Page 163 of Ice Dance Hockey

“Regardless, your prior relationships are over, effective immediately. You’ll be submitting your cellphones and any other devices to my men here. You’ll be escorted to and from games by my men until I’m sure you’ll both behave.”

“Not happening.”

He sighs as if I’m a recalcitrant child. “It is happening, Rhett. If I have to, I’ll place you into a conservatorship.”

“I’m not unwell; you’d have to prove I was unwell to do that.”

“Not when I know what I know about the Honorable Judge Sampson. And it’s easy to make you …looklike you need help. With the help of Photoshop and new digital technology, everyone would believe it. I could have you committed if I wanted.”

It’s like having the carpet pulled out from under me and a hairline fracture cracks across my heart. I thought he loved me.

“You’d do all that to me?”

He falters for a fraction of a second, but then he hardens. “I’ll do whatever’s best for you no matter how much you hate me right now.”

If only I hated him. I wouldn’t be a mess of jumbled feelings inside.

“That’s only if you force my hand. I’d rather not do any of that. I’d rather you comply.”

There aren’t a ton of options at present, especially with a threat hanging over Logan’s head. Any goon would be happy to do my father’s bidding for what he’d pay them.Fuck. After this, Logan’s getting a security detail, and I don’t care how much he complains about it.

I rub a hand over my face, thinking. That conservatorship would really be a thorn in my side, too. He could take away all access to my bank accounts. He could own me. I’ll have to go along with this little house of horrors for now. Play nice.

“Fine. I’ll comply. What now?”

“I doubt the son I raised would roll over so quickly, which is why I have a little something extra planned for you, Rhett.”

Goody. “Which is?”

“You get to go to a special clinic for a week—same one all the young, misbehaved celebrities go to. Not only will it be something we can leak to the public about you if you force my hand, but it’ll be good for you to see what your life could be like if you don’t do as I say. You’ll go without protest or argument.”

“I have hockey to play,” is what I say, but my real worry is Logan. What’s this going to do to him?

“You’ll only miss a few games. It’ll be less games than when you had that injury last season, providing you behave yourself.”

Everything is slipping from my hands rapidly. Of all the things I thought my dad would do, I didn’t see this coming. I was foolish enough to believe he wouldn’t hurt me like this. He says it’s for me, but he’s doing this for himself.

“What happens to Jack while I’m ‘away on vacation’?”

“He’ll be safe at your penthouse, the one you lived in before you began fucking that dirty brat.”

I’m going to find a way out of this, and when I do, he’ll regret saying that.

“You’re lifting us from our lives? What will you tell them?” I say.

Dad hesitates, only for a second, but I know him well enough to catch him. There’s a screw loose in his plan. Huh. Unlike him. “Jack needs to do some acting. I can’t get around the captain.”

Jack smirks to hell and back. “The captain is awesome. Also, perfect example of fathering right there. Maybe you should take notes.”

“You’d better lie your ass off.”

“Ha! He can smell a lie from thousands of kilometers away, especially from me.”

“Think of something. You’ll be working on that, while Rhett goes away for a little while.”

Guess I get his version of a time out.

“Please, let me talk to him one last time,” I plead. When Logan worries about me, he stops eating.

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