Page 87 of Chips & Checks
Bowen
The general vibe of the conference room is, I imagine, akin to the mood of a hospital room right before someone receives a terrible diagnosis. Sergio, my agent, the GM of the team, and Coach sit in an unsmiling line on the far side of the conference table. Coach won’t meet my eyes. He’s barely acknowledged me since the incident, even on the flight back to Vegas. Everyone on the team knows I’m in trouble. Chad, even with his busted nose, was the only person on the plane in a good mood.
I adjust my position and clear my throat. “I’m ready. What’s the verdict?”
Sergio steeples his fingers and glares at me. “You’re benched, pending an investigation.”
I nod. Okay, fair. It could be worse. I was expecting to be released on the spot, but maybe I’ll get a chance to argue my case. I know Violet will back me up if she gets a chance.
“Before we proceed—” my agent begins.
The door behind me slams open, and Dante comes limping through. “I didn’t receive my invite to this meeting!” he snaps.
Sergio straightens his shoulders and lifts his chin. “That would be due to the fact that you’re retired.”
Dante bares his teeth in a sneer. Despite his age, they are blindingly white. “I may be retired, but I’m not dead. And how am I supposed to bring back the magic if you freeze me out?”
“I thought the magic was my job?” Sergio asks. Great. I’m stuck in the middle of a father-son squabble at the make-or-break moment of my career.Cool.
“Think again, kid. And you.” Dante reaches the conference table and pivots to glare at me. He leans over me, or tries to—even seated, I’m not much shorter than he is. “You need to go. Fighting your teammate in a public venue is not magic.”
Sergio’s nostrils flare. “We’rebenchinghim, pending aninvestigation,” he repeats. I want to thank him, or at least give him some gesture of appreciation, but with Dante’s face only inches from mine, I’m a little afraid to look away in case it gives him an opening to strike. Like with a cobra. Or those angel statues fromDr. Who.
“I don’t know what there is to investigate,” Dante gripes. “After all, the whole fucking world saw him punch his teammate multiple times. There were more cell phone videos than there were hotel guests to film it. Every angle. Every social media outlet. What do you think happens to people who resort to violence?”
Sergio’s tone is ice cold. “Some of them buy casinos. Others get music careers.”
It must be an inside joke, or in this case, an insult, because I have no fucking idea who he’s referring to. Dante whirls toward his son, and I take the opportunity to blink. My eyes were getting hella dry from all that staring.
“Now you’ve got jokes?” Dante growls.
Coach, who hasn’t so much as cracked a smile, says, “I thought it was funny.”
“There’s nothing funny about this situation, kid.” I’m not sure if Dante is talking to Coach, Sergio, or me. Maybe it’s a blanket statement, since he’s the oldest guy in the room. His stare is too powerful, and Sergio’s calm, confident demeanor isn’t powerful enough to measure up to his father’s rage.
Sergio sinks lower in his chair. “I asked Sawyer to put out feelers to trade him,” he whines. “Just in case.”
There’s a tentative knock at the door. Every head in the room swivels toward it. “What?” Dante snaps.
The knob turns, and Violet peers through the gap. My heart does… something. I’m happy to see her, but if Dante’s going to pull rank and force Sergio to skip the promised investigation, I don’t want her to be part of it.
Dante scoffs. “Did I saycome in? Sergio, get your house in order.”
“At least she knocked,” Sergio mutters.
Violet takes a few steps toward the table. “I’m here because—”
Dante rolls his eyes and cuts her off. “Because your boyfriend’s in trouble. You think I didn’t know? Iknowthings, Dr. Sawyer.”
Unlike Sergio, Violet doesn’t shrink from Dante’s tone. Her hesitation hardens into an air of resolve. I love her so much in that moment. I can’t believe I found her, and now I might get traded away.Thisis why the rules matter. If I’d just focused on my game…
Then Chad would have done whatever he wanted the other night. Fuck that. I love hockey, but if playing my best game means turning a blind eye when my asshole teammates harass our colleagues, the game can get fucked. And Chad was going to do a whole lot more than harass Vi the other night. I did the right thing, and I’d do it again, even if I weren’t head over heels for this woman.
“If you’re so all-knowing, are you aware that Chad has been sexually harassing me since last season?” Violet asks.
Dante scoffs and turns away from her. “What? Because he touched your hair during the pre-game? This is a physical sport. Be glad it wasn’t your ass.”
Coach lurches in his chair, and my agent’s jaw clenches, but it’s Sergio who leaps to his feet. He braces one arm against thedesk and jabs the other at his dad. “For fuck’s sake! This isn’t the sixties, and Igrew up with Violet.”
