” he told me.

Oh. The laptop Austin destroyed.

“I don’t need parity. Oh, that’s why they gave me presents for my birthday. They didn’t need to hide anymore, and the note on the laptop said it was the last present.” My pink gear had definitely become a bit of a sensation on social media.

“Yes. You have assets, Buttons. When and if you’re ready, talk to Papa. Things just look different for you. Because you’re you,” he told me.

“So, no shares in the family companies?” Which they’d all gotten many times. Not that I cared.

“Most of your assets are less liquid; like your painting. I know you want it, but let’s wait a couple of years, until you’re a hockey player, with a house with an alarm system, and homeowner's insurance. Then no one will think it’s weird that you have original art,” he told me. “There are other paintings that are yours as well.”

But I wanted it now. It would look so cute in my room. Almost Perfect had a little skater getting ready for a competition, one skate untied as her mom fixed her hair. It reminded me of competing when I was little. Of my mom.

“Isa gets the castle and I get some old paintings?” I blinked. Art. I got art?

Matty laughed. “You know nothing about art, do you? I’ll see if the dads will let me send you info on your art collection. Also, the parents didn’t leave Isa the Castle, Nonno G did. I tracked down all the jewelry Mom left you. It’s in the safe in Papa’s office. When you visit, you can bring back some things. Hey, how did your doctor appointment go, is everything healing okay?”

“Yes, including my nose, which they fixed in the hospital.” I hadn’t wanted my nose straightened, but I also understood why they’d think I would.

I thought back to the other texts I’d gotten.

“The bond specialist from the Omega Center wants to meet with me. I guess there’s a lot of tests from the hospital she wants to go over. She also wants to talk more.” Thanks to pain meds, I’d told her way too much in the hospital, both about Officer Jones and growing up with dads who were convinced I’d be an omega.

Along with things like being from an omega-heavy maternal line and how my mom dying of OOC had affected me.

“That wouldn’t be a bad thing, Buttons. I think this goes with putting your house in order,” he told me.

“It’s just so hard.” I grimaced. Really, I didn’t want to deal with all this. My head still hurt, I hurt, and no one was here to cuddle me on demand.

Snowball only was cuddly when she wanted to be.

“It is, and I’m proud of you. It also might not hurt to see about some of the other effects of your kidnapping. The Center is the one that holds the most research regarding the drugs you were given,” he added.

I groaned. Tried that. Didn’t work. “You know they won’t help me. I’m surprised Dr. Kristy even wants to meet with me.”

The Omega Center was for omegas. They were clear about that.

“Maybe with a Center doc on your side they will,” he pushed.

“I have enough to deal with.” Sometimes I wondered about what long-term effects the drug would have on me, since it hadn’t worked. Especially in conjunction with the broken mate bond.

“The dads said you’re coming for Christmas. They’re so excited. Do you need me to buy you a ticket?”

“That’s not what I said.” I sighed. “I… I don’t get much time off for winter break, because hockey season is still going on. Also, I have my job with the Knights. But I can spend a few days with you around Christmas. As long as Maricella plays nice,” I told him.

I’d have to check the schedule, both for NYIT and the Knights to see exactly how many days I had, it was either three or four.

“Let me know. Also, let me know if you’d rather do it anyplace else than the dads’ place.”

“The dads’ is good, because I want more pictures of Mom. I’ll need a ticket,” I told him. That would be one less thing to worry about.

“Done. I’ve got to go. I’ll look over everything you sent me, and I’ll see who I know and trust that can practice in New York. Love you, Buttons.” He hung up.

I finished sending him everything, then ordered some tacos. Once again, Dean had delivered the taco funds. While the MASOs had brought me a bunch of food, and the dads had sent me a giant basket of all my favorite snacks and candy, I was feeling taco-ish.

Snowball and I got cozy on the couch, and ate tacos, while watching cartoons.

But I had too much energy to sit. I got ready and went into work early. That talk with Matty had been a lot and I needed to process it .

At the rink, I peeked into Tony’s office. “Is there a place where I can skate a little?”

The small ring wasn’t pro-only territory any more.

Tony gave me a hard look. “No hockey, and no puck machine. You have the I want to whack pucks look.”

“No. No hockey. But I need to skate it off. I can figure skate with a broken nose. I’m not used to being so sedentary.” Time with the puck machine sounded nice, though.

“Okay.” He typed on his computer, probably checking the schedule. “The Maimers should be done in the small rink, they were doing choreography. You can use that until the pair skaters come for practice.”

“Thank you.” I went to the small rink and put on my hockey skates. The Maimers were just finishing up.

“Gwenifer!” Mercy waved.

I got lots of hugs and well wishes. Mercy and Kaiko spent a little time teaching me a new routine. They left and I got out my headphones and warmed up a little.

My muscles were sore, but moving and stretching felt good. I went over the routine I’d been working on, though I took it easy. Afterwards, I put on a song from the Sad Girl playlist that I was feeling right now.

That’s what I needed–to skate out my feelings. My feelings about Austin. Tenzin being back in our lives and him being a dad. The accident. The Deloitte brothers attacking me at Tito’s. Their lawyer thinking he can force me to sign an NDA after-the-fact. Austin’s weird confessions. Everything Matty had told me about the dads and how they, not Nonna, were behind the money and presents.

I had paintings? What the fuck?

As the song ended, I went into a spin. I grabbed my foot behind me and gently brought it above my head, as I kept turning, then ended in a pose.

Clapping made me realize I wasn’t alone. I looked up and saw Cait, Coach Atkin’s omega, standing there in a hoodie, her red hair up in a bun.

“Time’s up?” I looked around for whoever she was coaching today.

“I’m a little early. Can I see?” she offered, coming onto the ice. “Should you be skating? You’re supposed to be on leave, and as pretty as you looked at the dinner, I worry you were pushing yourself.”

I skated over to my phone and stopped the music. “I’ve figure skated with injuries that would bench a hockey player. Usually injuries sustained while playing hockey. A busted face is nothing. Done it before.”

She laughed. “I skated in the Olympics with a broken foot, so I get it. So…”

“It wasn’t a routine, just skating my feelings. But sure. Not sure if I’d use a hockey stick for this one? But I’ve used props in everything.” I had an excellent memory for choreography, thanks to my old ballet mistress, who taught quickly and had no patience.

“Maybe a puck? Like you don’t give a puck anymore and throw it at the end? Not sure what feelings you’re skating out here?” she offered.

“Ooh, I like that idea.” I showed it to her, and she spent a couple minutes correcting me.

Connor, her mate and pair skating partner, appeared along with two other people.

“I like this one. Your expressive pieces are good foils to the parodies of Maimer routines and you doing strings of jumps to warehouse music,” she told me.

“Gwen!” Lauren, another skater, called. She’d known me back when I was Little Gabs.

Years ago, I’d run into her in a club here in New York. That’s how Austin discovered I was born Gabriella. I’d run into her and her partner once since, when they were doing a pair skating competition here. She’d told me that no, she hadn’t told anyone but her sister about seeing me, setting me at ease that she hadn’t somehow caused Lucius to know where I was.

“Lauren. Do you live here now? Or just doing a workshop?” I grinned, hugging the tiny brunette omega. She’d always been nice to me, especially after she’d moved into pairs.

“Gwen and I trained together with Klavdiya before she moved to live with her grandparents and switched coaches,” Lauren explained to Cait. “We’ve moved here, we just mated and his pack is here.” She nodded to her alpha partner.

Cait gave me a look, and I shrugged. Previously I’d brushed off training with Klavdiya. But I didn’t lie. I’d trained with Vail upstate for years. It was so much more relaxed, too. Not to mention the alphas he trained were much nicer to me than the omegas at Klavdiya’s.

I turned to Lauren. “Aww, congrats.”

“Come on, time to get to work,” Connor called. They all moved to go on the ice.

My alarm beeped. “I’ve got to get to work, I’m on skate counter duty today.”

Connor frowned. “Tony’s letting you work? Should you even be here? Do I need to tell Steve on you?”

“Please don’t tell Coach Atkins on me.” I rolled my eyes. “Really, I’m less injured than Clark and he’s on the road with the team.”

“I’ll come by and we can catch up,” Lauren replied.

“That would be great.” I hurried off to change for my shift. Matty had texted that he’d found me a lawyer. I also felt a lot better. But the ice always did that.