Page 42 of Truce: Declan
"I just kept thinking that you got lucky to escape your asshole father. Turns out, I was right."
"Seriously? That was what crossed your mind when you read the article?"
"Read it? It was all over the news. The papers. You couldn't escape it if you were a hockey fan. It made you into a puck bunny."
I grimace, not realizing it wasthatbad. It was awful for me, but my new peers in London made it out to be like I was embellishing how terrible the situation was. The news didn't make it international.
"For the record, I wasn't kicked out of that private school," I say proudly. "I had decent grades. Dad didn't want me living at home anymore. I brought too much negative attention on him."
Noah's hands are at his sides, bunched into fists. "And he didn't defend you against any of the press's accusations."
He didn't, but I've moved on past all of it. I don't necessarily forgive my father for what he did, but I try to consider his actions as a way of protecting me.
"Can we not talk about the past?" I ask. I certainly don't want Noah bringing it up at the charity event, or ever, if it were up to me.
"Text me the details. I assume it's black tie?"
"It is," I say with a resigned sigh.
I haven't even thought about what I'd wear to the gala, but at least I have my father's credit card. And I fully intend on going on a little shopping spree with Amber this weekend if she's free.
EIGHT
Noah
I haven't seen or heard from Jasmine. And with the paternity results revealing that I'm, in fact, that little boy's father, I can't ignore it.
Oh, believe me, I've tried.
But I can't ignore that she's married to an abusive asshole, and I don't want him anywhere nearmyson.
Jasmine hasn't answered her phone or returned any of my messages, and I don't have time to play games, not the kind she's up to. I hired a lawyer to discuss paternity options and my rights. He suggested I use his private investigator to locate and track down Jasmine, and we go from there.
One step at a time.
I'm not the most patient person, either, and finding Jasmine andmy sondoesn't come cheap. Not that money is an issue. I'm fortunate to have a steady stream of income from my career, but I don't enjoy throwing my money at the law firm and the private investigator. I'd rather be spending it on my son's needs or buying him toys to play with.
My stomach churns at the thought of having a kid.
What the hell do I know about raising a son?
Not that I want to fight for full custody, but if she's still with that asshole, I'll do everything in my power to make sure my child is safe.
My phone buzzes as I head down the hallway to the locker room. We have a game tonight against the Island Bruisers.
There's a certain amount of pent-up frustration before every game. Tonight is different, going up against the Bruisers and coming face-to-face with the man raising my son as his own.
According to Jasmine, he doesn't know he's not the father, but her silence worries me.
I grab my cell phone from my pocket, reading the notification of a new text message.
I open the app, smiling when I see who it's from.
Charlotte: Knock 'em dead.
I chuckle under my breath and type back to her.
Noah: Oh, I will.
