Page 59 of On Ice

“Yes, but Luigi will be fine.” I purse my lips, holding his uneasy stare. “And I’ve handled the situation.”

“Of course you have.” He snorts, giving me a disapproving look. “I can just imagine how you handled it too.”

“The shooter had to die. He tried to kill one of my men. But I showed leniency to his boss.” He doesn’t look impressed with my showing of mercy. He simply watches me with disdain. “I easily could have killed them all.”

“I’m sure you could have.”

“But I didn’t,” I say, studying him. “I showed restraint.”

He frowns. “Are you seeking my approval or something?”

My cheeks warm. “Fuck no.” Aren’t I though? Why else am I explaining myself to him? I clear my throat. “I simply know how overly compassionate you are. I thought you should know I can show mercy when I want.”

“Congrats?” He gives a humorless laugh. “I’m not worried about you murdering your own kind. If you kill each other off, good,” he grates. “I’m worried about myself. How much longer are you going to keep me here? I have obligations. There are people who depend on me.” His eyes flicker and I wonder if he’s thinking of his mom.

“Well, Evan,” I say smoothly. “If you hadn’t attacked me earlier, you’d already know why you’re still here. I planned on having a nice dinner with you where we could discuss our options.”

“What options?” He scowls.

“You have things you want, and so do I. We need to come to an agreement and meet in the middle.”

His mouth hardens. “I won’t turn on my team. I already told you that. I just won’t do it.” His words are firm, and while there’s rebellion in his eyes, there’s also fear.

I hold up one hand. “I’m not talking about you throwing games. I can see that isn’t something you can do. You care too much about your team.”

Instead of looking relieved, he looks suspicious. “You’re suddenly cool with that? Why would you be? You acted like itwas the end of the world when I didn’t throw that game against Chicago.”

I let out a harsh breath. “That’s because your little stunt didn’t just affect me. As I explained before, your impulsive decision to not throw the game pissed off a lot ofotherpeople. Powerful, vengeful types.”

“So you keep saying. But so far, you’re the only thug causing me problems.”

I grit my teeth. “I think I have a solution that will keep you alive.”

Although sometimes I wonder why I bother.

“And this plan of yours doesn’t involve the Ice Hawks throwing games?” His expression says he’s not buying it. “I thought that was how you were going to make money.”

“I’ve found another way to make money off the team.”

He murmurs, “Something tells me it’s not legal.”

“That side of things is none of your concern.” I shift toward him, ignoring how he flinches. “If you agree to my terms, we’ll both get what we want. That’s the only part that really matters.”

“What exactly do you want from me, Luca?” His green eyes are wary. He still has his knees pulled to his chest in a protective posture, and his body language screams mistrust.

I hesitate. “Well, before we get into the details of what I want from you, I want to talk about money.”

He blinks at me. “Money?”

I nod. “I know that you’re struggling financially.”

He narrows his eyes. “I make plenty of money.”

“While that’s true, we both know it’s not enough. Not with all the financial obligations you’ve taken on for your family.”

He goes very still. “What the hell would you know about my financial obligations?”

“I make it my business to always know every detail about my opponent when negotiating. It’s really the only way to come out on top.” I smirk. “And you know how I love being on top.”

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