Page 52

CHAPTER 52

DALLAS

J ace is goddamn sadist, I swear. The more I bitch and moan about the pressure, the fucking harder he digs in. I’m forced to limp out of his treatment room, wincing in pain as I shuffle into the weight room where most of the guys are working out. I stop by the bench press where Happy is spotting for Robbie, watching him finish his set.

It’s been a week since my injury, and I’ve been benched the whole time, with another week to go. Thankfully, after that dirty fucking hit, my injuries were limited to a broken nose that’s healing nicely, two missing teeth that required root canals and a couple of fake teeth the team dentist is having made for me, and a concussion which is the real asshole because it means I’m off the ice for two weeks. I feel fine, but it’s protocol, and it fucking sucks. But it could have been worse. Much worse.

Ben Harris received a game ejection, and he’s suspended pending a review by Player Safety, which has made Robbie’s year.

“You guys wanna go grab some breakfast after this?” Happy asks when Robbie finishes his set.

“I’m down,” Robbie says, pushing up from the bench and wiping his face with a towel .

I check my phone, trying not to think too much of the silence. Today is Emily’s first day back in the office after the holiday break. And she’s terrified of what’s going to happen with Andy. I didn’t even know Andy had been there in the tunnel after my injury. Hell, I didn’t even know he was at the damn game. But he was. I felt terrible that Emily had to deal with it by herself. I tried reaching out to Andy these last couple of days, but aside from flowers he sent to the hospital and a cute video Jenn sent from Dotty and Jack wishing me to get better soon, I haven’t heard from my manager at all. And of all the things I ever thought might possibly come between me and Andy Hoffman, a woman was never even on that list.

“Still nothing?” Robbie asks.

I tuck my phone back into my pocket and shake my head.

“No news is good news,” Happy says with a shrug.

“Yeah…” I try not to sound like a total downer, but I can’t help it. If Emily loses her job, she’ll be crushed. I told her not to worry about a thing, that I can take care of her for as long as she’ll let me, but I also know her job isn’t just a pay check; it’s her independence and a big “fuck you” to everything cancer took from her.

“Where’s Loges?” Robbie asks, looking around the gym.

“I don’t know, man.” Happy shrugs. “He’s been super sus lately. I think he’s got a girl…”

“A girl ?” I balk. “Logan?”

Happy nods.

“Logan Cullen?” I snort.

He shrugs again, collecting his towel and water bottle from the floor. “I mean, it’s either that or he’s got some side gig as a CIA agent.”

We start to walk out of the gym, but Robbie slaps my arm, drawing my attention. I look at him to see his cell phone held up, and I narrow my eyes, reading what’s on the screen.

Keller: OMG, Andy just took Em into the board room with the Head of HR!!!

I take the phone from Robbie, looking closer, reading the message at least four times. I know I’m not normally the kind of guy to overreact. I’m usually chill as fuck, sometimes to a fault, but I feel something inside of me snap like an overworked rubber band and, shoving Robbie’s phone back at him, I storm out of the gym. Because when it comes to the woman I love, I’d burn down the whole goddamn city if I had to.

The tires on Happy’s G Wagen screech as he slams on his breaks, coming in hot and stopping at the curb outside the HMC offices, causing a few people to startle, turning and gawking at the truck as if we’re here to rob the joint.

“Tex, you sure you don’t wanna stop and think about this?” Robbie asks from the back seat. For the fifth time.

“Yes, I’m sure.” I unfasten my belt. “Thanks for the ride,” I say to Happy, hopping out.

“Go get your girl, Tex!” Happy cheers, tooting his horn a few times as if we haven’t attracted enough attention already. There’re people pulling out their phones and snapping pictures.

“You comin’ or what?” I look at Robbie.

He rolls his eyes and mutters something under his breath, but he unfastens his seatbelt and hops out, joining me on the sidewalk. And as we head toward the lobby entrance, Happy tears away from the curb with another squeal of his tires, tooting his horn a few more times before disappearing into the Midtown traffic.

I’m a man on a mission as I snake my way through the lobby and onto a waiting elevator. Robbie presses the button and stands there, arms folded across his chest, staring at me expectantly. But I don’t know what he wants .

“Like you wouldn’t do the same thing if it was Fran up there in a boardroom, about to lose her job,” I snap.

He looks up in thought a moment, and then, with a resigned sigh, he relaxes, tucking his hands into the pockets of his sweats. “Okay, yeah, you’ve got a point.”

I nod, staring at the floor counter. The second the elevator chimes, I’m out the doors before they even finish opening.

“Good morning, and welcome to HMC—oh, hi, Dallas.” The receptionist stands, offering a cute giggle like she always does.

“Hey,” I say flatly, barely even looking in her direction as I pass by the front desk and enter myself through the glass door. Sure, I feel like an asshole. I hate being rude to people. But now is not the time for niceties.

I continue through the corridor lined with offices, noticing a few of the HMC employees inside offering surprised double-takes as I pass by, Robbie hot on my heels. Rounding the corner, Fran stands outside her office, hands on his waist, hip popped, high heeled foot tapping like she was expecting us because of course she was, her boyfriend no doubt having ratted me out before Happy even pulled up to the curb downstairs.

Coming to stand in my way, Fran looks up at me, her big blue eyes imploring.

“Dallas, they’re in there with Carlo,” she says, as if that means anything to me. “He’s the Head of our HR department.”

“Even fuckin’ better,” I mutter, stepping around Fran and continuing to the frosted glass door of the boardroom.

I don’t stop to knock, instead pushing open the door without hesitation, finding Andy standing over by the windows, a bald man with glasses seated on one side of the table, and my girl right there, sitting up straight, hands in her lap all proper, those big honey eyes widening the moment she sees me.

I spear Andy across the room, pointing my finger in his direction as I round the table. “I need you to know right now, if you fire her—” I thumb Emily. “Not only are you making the biggest mistake in the interest of this company, but you can have Legal draw up a letter of termination for my contract and I will seek representation elsewhere, I swear to God.”

Andy’s gaze is unwavering as he stares at me, his face set firm. He folds his arms across his chest and arches one brow, his only tell that he is, in fact, listening.

There’s a gasp from the doorway, and with a sideways glance, it’s then I realize not only Fran and Robbie standing there watching in, but a few other HMC employees have gathered around to watch the drama unfold.

I look at Emily, meeting her eyes, and her face is sheet white and fraught with worry, and it kills me a little on the inside to see her so affected.

“I love this woman,” I say, looking directly at Emily. “I love her. And I have from the moment I laid eyes on her. Something happened to me the night that we met. I can’t even begin to explain it because it doesn’t make sense. But everything changed when she came into my life. And every day since, I wake up with purpose because my life is infinitely better with her in it.”

Emily bites back a smile, her eyes gleaming with the hint of unshed tears.

I turn back to Andy. “I love you, man. I truly do. Not only have you been an amazing manager and agent, but you were my first friend in this city. You took me in, not just here, but into your home too, and I will never forget that.” I shake my head. Pointing at Emily, I continue, “But that woman right there is, hands down, the love of my life. And if I have to choose, then I need you to know that I choose her. I will always choose her. Every. Single. Time. Hell, one day I’m going to ask that girl to marry me.”

Someone gasps again, and I snap my mouth shut, realizing a few seconds too late exactly what I just said. I turn, glancing at Emily to find her eyes wide, like she can’t believe I just said that either. Well, damn.

Pushing my hair back from my face, I try to clear the bubble that’s suddenly burrowed itself deep in the back of my throat, turning back to Andy. But when I see him smirking at me, my brows knit together with confusion.

“Well,” Andy says, biting back his grin. “All I can say is that when you do ask her to marry you, I hope it’s at least a little more romantic than this.”

Huh? I blink at him, trying to make sense of his words.

Spinning back around, I notice Emily trying to hide her smile behind her hand. Hell, even the bald guy, what was he? The HR manager? Even he’s smirking like a smug bastard. What the hell is going on?

“Dallas,” Andy continues, walking around me to the table where a folder sits. He picks it up and opens it, going through the papers inside. “I’m not firing Emily.” His gaze lifts, meeting mine. “Chrissake, she’s the best goddamn assistant I’ve ever had.”

My shoulders sag as I glance at Emily, and the little brat has the audacity to wink at me. Wink. Here I am, going full Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire , and she winks at me.

“If business keeps up, I’m going to need a COO someday soon, and with a little development, I think Em is going to be a fantastic fit for the role.”

My head is spinning. And I’m not sure if it’s my concussion or whatever the hell is happening here. I take a seat on one of the boardroom chairs, relaxing back. “Wait… so… you’re not firing her?”

“No.” Andy shakes his head. “Before you interrupted, we were actually revisiting the non-fraternization clause we have in our employment contracts and discussing some potential ideas on how we might be able to reword it to avoid instances just like this.” He points his pen between Emily and me.

I look at Emily and she laughs silently, shaking her head at me.

I glance at the doorway where Fran and Robbie are still standing, and I can’t stop myself before I say, “This is all Franny’s fault.”

Fran’s jaw drops with a gasp. “I beg your finest pardon!”

“You messaged Mason and told him Emily was being taken into the boardroom. What was I supposed to think!” I guffaw.

“Robbie was the one harassing me for updates!” Fran points a finger at Robbie.

Robbie looks between Fran and me, clearly confused as to how he’s catching all the blame.

“Alright, everyone who isn’t Dallas Shaw and Emily Cole, please remove yourselves from this vicinity,” Andy interjects in that tone he uses when he’s trying to be the boss. It works, as the HMC employees outside the door quickly scatter, the HR Manager stands and walks out with his laptop, and Robbie grabs Fran’s hand, pulling her out the doorway.

Suddenly it’s just Emily, me, and Andy, and the room is prickly with an overwhelming tension hanging low throughout.

Andy takes a seat across the table, looking at me, his gaze assessing and face expressionless, nothing but the hint of a smile in his eyes.

“I’m happy for you both,” he finally says.

I release the breath I’ve been holding and I roll closer to Emily on my chair, finding her hand and linking my fingers through hers.

“I really wish you felt that you could have come to me and told me. Like you said, before anything, we were friends first. But…” He sighs. “I also understand why you didn’t.”

Emily squeezes my hand.

“I just ask that it doesn’t come between your work—” Andy lifts his chin at Emily. “And your hockey.” He nods at me.

“It won’t,” we say in complete unison, looking at each other and laughing at how weird that just was.

“And Dallas?”

I turn back to Andy, meeting his serious eyes .

“Don’t fuck it up,” he says bluntly, his gaze flitting to Emily before returning to me as he continues. “I have a feeling she might just be the best damn thing to ever happen to you.”

I grin, looking at Emily. “I have no doubt about it.”