Page 43 of His Reward
“The figure skating world has lost one of its brightest lights,” Jennifer’s voiceover said as one of the pictures of Lucien and Pietro faded into a particularly bad shot of Lucien’s early scars, “but there is a light at the end of this tunnel.”
To my utter shock, my own face appeared on the screen.
“The firefighter who ran into the burning rink to snatch Lucien back from the jaws of Death?” Jennifer’s voice said. “He’s Boston Fielding, the alpha chief of Barrington Engine Fifty-Five, and he’s more than just a hero.”
“I’m lucky, really,” Lucien appeared on the screen, smiling at Jennifer as the two of them sat across from each other on the very couch where we were now. “I’ve been given a second chance, and I have a lot to look forward to.”
“I said that about my prospects for making a comeback in skating,” Lucien told the screen through gritted teeth.
He’d told me about the interview he’d done with Jennifer two weeks before. I’d been on duty that day and unable to be there for it. Jennifer had come to the firehouse to get a few quotes from me on camera around the same time. She’d been open and honest about the human-interest story she was doing, but what played out on the screen wasn’t at all what any of us had thought it would be.
“Lucien is wonderful,” I said as part of that interview played across the screen. A few still pictures of the two of us together that I didn’t remember anyone taking faded in and out on the screen to romantic music before it cut back to me. “That day changed my life. I’m going to do whatever I can to help Lucien through this and to get him back to where he needs to be.”
I frowned and tightened my arm around Lucien’s shoulder. “She took me out of context, too.”
On screen, they were back to an interview room, and Jennifer asked, “What do you make of all this?”
The camera cut to Pietro in whatever studio they’d filmed the segment. “I couldn’t be happier,” Pietro said. “Lucien’s life is his own, of course, but I’m keeping my calendar open for June, if you know what I mean, and I’m looking forward to grandkids.”
“So Lucien will have his happy ending after all,” Jennifer said. “In his darkest night, he found love and acceptance. And you, Pietro, what’s next for you?”
Pietro on the screen laughed. “Life moves on,” he said with a shrug. “I’m part of a coaching team, and we’ve recently welcomed new members to that team.”
“Yes, I hear you’ve taken over coaching Stephen Dousegard,” Jennifer said.
“Because of course he would,” Lucien whispered, tense and angry.
“Stephen is a fantastic skater,” Pietro said, a whole new light of excitement in his eyes. “He’s hardworking and determined. He has a fight in him that Lucien never had. He’s new to the senior circuit, but don’t be surprised if you see him on the top of the podium this year.”
Lucien started to shake subtly beside me. As angry as I was with Pietro, I was even more concerned for my omega. He was trying to hold it together, but the betrayal had gotten to him.
“I’m going to wring his neck,” Bea hissed at the TV, just as angry as I was. “There’s no way he had permission to do or say any of that. You need to hire a lawyer to sue him for libel or something.”
I wanted to do much more than that, but already, I knew it would be useless. I’d consented to that interview, as I knew Lucien had to his. We’d even signed release forms.
That wasn’t the end of things. The prerecorded segment ended and Jennifer was back on the screen in the network’s central broadcasting studio. But that was only half the screen. The other half was a shot of the main arena in downtown Barrington where the skaters who were competing that night were warming up on the ice. One of the other journalists who was a regular to skating coverage stood next to the edge of the rink, and right next to him, on the ice, were Pietro himself and Stephen Dousegard.
“That’s right, Jennifer,” the journalist said in response to something Jennifer had said that we’d all missed. “I’m here with Pietro Monteverdi and Stephen Dousegard as they prepare for tonight’s competition. Pietro, what do you think of Stephen’s chances in tonight’s competition?”
“I think he’s going to win,” Pietro said, his aggressive mien entirely different from the caring father he’d pretended to be in the segment. “I only coach winners.” He looked directly at the screen as he spoke.
Lucien leaned heavily into me, his fragile body warm and tight.
“And Stephen, how is it being coached by one of the legends of the sport?” the journalist asked.
“It’s great,” Stephen said, all bright-eyed and youthful good looks. “Mr. Monteverdi has been pushing me hard, but it’s made me a better skater.”
“Stephen works harder than Lucien ever did,” Pietro said, giving the young man a proud smile. “It’s refreshing to coach someone because they’re motivated to be a champion and not just because we’re family.”
“I could absolutely murder him,” Bea grumbled on my other side.
“And how is Lucien holding up, now that the games have started?” the journalist asked, visibly thrown by Pietro’s callous statement.
“I’m sure he’s just fine,” Pietro said curtly. “He has his alpha firefighter to take care of him, after all. He’ll get married and have babies, like every good omega should.”
That was more or less the end of the interview, but it felt like the end of a lot more than that. Not just to me. Lucien sucked in a breath that nearly turned into a sob before pushing away from me and standing.
“Sorry, I’ve got to?—”
