Page 89 of My Pucking Crush

My throat tightens. Only, I’ve been living in a penthouse, getting laid nearly every night. Jesus, I’m...happy. And it’s about to all be stolen away from me.

“I would have worked for you until my dying breath. The bratva was my life. You forced me into an impossible, miserable situation.”

“And we both suffered the consequences.”

It occurs to me that Ivan knowseverything. Knew it all along. Where I work. Where I live. Where Max lives.

“You always loved hockey,” he keeps going. “I’ll give you the team.”

I scoff. “You’ll just sign over a hockey team to me? I have no idea how to run a professional sports team. And I don’t want to learn.”

“Then name your price.”

“Why do you want me back so badly?”

“Pride. Perception. You got away. That made me look weak.”

House Domenico sits on my tongue, but I won’t drag them into this. I’m not working for them yet. And I haven’t heard from Giancarlo Byrne to find out if I passed Daria’s background checks.

“Here is your boy.” Ivan sticks his phone under my nose.

Max runs passing drills at the practice facility.

Anger fills my vision. “You have a mole with the Crushers?”

“No.” Ivan laughs. “Just a few cameras I paid some maintenance people to plant. They think I’m a snooping tabloid rag.”

“Those cameras are being ripped out when I get back.”

“If I let you get back.”

“Kill me,” I sneer. “Go ahead. I’m not working for you again.”

“I can get a sniper into that building in ten minutes. Take your boy out.”

“Why are you calling him...” I stop and close my eyes.

He saw us at the harbor a few nights ago. Saw us kiss. God, I’m so stupid.

“I’ve learned my lesson, Daniil. You were a good enforcer. Orlov is useless.” He hisses toward one of the cars. “Come home. Take your place at my side. You can have all the men you want. I have no more sisters to force on you.”

My body goes rigid.

“Underboss? You’re offering me, the man you tried to kill, the underboss job?” I get in his face. “And how do I know you won’t try to kill me again?”

“You don’t.” He stands up. “Just like today. You will never see me coming next time.”

Hard sell me, why don’t you. I shiver against the cool twilight air from the setting sun. The long drive back to Connecticut in the dark will be miserable.

“Keep your eyes on your boy,” Ivan taunts me. “He’s going down in our playoffs. It can be graceful, or he’ll leave on a stretcher. Either way, the Crushers are losing. We’re taking home the Dresden Cup.” He signalshis driver to open his door. “And you’ll be fired with nowhere to go.”

Fury floods my veins, and I consider putting a bullet in his head. His men will kill me. I’ll be with my son, but Max will live.

Or maybe he won’t.

“Five days, Daniil.” Ivan steps toward his car. “You have five days to come home after the Crushers’ season is over, or you will be forcibly dragged back. Bring your lover boy with you. After this season, he’ll never play hockey again.”

I grab Ivan around the neck to choke him. But before I can, he laughs out loud. “Try that again. You don’t even want to know what I’ll do to your sister.”

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