Page 54

Gwen

“T hat was a great game,” I told Clark as we sat around a table in Tito’s with Tens, Carlos, Dimitri, and Anders.

Tonight, Clark scored two goals. He was having a great season so far.

I’d been on duty and hadn’t gone in, but I didn’t expect to. Still, it was fun to be with the MASOs, eat purse enchiladas, and cheer for my guys.

As fun as it had been to play with my team. We’d won both games. The dads, Matty and the kids, Joe, Luca and his whole pack, had shown up at the Natty game. Which had been weird, but very sweet. Luca’s girls were adorable. Those tiny people had Luca by the balls.

I’d also helped the MASOs wrap a bunch of presents and get things organized for everything they were doing for the shelters for Christmas.

“Any word from your agent? Are you going to Mexico or Quebec or anywhere?” Carlos plopped down at our table, beer in hand.

I sighed. “Stu has zero updates for me.”

“There’s still time before the free agent deadline closes,” Tenzin assured. “If not, you take NYIT to the championship again, get your degree, and go wherever.”

“Yep.” I leaned into him and took a sip of beer. That was the best way to approach it.

Kylee came over to us, a fruity drink in her hand, swaying to the BroKen song playing. She also looked stressed. Which made anxiety shoot through me, hoping it wasn’t something I did.

“Thanks for all your help in everything.” I twisted the paper cocktail napkin.

“I’m glad you’re okay.” She smiled and left.

Coach Deloitte and the Deloitte GM had been quick to distance themselves from all this, though the public was calling for Coach Deloitte, the Deloitte GM, and Mr. Deloitte to step down and the Deloitte brothers’ contracts to be canceled.

The exes of other Deloittes were speaking out about how their lives were wrecked after dating Deloittes. I wasn’t the first person to be kidnapped. It went back a very long time and was wild.

Like one of Mr. Deloitte’s exes from fifty years ago, who got dumped in a foreign country with no ID or money, wild. I hoped they all got justice, including ones who couldn’t speak up, like Austin’s mom.

We ordered another round of drinks. Three people approached me–two men and a woman. They looked familiar, but I didn’t know them.

Every single person at the table tensed.

“We just wanted to say goodbye. The other team will have you until you get off the plane to Vancouver,” the woman told me. “Then our contract is done.”

“You’re my watchers,” I breathed. The dads had asked me if they should end the contract. I agreed. It was time. Though I felt bad about them losing their jobs.

“Some of them,” the taller man said. “We’re the ones that have been with you from the very beginning.”

I bit my bottom lip as I looked at the woman. “What happened to the woman who told me to run? The dads said she was fine and not fired, but I need to make sure. I… I was afraid they killed her.”

“It wasn’t her finest moment, but she’s okay. She’s been reassigned, but then we all will be. We’re glad you’re okay. It was a failure on all our parts,” she told me.

I shook my head. “You did the best you could with what you had to work with. Thank you for watching over me all these years. You did a good job.”

It was creepy as fuck, though.

Though I’d kept the nose ring trackers, since the dads were sharing the info with my guys, which had done a lot to set them at ease.

“It was our pleasure. Though it was difficult sometimes,” the taller man said.

“I’m sorry.” I could only imagine.

“It was the parameters, not you. There were so many places we couldn’t follow you into. I guarantee you're much less trouble than many others we’ve guarded,” the shorter man assured.

“With better hobbies, jobs, and taste in music,” the woman said, and laughed. “Please, let me sit in a sports bar all night or go to hockey games. I could live without park yoga at the ass-crack of dawn, though.”

“Oh, you’d come in here sometimes.” I remembered them, and thought they were just regulars. After all, we had plenty. “Wait…” I bit my lower lip and turned to the tall guy. “You were also the guy on the subway who asked if I was okay after my ex hit me with the skate.”

He nodded. “I called the ambulance, too. We, um, got a little more involved than we should sometimes. We worried about you.”

I gulped. But then they’d spent three years watching me.

“Take care of her. I’m fucking serious. She needs someone who gives an actual shit and puts in the work.” The shorter guy looked at my guys, eyes narrowing.

Oh, he’d offered to buy me food, more than once, at the cafe with the meal boards when there wasn’t anything. Again, I thought he was just a regular.

“We will,” Tenzin told them.

“Good luck in your new jobs,” I said.

“Good luck with your life.” The woman smiled. “We’ll be watching to see what hockey team you end up on, Snaps.”

“Snaps? My code name was Snaps? ” I rolled my eyes.

“Please stay out of the mob deli. I know they give you free food, but it always made my blood pressure rise when you went in there,” the shorter guys added.

The three of them left. Mob deli? What? Zia and company weren’t mobsters, and well, Lenny introduced me to the place.

Now I wanted a pastrami sandwich.

“Wow, that was weird. The shit they saw.” I shook my head, thinking of all the times I’d privately broken down in some place, told my woes to the flowers or the animals, or gone to the food bank. Not to mention the hockey parties I went to with Austin.

“I’ve got to leave soon and get my brother, he’s home for school vacation,” Dimitri told me. “I wish I could see him more. He’s so far away.”

“Since he’s near Portland, why don’t you try to get traded to the Sasquatches?” Clark offered.

Dimitri gave him an annoyed look as the server brought us our beers. Right, Clark–and Tens–didn’t know the story.

“That was the plan. The three of us moved out to Portland from Russia, because he’d been recruited by that school and the Sasquatches signed me. It worked perfectly.” Dimitri took a sip of beer.

“You were a Sasquatch?” Tenzin’s head cocked. “I don’t recall you.”

“I never made it out of rookie camp,” he admitted. “I was traded to the Knights before I even got to play a pre-season game and show them what I could do. The school year had already started. I knew he’d be okay–and it’s a boarding school. Valya didn’t like Portland. She came with me to New York. So here I am.”

“I remember your first practice with us, you were so fucking grumpy,” Carlos teased.

Oh, he was. But like my Popi, I knew there was a big cuddly bear in there. Sure, that bear could kick your ass. He also protected the shit out of those he loved.

“Well, yes. It does something to your ego to be traded during rookie camp. Especially since I’d had a good career in Russia. Then I met this little goalie in the dining room who was stuffing food in her pockets. She gave me the best pep talk in bad Russian.” Dimitri grinned at me. “Float like a flower, spin like a hummingbird.”

I grinned back, remembering that day he’d unintentionally snuck up on me. I’d just started as an EBUG. There’d been no goalie rookies that year, so I’d been thrown into it with Marlin, who’d been head EBUG that year, to act as goalies for camp in between classes.

Carlos was texting, and I knew that look.

“If your ex is in town, don’t meet with her, sleep with her, or do her favors,” I told him. “I'm not home to keep a snake in my shower.”

“Mariquita, I know you mean well, but it’s harmless.” Carlos stood. “I’m not even texting her, just some friends. Nothing bad’s going to happen. Safe travels, everyone. Merry Christmas.”

He left, saying goodbye to a few people on the way out.

“I worry about him sometimes,” I murmured.

“Me, too,” Dimitri sighed, eyes following him. “One day…”

Yep.

Mercy waved at me to come over to her table.

“Oh, Verity and Mercy are here. I’m going to go talk to them.” I left the table and found them to catch up on gossip. Like how the pony was enjoying AJ’s sister’s farm.

Finally, Clark and Tenzin came over to me.

“Ready to go home?” Tenzin asked.

“Yeah, let’s.”

Taking their hands in mine, we went back to our building. The townhouse was now ours. A few things needed to be done before we moved in, but soon enough we’d start making it home.

I showered and changed, then grabbed the painting I’d gotten for them, it was all wrapped. My suitcase was packed. Sliding the gift under my arm, I carried it across the hall.

Vickers walked down the hall in the crop top I’d gotten him, the baby asleep in a carrier. “I love my shirt, Ladybug.”

“I’m so glad. Have a good holiday. I’ll see you when I get back.” I waved and let myself into Tenzin’s place.

Clark and Tenzin were on the couch together. Three cups of tea, several bags of chips and packs of cookies, sat on the table. Tenzin was cueing up the superhero series we’d been watching together. The living room glowed softly with the tree and lights.

Oh, be still my heart.

Clark was telling Tenzin about the pickles his mom just made and how he’d bring us back some. He was excited about going home. It worked out that the Knights had six days off this year. Most years it was only three or four. He’d offered to come to Vancouver with me several times, but this was something I had to do myself.

“I can’t wait, the spicier the better,” Tenzin replied. He was excited to see the babies. Though the last one hadn’t been born yet.

“This is for both of you.” I handed the present to them. I’d already given Clark the figure and Tenzin the book.

They unwrapped it together. Clark sucked in a breath at the painting of the three of us, all in Knights jerseys. Me in my pink gear.

“It’s us.” Clark beamed at me.

“This is beautiful,” Tenzin told me.

“Grif’s sister makes them from pictures. We can hang it up in our new place.” I squished between them and grabbed a bag of chips. I’d also ordered some stickers for our water bottles and laptops, but they weren’t done yet. One of the Maimers had a sister who did them.

“Our home.” Clark kissed me, then Tenzin. “I can’t wait.”

“Me neither.” I just had to get through Vancouver first.