Page 117 of Until We Burn
Luke’s brows knit together. “What if they’re planning on doing something? Kai did say Matthias threatened him after the presentation. He could be in on this, too.”
Rowan’s head drops down in defeat. “I think we need to call Mikhalkov.”
Wallace gawks at him.“The Menace?”
“He knows everything about everyone.” Rowan doesn’t hesitate to dial his number. “If Simon is planning to fuck things up, he’d know about it.”
Mikhalkov’s name puts the boys on edge.
Alexander Mikhalkov is the captain of the Hyburn University Eagles hockey team based in Abbotsford. We call him the menace because of his size, his physicality, and his shit-eating grin whenever he pisses off players on the ice. There’s a saying that if you decide to go after a Hyburn Eagle, you won’t walk away without Mikhalkov’s fist in your mouth. He’s an even bigger problem off the ice. No matter how long you’ve been playing, Mikhalkov will always have dirt on you that he can use to his advantage.
The phone rings multiple times before a deep Russian accent drawls through the speaker, “This better be good.”
Rowan wastes no time. “What do you know about Valdis and his plans for the DHU Halloween party coming up?”
“It depends.” I can hear the smug smile snake through his words. “What will you give me in return?”
That’s the catch. Mikhalkov never gives away his information without a price.
Rowan’s jaw clenches. “You’re playing against the Missouri Thundercats next week. I have some intel about their starting line you might want.”
“Alright. Good enough. Er…” Mikhalkov lets out a small, irritated groan. “Can I call you back in ten minutes?”
Before Rowan can answer, Luke snatches the phone from his hand and shouts into the speaker. “This is an emergency, Mikhalkov! Simon’s dad threatened to go after Kai, and now we’re freaked out thatlittle shit is gonna pull something at DHU’s Halloween party next Friday night!”
Mikhalkov’s voice perks up a little. “Is that Luke King?”
“Of course.” Rowan rolls his eyes and wrenches his phone out of Luke’s hand. “Who else screeches dramatically like that?”
Luke whips out his arms.And what about it?
Suddenly, there’s the rustle of bedsheets and a girl’s faint voice whining in the background.
Mikhalkov sighs. “Listen, all I know is that Valdis is going to the DHU Halloween party with some of his teammates and their girlfriends. The last time I heard, they’re just hopping from party to party.”
“But you haven’t heard of him wanting to do anything suspicious?” Rowan presses.
“How could he?” Mikhalkov scoffs. “Everyone’s in costume and Levels is one of the biggest clubs in Vancouver. You can’t lay out a good hit there even if you were hellbent on it.”
Rowan’s shoulders fall, yet his muscles still tense up. “If you hear anything, can I trust you to give me a heads up?”
“I’ll promise to give you a heads up as long as you don’t keep me from getting some head.”
We can hear the girl giggle in the back.
Rowan is hardly fazed. “Always a pleasure, Mikhalkov.”
“Looking forward to kicking your ass in November, Kaneshiro.”
The line goes dead.
Luke throws up his arms. “Well, that was useless.”
“That was astart,”Rowan corrects. “It’s better to call on someone who has a shot at finding out what Simon and the Vipers are up to.”
“Should we still go to the party?” I ask.
Rowan considers the thought. His fingers rub across his lips, and his face softens. Then, he shakes his head. “I know the boys have been looking forward to the party all week. They’ve been working hard and deserve some time to cool off. What I’ll do is warn them to stay clear of anyone with the Vipers tattoo on their wrist.”
