Page 68 of Cold Carnage

He said nothing for a moment, his gaze piercing through me as if weighing my words.

Then he started to eat his meal again, cutting into the duck with precise movements.

I took a bite of my pasta, letting the flavors distract me momentarily from the tension that still lingered between us.

"I want you to set a meeting up with him," he said, his voice cutting through the ambient noise of the restaurant. "I suppose there's no point in worrying about his effect on the team if he refuses to play with us."

I nodded, the weight of his words settling on my shoulders. "Noted," I murmured, my gaze dropping to my plate.

The pasta now seemed like an afterthought. My mind raced with the logistics of arranging a meeting with Jared Crowder, knowing it wouldn't be as simple as sending an email or making a phone call.

As I twirled a forkful of pasta, I considered the implications. Jared was a wild card, and his tongue was legendary. Convincing him to join our team would be a delicate balancing act. But this was my job—to handle the impossible and make it look easy. I glanced up at him, who had resumed eating his duck. His calm demeanor was both reassuring and intimidating.

"I'll reach out first thing tomorrow," I said, trying to match his composed tone. "We'll need to approach this carefully. If we come off too strong, he might shut us down before we even get a chance to present our case."

He nodded in agreement, but his eyes remained on me, assessing my resolve.

"Well," he said. "If anyone can handle it, it's you."

I forced a smile before taking another bite. I hoped he was right.

Chapter 20

Ryker

Iwoke up the next morning; the sun streaming through my bedroom window. I dragged myself out of bed and into the shower, letting the hot water wash away the remnants of my dreams. As I dressed in my crisp suit, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of bitterness. I had a back-to-school function to attend, and part of me resented the fact that I had to be there at all.

But as I tied my tie and looked at myself in the mirror, I couldn't deny the fact that there was a part of me that was looking forward to seeing Paige again. I couldn't get her out of my head. The way she had stood up to me, the fire in her eyes, the way her lips had curled into a smirk when she had bested me in our argument. It was infuriating, and yet, I couldn't help but feel drawn to her.

I felt my cock twitch at the thought of her, and I quickly pushed the image out of my mind. I couldn't let myself get distracted. I had a job to do, and I couldn't afford to let my emotions get the better of me.

Driving to the ice arena, I couldn't shake the memories of my father being there. His presence had tainted the place, a constantreminder of his cold, dismissive attitude. And Brendan. The thought of what he did to Paige ignited a fire in my chest. I had to keep my temper in check, had to stay focused.

I parked and headed inside, my steps echoing through the halls. As I approached Paige's office, I noticed the door slightly ajar. Inside, Leo stood leaning casually against her desk, his voice a low murmur.

"And that's when I told him,If you think you can outskate me, you're welcome to try," Leo said with a chuckle.

Paige's laugh followed, light and genuine. My chest tightened, a sour taste creeping into my mouth. I leaned against the doorframe, watching them.

"You're always so confident," Paige replied, shaking her head with a smile.

"Confidence is key," he said, his eyes glinting mischievously. "Besides, it's not just confidence when you've got the skills to back it up."

He reached out, lightly brushing her arm. She didn't pull away. My fingers curled into fists at my sides.

"You think you're pretty smooth, don't you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'd like to think so," Leo winked. "But why don't you tell me? Am I?"

Her laughter rang out again, but I couldn't take it anymore.

"Am I interrupting something?" I asked, stepping fully into the doorway.

Leo glanced over his shoulder at me and smirked. "Just having a friendly chat with Ms. Adams here."

I didn't respond immediately, my eyes locking onto Paige's. She looked slightly taken aback but composed herself quickly.

"We were just discussing some PR strategies," she said, her tone professional but guarded.

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