Page 81 of Penalty to the Heart

“Lower your voice, Caleb,” she demands. “I know this is a lot for you to take in, but I refuse to be your punching bag.”

I stare daggers at her, even when I know she’s right.

Piper isn’t at fault here, but she didn’t have to help this shit go through, either.

“I know you don’t see it now, and this is a lot for you to take, but Bellamy will be a good addition to the Guardians,” she tries to explain. “He’s a team player and has a stellar record on his own. His unexpected need to return to Boston on such short notice just happened to work in our favor.”

“What do you mean by that? Why the fuck would he even want to leave New York? I thought they loved him there.”

“Actually, I’ve said too much as it is. I’m not at liberty to disclose such personal information about a client.”

“I’m your client!” I yell in disbelief. “Jack is your client! And you just screwed us! Both of us!”

“I did no such thing, and if Jack were here, he’d tell you as much. I’m just trying to do right by him, by doing right by the team.”

“Not from where I’m standing, you’re not,” I sneer at her.

“It’s true, Caleb. Everyone knows that if it hadn’t been for Jack, there was no way the Guardians could ever have gotten this close to winning the championship and possibly the Stanley Cup. How do you think he’d feel if all of that work went down the drain because he wasn’t there to follow through? Your brother bleeds white and green, Caleb. He’d make whatever sacrifice necessary to ensure the Guardians win. Even if that meant signing a player from a rival team.”

“That’s where you’re wrong—my brother bleeds red. You know how I know that? Because I was the one who saw him almost bleed out in that fucking car that night.”

Her face falls at the reminder.

“Caleb—”

“No, Piper. This is fucked up. I thought we were friends.”

“We are friends,” she says, rising from her seat towards me.

“No, we’re not.” I shake my head. “Friends don’t fuck each other over.”

“I didn’t fuck you over, Caleb.”

“No?” I scoff. “Then why do I feel your knife stuck in my back?”

“Caleb—”

“Nah, Piper. This shit was cold, even for you. We’re done here. You can see yourself out.”

“I see that you’re too upset to see reason right now. And I get that. I really do. So I’ll give you some space, and hopefully, next time we talk, you will realize that all I did was for the good of the team and to ensure Jack’s legacy isn’t tarnished. I came here today because I just wanted you to hear the news from me. From a friend.”

“With friends like you, who needs fucking enemies,” I mumble under my breath.

“Don’t say that, Caleb. I am your friend.”

“Nah, Piper. That ship sailed the minute you went behind my back and signed that asshole to the team. You’re not my friend. And come to think of it, you’re not my agent either. You’re fired.”

Her face blanches at my statement.

“You don’t mean that.”

“The fuck I don’t. You’re done telling me what to do or how to behave. And after I tell Erin what you pulled with this Bellamy bullshit, I doubt she’ll want you looking after Jack’s affairs either. Consider the Donovans officially off your roster. If we wanted to work with two-faced agents, we would have gone to ProStar instead.”

I should feel bad about the hurt in her eyes, but I don’t.

All I feel is rage.

“Now get the fuck out of my house. I can’t even stand the sight of you.”

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