Page 25

Clark

“T hose fucking knotwaffles.” I hit the table with my fist as the officer showed us footage of the entitled, rich alphaholes that hit us, then left.

“We’ve identified them as Derick, Tripp, and Bronson Deloitte. They’re not local, but we’ve tracked their whereabouts,” the officer told us. We were sitting in a small room, in the precinct nearest to where the accident had happened.

Good. I hoped they were arrested in the middle of practice in front of the entire team. Or better yet, during a game.

I looked at Tenzin. “This is on purpose, right? Derick’s driving. He’s the one that tried to attack Gwen. They got mad about what happened at the bar and that you beat the shit out of them. They saw us leave, hopped in a rent-by-the-hour car, and chased us.”

Tenzin nodded slowly. “That sounds about right. Austin, I mean, Bronson, coming from the backseat to take the wheel, and trying to steer him away from you is surprising.”

And the reason we weren’t hurt as bad. The vehicle swerved, because Bronson tried to stop his brother from plowing us down. It changed nothing. He was still a weak asshole who didn’t fight for her and should pay for his crimes.

I’d fight for Gwen and Tenzin.

The officer frowned at us. “Who’s Austin?”

“Austin Blake is Bronson Deloitte’s alias. He’s Gwen Di Rossi’s ex. The one she filed a report on over the summer, who then went missing,” I told the officer.

Picking up his tablet, the officer pulled up the record and read it. “This is the guy who tried to keep his brother from hitting you with the vehicle? You said the brother attacked Gwen? You know all of them.”

“Oh, we do.” I rubbed my forehead as I filled him in on what happened that night, from Austin starting shit with me during warmups, to Tenzin, Jonas, and Dimitri beating the shit out of them at Tito’s. I even had the footage Gwen got from the hallway at Tito’s, though I didn’t have a copy of the recording of her conversation with Austin.

The officer took all of this in. “I see. Obviously, they broke the law by leaving the scene and intentionally hitting you. Now that they’ve been identified, they’ll be arrested. Might even be able to do something about the other charge, too.”

“Good.” I couldn’t believe Derick tried to run us over and cover it up. The police had trouble getting footage, because a lot of it had been erased and the car rental company had to be forced to hand over backups of the dashcam footage after admitting to erasing the original.

Assholes.

The officer nodded. “Never liked the Gears, anyway.”

We left the precinct and headed home to change for Dimitri’s party. I took a shower and called Gwen on video chat.

“Hi, Tesoruccio.” She waved.

“Hi, Sweetness. Do you have a moment?” I asked.

She moved. “Yeah, what’s up?”

“So, they found who hit us,” I blurted.

“Oh. Who?”

I took a deep breath. “The Deloitte brothers.”

“Are you shitting my dick right now? Those fucking knotwaffles. They need to be bricked down with shit dicks. Please tell me Austin wasn’t driving,” she breathed.

“No. Derick.” But yeah, all those things.

She was quiet for a long moment. “You know this won’t ruin their careers. All they’ll have to do is some community service and pay a fine. If that. The fucknuggets will probably even arrange to do everything locally.”

“I know,” I sighed. It was unfortunate, but true.

“I just want to be left alone.” Her voice cracked.

“I know, Sweetness. None of this is your fault,” I assured, wishing I was there to hold her.

She sighed. “I know. I just hope they don’t come after me.”

“We won’t let them. If they do, we’ll make them pay.” I talked to her a little longer, then showered and got ready for the party.

There was a knock at my door. I opened it to find Tenzin looking amazing in jeans and a tight, long-sleeved shirt, with a jacket over his arm.

“Do we have to go to the party?” Tenzin looked tired.

“Just for a bit?” I pleaded. “Please. Then we’ll come back, watch a movie? You can sleep over.”

“Your bed is too short; sleep over with me.” Tenzin grabbed me by the shirt, pulled me to him, and kissed me long and deep, right there in the doorway.

Suddenly, staying home was very appealing. Dimitri will understand if we don’t go.

“Fuck it, Bucket, my eyes,” Vickers laughed, walking by with his baby in a carrier, on his chest and a bag of takeout in his hand.

“Just a short time,” Tenzin agreed. “I wanted to talk to him about everything he did to his townhouse, anyway.”

“Okay. That sounds good. He did some really interesting things.” I took his hand, and we called a car, then went to Dimitri’s.

“Are you okay? That was a lot.” He squeezed my hand.

I squeezed it back. “I’m alright. It’s just nice that they finally found them.”

“Me, too. Um, you’re okay with getting a house together? It’s okay if you just want to live together. It’s a lot. Maybe it’s not even the house we saw, but another. I just wanted us to have something bigger, so we can be all together,” he told me. “It’s a big step and a little fast.”

It was a big step. Buying a house was huge. I mean, was I even adult enough to do that? Sure, I was twenty-one. But it seemed like such a grown-up thing. Probably a responsible thing considering New York rent.

A house was worth using my savings for, right?

“Also, we can absolutely have paperwork drawn up, since we’re not married or mates, or pack yet. The last thing I want is for you to feel taken advantage of,” he added.

“Sometimes I like to be taken advantage of by you.” I gave him a coy look. Fuck, he was a handsome dude. Also, I loved that he was taller than me.

Tenzin leaned in and kissed me. “That is not what I meant.”

“I know.” I wanted a life with them, and getting a place together seemed like a good step.

Reaching over, I smoothed back his dark hair. “I love you , Tens. I want to buy a house and eventually marry you and Gwen and have a dog. I want to build Snowball a catio. One day we’re going to have tiny Gwens breaking lamps with mini sticks and a Squiggles hiding in a fort and reading comics instead of doing his chores. You and Gwen are it for me. Sure, things are uncertain, but life as a hockey player is like that.

“Let’s do it. Let’s buy that beautiful house–or another. Have a bed that your feet don’t hang off of, that we all fit in together, even when Snowball is being a bed hog. I love you with my whole heart, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you two.” I squeezed his hand again. Had I not told him I loved him? I did tell Gwen–and she had started telling us back.

His lips smashed into mine, and his hands went under my shirt, as heat built between us.

“I love you, too,” he whispered, pulling back and tracing my face with his fingers. “Are you sure you don’t want to go home?”

My body screamed to say, yes. To let him take me home to his bed. But we were also almost there. “We won’t stay long.”

It wasn’t late yet, so there weren’t many people there when we arrived at Dimitri’s place. Dimitri, Carlos, Anders, Mitchy, and some others were drinking beer and talking. The TV played in the background.

The place was already decorated for Christmas–including a tree. I should ask Gwen if she wanted one. Last year I just had a little artificial tabletop one that I did in Captain Everything colors.

Dimitri and Carlos joined me.

“Where did you go? I thought you were handing out toys with us today?” Carlos pouted as he took a drink of beer.

“Kylee had enough people.” I looked over at Tenzin, who was talking to Anders. “Um, we looked at townhouses.” A sappy grin spread over my face.

“Good, buying something is sound. I have this place. Carlos has an apartment building,” Dimitri told me.

“I didn’t know you owned a building.” Wow. Carlos was only a year older than Gwen.

“I own my building, the one I live in, my mom lives in, and my sister lives in. It’s a small building.” He shrugged. “I also got lucky, and well, my parents saved everything I made acting as a kid, so I had some money when I needed it.”

He’d acted as a kid? Was it just Monstruo Lane stuff, or something else? I’d have to ask Gwen about that.

“There’s one for sale down the street for me. If not for you,” Dimitri said to me, “maybe you look into a place of your own, Carlos? One not next to your mom? Then you can rent out your unit.”

Carlos laughed. “Maybe? Depending on how much it is. Not all of us are independently wealthy. Also, I don’t mind living in the same building as my family.”

“Now. Your place is tiny. You can always rent out the larger place until you’re ready.” Dimitri texted both of us the info. I forwarded it to Tenzin.

“It’s not too fast, right? I love those two so much.” My cheeks warmed.

“We know.” Carlos laughed. “No. I think it’s a good thing. You’re so lucky. So, is this your present to Gwen? You and Tens are getting a place. Or is this some sort of joint thing?”

“I think it’s a joint thing. Gwen will want to contribute and we won’t be able to stop her,” I laughed. “Tens also thinks he’s keeping this a surprise from her.”

Carlos snorted. “Good luck. Hey, are you and Tens still coming tomorrow morning to hand out toys at the shelter?”

“Absolutely.” The joy the kids had made my heart burst.

“I’ll be there,” Dimitri added. “Though after I need to go gift shopping.”

“What do I get Tens and Gwen? I want to give them something meaningful. I’m so behind on buying presents.” I took another sip of beer.

I bought Tens a gift but had given it to him early. Seeing him in that Professor Weird cape, with Gwen over his shoulder in the arena, was worth it. As had our subsequent role-play. But now I needed something else for him.

“Behind? I haven’t even started,” Carlos laughed. “Why don’t you pay to have her tattoo finished? Didn’t she want it going down her entire spine?”

“That is an excellent idea. Which Tens beat me to,” I explained. “I don’t want to give her anything practical, either. She recently got herself a new phone.” With some of her leftover scholarship money. Her birthday present was on order–some custom art from her Intrepid Space Explorer books.

Dimitri thought for a moment. “Take Gwen to the ballet.”

“What? I’ve never even been to the ballet. Just some dance concerts for my cousins.” I nearly snorted beer out of my nose.

“Go to Once Upon A Snowflake . Let her dress up in a beautiful gown. Get her some earrings. Take her to dinner. Have nice seats. Drink champagne at intermission. She’ll love it,” Dimitri assured as he took a pull of his beer.

“The ballet. Huh.” I’d never seen Once Upon A Snowflake. For many families it was a winter tradition. Just not mine.

Carlos nodded. “Gwen does like the ballet. I think her grandparents used to take her.”

“Um, okay. I mean, there are worse things than holding Gwen’s hand in the dark. It would be nice to have a date with just her.” My gaze drifted back over to Tenzin. “What about him?”

“Think about the things he likes, and go from there,” Dimitri suggested.

He liked tea. Photography. Doing yoga with Gwen. Dancing. Nature. Hmmm.

“Fucking shit,” Anders exclaimed from over by the TV. “Come over here. You won’t guess what happened.”

The three of us joined them.

“Did the Deloittes get arrested already?” I blinked. “That was fast. ” Did they even arrest people for that or did they just get a ticket?

“The Deloittes?” Anders’ eyebrows rose.

“They found who hit Gwen and I, it was them,” I explained.

“Fuck,” Mitchy breathed. “I didn’t think they were that shitty.”

“It was them? You couldn’t have led with that?” Carlos’ eyebrows rose.

Anders shook his head. “Um, as interesting as that is, no. That asshole Carson has been arrested.”

“It’s about time,” Dimitri grumbled. “People like him give alphas a bad name.”

Mitchy looked uncomfortable because they were good friends.

Carlos swore in Spanish. “It is. If everything my cousin says is true, he’s not going to be the only one.”