Page 35 of UnWholly Angels (Crestview Cardinals #1)

In just enough time, Nick tucked the puck in the back of the net.

Flying over to his place, I was the first to get my arms around him in celebration, followed by the others, before making our way back to the tunnel and into the locker room.

On my way back through, Petrov’s forehead creased in frustration, and I wanted to find out why.

He had scored tonight, which attested to how hard he had been working, and that maybe, just maybe, he had taken what I had said to heart.

I needed to do my part better, to be a better captain, and I would start doing that by helping the rookie. I skated over to him before he could head to the locker room.

“Hey, Petrov, got a minute?” I asked. He nodded, turned his head, and faced my direction.

Something didn’t sit right with me, and my stomach twisted.

And not in the way I liked. I hadn’t seen Maya all day, and I wanted to go home, but this was my team, and one of the players needed me.

I was sure Maya would get home alright with Chloe.

“Look, if you’re going to give me shit, save it. I’ve had enough today.” He sighed, sounding defeated. “I know what I need to work on.”

“Hey man, while what I said a few weeks ago was true, it doesn’t mean you can’t strengthen your skills.

I am well aware we are both tired, but if you have a few minutes to stay behind, I can give you a few pointers.

That goal tonight was amazing, and if you keep working at it, you will move up the line in no time.

” He reluctantly agreed after some persuasion, and I even called in Gutierrez, so we had someone to shoot against.

I wasn’t sure how long we were there practicing different scenarios, but I was actually enjoying my time with them. We chirped, laughed, and ran plays, finding out we were pretty good on the line together, which surprised me.

To finish off the night, we each took turns, shootout style, taking shots against the net, and after a few, I told them they could go.

I wanted to get home and spend as much time with Maya as possible before we left for Seattle.

I’d wait to get home to shower. The lights were dim, and I didn’t want to be here alone once the main lights were shut down.

A pair of sneakers crossed my line of vision, and I glanced up to see Petrov in front of me.

“Thanks…for today, I mean. I think it’s customary to have a drink on me. What do you say?” he asked.

The offer was nice, and if he’d asked me three months ago, the answer would be simple. Things were different now, and I needed to get home. He must have sensed my hesitation, shifting awkwardly before speaking. “It’s just one drink, Angel, then I’ll cut you off,” he laughed.

It’s going to be a long night.

Placing my skates against the wall of my cubby, I shrugged my shoulders. It was his treat after all, no skin off my back. “Sure, but only one drink.”

One beer. What a joke.

In the past few hours, I’d managed to put down quite a few, only managing to feel slightly buzzed.

It was time to sober up and get home. Petrov was singing something in Russian, and I chuckled to myself.

It was time for both of us to go, clearly.

Pulling my phone from my pocket to look at the time, I noticed I had a few texts from Maya, and I liked everything I was seeing.

Texts asking me to come home and take a dip in the pool with her, teasing pictures.

Fuck, so much begging, and my dick twitched.

They were only from about ten minutes ago.

If I made this quick, I’d make it home to rip my own clothes off and ravish her right there in the pool.

“Alright, I should go,” I said, peering up from my phone. “Do you need a ride home?”

“Big, bad Angel Kingston offering me a ride home? I feel so special.” His accent turned thick as he spoke, but eventually, to my relief, he agreed.

“You’re becoming like a boring old man.” He hiccupped, calling the bartender and asking for two more rounds.

I moved my hat lower to cover more of my face, slowly declining the offer with a wave of my hand.

“Listen, as much as I would like to get drunk off my ass, I’d much rather go home and bend my girl over the kitchen island.

So, let’s go,” I ordered. The glimmer in Maya’s eyes radiated confidence, and nothing was better than that, and while they were nice, I didn’t need naked pictures.

I woke up to it every day now, and nothing was better than that.

She made the decision for me the moment she begged for me to be there with her.

Whether the night ended with fucking or not didn’t matter to me.

Petrov was shorter than me, but I was able to hold him up enough to guide him to the car without managing to make him vomit.

Man, this guy could hold his liquor. After throwing him in the passenger seat, I slid into my own, letting the vibration of the music sober me up.

Turning the key in the ignition, I asked, “What’s your address, man? ”

After a full forty-five minutes, I rolled up to his driveway only to be met with a very angry mother running down the driveway, and I wasn’t going to let it ruin my night.

My next mission was getting him out of the car as fast as possible.

More power to him for remaining home with his parents; times are tough.

Would I do it? Maybe for my mother, but my father could rot in a gutter somewhere.

Your parents were the first people you met; they set the precedent.

Once they hurt you, it was hard to trust that the rest of the world had your best interests. That was what I learned.

I rolled down the passenger window to try and tell her that I could help, but she was already in the car pulling him out by the ear.

Digging down deep, I gave her the widest smile I could match with a sarcastic wave, but she only narrowed her eyes, muttering something about corrupting her son.

Last time I checked, lady, it was your son who put down enough vodka to kill a horse.

With a breathy chuckle, I pulled out of the driveway, the tires screeching as I took off down the street.

I was still about half an hour out when a call from an unknown number came through, but I didn’t answer.

I was too focused on getting home. After the third time, my thumb moved to the green icon on my steering wheel and answered the call, frustrated beyond measure that some random person was ignorant enough to ring me off the hook around midnight.

Silence surrounded my ears as the music switched to phone, allowing me to speak.

“I’m not sure if this is a fan or random telemarketer, but find something better to do with your life than bother me. It’s late and I’m busy.”

My blood ran cold as the dangerous voice on the other end spoke.

“I wonder if Maya would be hurt that the love of her life chose booze over saving her from an unfortunate accident. Just like dear old dad, huh?”

“Who is this?” I knew who it was, but I wanted to hear the leach say it.

“I figured after all these years, you had a few screws loose, but I never thought you would be such an idiot. Pull over so we can speak like men.”

I gripped the steering wheel tightly, my knuckles turning white as I stepped on the gas. “I’m nobody’s bitch, Rocco, and you don’t scare me anymore,” I said through gritted teeth. “How’s Lorenzo? I’m betting it was a closed casket.”

“Tsk tsk tsk…bad boy, Riley. Funny how a man like you—who thinks he’s untouchable—has such a shitty security system. Pull over.”

Motherfucker. Slamming my fists on the steering wheel, I pulled over to the side of the road, quickly working my phone out of my pocket.

My heart clenched as I focused in on the app, hoping that Maya was alright, and I didn’t just make the worst mistake of my life by going out tonight.

Rocco waited patiently. He breathed slowly on the other end as I flipped through each camera.

Kitchen

Offline

Living room

Offline

Bedroom

Offline

Theatre

Offline

I checked every camera and was met with the same message. Inhaling, my breath caught in my throat as I clicked on the last camera.

Pool

Offline

Swallowing thickly, my jaw tightened, and I hurriedly opened my messages, hovering over Maya’s name and typed out a quick message, telling her to get to Chloe.

He wasn’t going to get satisfaction from my fearful response, even if I was scared to death right now.

Leaning forward, as close to the speaker as I could, I said, “Listen here, you son of a bitch. If you touch her, I will find you, and I will fillet the skin from your filthy body. Turn the cameras back on. Now.”

“This isn’t about you and me anymore. You know who she belongs with, who really owns her.

You bring her to me, and I’ll make sure she’s taken care of, maybe I’ll even let you come by and fuck her from time to time if you do as I say.

She’s naked right now, know that? Swimming carelessly, and ripe for the taking. I miss the way she feels against me.”

“Fuck you,” I seethed.

“Fuck me? No fuck you motherfucker. I swe—”

My body quivered with a mix of fear and anger as I hung up and quickly ordered the system to call Nick.

I didn’t even bother with my turn signal, peeling out into the line of cars trying to get to her.

My brain was reeling with any way or any idea on how to keep her safe.

Nick mentioned her phone once; maybe I could use that as a bargaining chip, or I could pay him off to cover what was lost. Fuck, I couldn’t…

breathe. My fingers pulled at my hair, twisting painfully as I hit eighty miles an hour in the fast lane.

“Hello?”

Nick’s groggy voice came through the speaker, and I wasted no time barking orders, but when it came to my best friend, the mask fell away, and it helped me quickly realize how easily Maya could slip through my fingers again.

No more drinking after tonight, and if I couldn’t find her protection while I was away, then she would come with me; end of story.

“Listen to me, Nicholas, get to my house. You have to get there now! I-I’m not…

Nick, I’m not going to make it,” my voice cracked.

“Yes, you are, breathe and focus on the road. I got you,” he soothed.

I could hear shuffling around as he must be throwing clothes on quickly.

In a moment’s notice, he was out the door, and I heard myself connect to the speaker of his helmet as he peeled out of the driveway.

The others weren’t aware of the situation between Maya and me, so I hesitated in asking them for help but really wished now that I had.

My cameras were still offline, and no doubt hanging up pissed Nick off. The group chat lit up instantly when Nick sent a message for the others to meet at my house, and my shoulders relaxed, unlike my lead foot, and I sighed.

The lights of the other cars were a blur, time slowing as I raced against the clock.

For all I knew, she was gone already, and we would be too late.

As I turned the corner, my home came into view, some of the guys already in my house while some manned the outside.

I closed out the camera app hung up once my house came into view, jumping out before I even came to a complete stop.

My eyes locked with Ethan’s through the darkness. “Tell me what’s going on. Please tell me she is in there.” I pleaded with desperation.

Noah’s gravelly voice answered, my gaze ripping from Ethan to his brother in a panic. “The door was already open, Angel. We don’t know.”