Page 138 of Triple Pucked
“It won’t,” I say, firmly. “Heine latched onto you when he met you in the therapist’s waiting room. He knew that you had your own trauma. You only tried to be his friend. He was the one who broke your boundaries and ignored your limits. He sought out Blythe. You’re not responsible for what either of those assholes do together or by themselves. I love that you’re agoodenough man to feel responsible for everyone like you are as the captain. But you’re not. Listen to me, D’Angelo. You can’t control everything. Bad things happen, but it doesn’t makeyoubad.”
D'Angelo gives me a crooked smile. “Have I told you that I love you yet today, cara mia?”
“Precisely seven times.”
“Then let’s make it eight times. I fucking love you.”
Shay throws his arms around D’Angelo’s neck. “I’m sorry. I was just bloody shocked and scared.”
D’Angelo awkwardly pats his back. “Public, remember?”
“It’s a manly hug. Mates hug, right?” Shay deliberately pulls D’Angelo closer, then shoves him away in an exaggeratedly blokish way.
D’Angelo’s lips quirk. “Mates.”
Shay’s expression is fragile. “We’re okay, yeah?”
“Of course, cucciolo. If you can forgive me?”
“Already forgiven. We can face a fake dom and a broken pet, right? We’re much stronger, all of us.” Even in this situation, Shay is the most positive and optimistic person I know.
Honestly, what Blythe said has made me queasy.
She’s here toprovethat she’s a better dom for Shay than D’Angelo is.
How far will she go to do that?
She has already tried with twisted Valentine’s cards and gifts. She has shown her control over Heine. She has sent orders for Shay to carry out himself before he hits the ice.
Suddenly, I become ashen.
I drop my bottle with a clank. Beer spills out in a malty puddle, and Cody dives to try and catch it with paper napkins.
I don’t notice.
Instead, I’m staring at Shay like any moment he may be snatched away from me and hurt like he was in the past.
It’s his nightmare but mine as well.
“What if Blythe’s plan is smarter than that?” I whisper. “She worked to ensure we lost the bet that she set up through Heine. She shook Shay, the top scorer, before every game with orders that she knew would psychologically screw him up. She forced him into the wrong headspace to play, especially without aftercare. She kept D’Angelo on edge with the cards, gifts, and Misfits. Then she schemed that when we lose the bet, Wilder would have to come to Freedom. He may be in on it. But worse, once Shay is sent to Pittsburgh, he’ll be alone.We can’t let that happen.Surely, her ultimate aim is to isolate him. We won’t be there to stop her trying to prove to him directly that she’s the best dom and break him like she has Heine.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Freedom Mansion
Eden
“Pass.”I throw a handful of toffee popcorn from the large bowl that is balanced on my lap into my mouth and crunch noisily. “Get in there. Light the lamp, bro. Do it.Yes!”
I lurch forward, forgetting not to smile, as I watch Shay scoring a beautiful goal, which impressively strikes the bottom of the crossbar and deflects into the back of the net.
The audience explodes with excitement.
The score against the New York Islanders is now4 — 3.
It’s an intense game.
The rival team is good. They would easily be winning, if it wasn’t for the god-like duo of D’Angelo and Shay, who have taken their hockey to a different level.
