Page 129 of My Pucking Crush

Luca goes ballistic. “I will fucking kill you.”

“Stay down,” the man in the mask says to me. “Don’t fight. Or I’ll hurt you until you collapse again.”

“What do you want?” I bark.

“You. Broken.” The man removes his mask.

Ivan Belova.

“You.”

“Da. I told you, I’d get to him,” Belova sneers at Luca.

With Luca chained down, I’m at their mercy. A war breaks out in my head. Do they want to send me back battered and bruised, too hurt to play? Or keep me from playing all together?

Fuck that. I don’t care what they do to me. If I get out of here, I’mplaying.

I roll over and try to stand, but Belova pushes me down. Wincing in pain, I mutter, “What the fuck? Whyhurtme? Just fucking keep me here.”

“I’m not paying five guys to keep you hostage for ten days while the teams play. Feed you, give you bathroom breaks. For all I know, if you’re officiallymissing, they might postpone the games.”

“You’re really giving me way too much credit with my team,” I say, even though he has a good point.

“I studied this game carefully.” Belova strokes my head, a finger gently brushing my sore cheek.

“Get your fucking grimy hands off him,” Luca bellows. “He’smine.”

Belova’s jaw tenses. That admission might have signed my death warrant if he also wants to hurt Luca for what happened to his sister. The way Belova studies his elusive brother-in-law with a tight jaw, however, suggests just how deadly Luca is. No one knows Luca better than Ivan Belova.

“As I was saying.” Belova focuses on me. “Do you remember two seasons ago?”

“Keep kicking me and I won’t remember anything.”

“Your brother’s drug trial in California.”

My stomach threatens to revolt. “That’s fucking low.”

“I thought it was brave and honorable for you to miss several games to be there for him. It didn’t go unnoticed how your team fell apart without you.”

“My shift is tight, we’re highly in tune. There’s only five of us on the ice at one time. When one of us...” I stop.

Oh, no. He’s figured it out.

“I’m surprised other teams have not surmised that without you on the ice, the Crushers would be in last place.”

“It’s called being decent and honorable and training to be better than me. Not fucking cheating.” I struggle to get to my feet, but I’m kicked again.

“One more time, and you die,” Luca screams blood-curdling cries from his throat.

Holding a gun, Belova hikes over to Luca. I cringe, thinking he’ll pistol whip him.

“Stop. No, please,” I beg. I’m trained to take this kind of pain. Luca isn’t. I’ll take ten times the agony I’m in now to keep him perfect.

Belova bends down and kisses Luca.

On the mouth.

Belova won’t hurt Luca. He’s hurting me. Hehatesme, or how good I am and how I can beat his shitty players. He doesn’t hate Daniil. Shit, he...he loves him.

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