Page 18 of Light It Up Red
“Dad, stop. We’re leaving,” Lili growls while tugging at my arm.
“He’s leaving. You’re not,” her father says.
“Actually, she is. If Lili wants to leave, no one is going to stop her from doing it,” I tell him, regretting the words as soon as they’re out of my mouth. And not because I don’t mean them, but because it’s disrespectful and my mother raised me better. “Sir,” I add at the end. He is her father after all.
“And who do you think is going to stop me from keeping my daughter here? You?” he counters, looking me up and down.
“If I have to, for her, yes.” I keep my gaze locked on his.
“Fucking hell. Lil, get him out of here before it’s too late,” the third guy steps between us with a forced sigh.
“Thanks, Zio Matteo. I am calling Mom, by the way. I hope you have a lot to do today. I wouldn’t rush home,” Lil says to her father, and it doesn’t take a genius to hear the threat hanging in the air.
“Liliana, a word,” he replies before dropping his glare on her and stepping aside.
Lili turns back to me. “I’ll meet you at the car. Give me a second. Or, you know, if you want to leave without me, that’s okay too.” She doesn’t look at me when she says that last part.
I reach out for her face and tip her head up again. “I’m not going anywhere without you, babe. I’ll wait right here. Go talk to your dad.”
“Do not touch him.” Lili points at her uncle and then brother before storming past them, the click of her heels on the cement floor echoing behind her as she goes.
I watch on as she steps up to her father. He pulls her into a hug and her body sags against his chest.
“You know, if you weren’t Travis fucking O’Neil, I would have let him shoot you.”
Her brother’s voice has me looking his way. “Good to know,” I tell him while holding out a hand. “I’m Travis.”
He only leaves me hanging for a second before he returns the gesture. “Alessandro, her brother.” He dips his head in Lili’s direction, then adds, “Get a real good look at my face, because if you hurt her, it’ll be the last thing you see and it won’t matter what your name is.”
“Right, well, I’ve seen far worse,” I tell him. “I’m sure you’ve seen some of my teammates. Not all of them are as pretty as you are.” Then I turn to the third guy and introduce myself. “Travis.”
“Matteo, her uncle,” he grunts and shakes my hand, though it’s clear he doesn’t want to.
“So… nice day, huh?” I ask, trying to kill the awkward silence that’s settled between us.
“You’re playing Nashville tomorrow, right?” Alessandro asks.
“We are.”
“When do you play the Knights again?”
“Vancouver?” I question him.
“Who else?”
“Just checking. Two weeks,” I tell him. I’ve been waiting for this game. My people have been in negotiations with the Vancouver Knights, looking to get me signed. I’m a free agent, and the Knights are it for me. I’ve been a fan since I was old enough to stay upright on a pair of skates.
“I’ll give you one mil to knock Monroe on his ass at least three times when you play him,” Alessandro says, and I laugh.
“Sorry, no can do. I don’t take bribes.” I shake my head. I’m not a dirty player. “But I’ll knock him on his ass just because I can. That guy has a chip on his shoulder the size of fucking Texas.” I smirk.
“Travis, let’s go. My father is sorry for pointing a gun at you,” Lili says when they approach a few minutes later. The look on Mr. Valentino’s face tells me otherwise. The man is not the least bit sorry.
“Well, it was great meeting you all.” I dip my head to Lili’s brother and uncle before passing her father. “Sir.” I nod and keep walking—or, more accurately, I let Lili drag me towards the car.
Chapter Nine
Ikeep looking over at Travis. He seems like he doesn’t have a care in the world. He just came face-to-face with my father and didn’t flinch. Like at all. And now he’s taking me to breakfast, as if a gun wasn’t just pointed at his head not even five minutes ago.
