Page 90 of Dirty Pucking Player

Bash snarls. “And ruin both our careers.”

Anger flares Bob’s nostrils. “If your careers are ruined, it’s your own doing. Don’t try to make me the bad guy here. I’m not.”

“I’m just saying—”

Shut up, Bash!

I need to try to salvage this. “Bob, we aren’t…”

The words catch in my throat. I just can’t seem to get them to come out. Emotion strangles me, tightening like a vise around my chest.

But Bash picks them right up for me. “We aren’t seeing each other anymore. So, it’s not an issue.”

“Not an issue?” Bob practically growls the words. “Have you seen the way you played the last three games, Bash? The animosity between you two has been obvious the whole time. If you can’t play for her or concentrate on the fucking game because of your former involvement, I can’t have you on the team.”

“I don’t want to leave the Scorpions.” Bash’s statement is hard and definitive. He glances at me. “This is a good team. I play well with these guys. No matter what happens this season, we’ll play well together next season, too.”

Bob eyes him skeptically. “So, you’re saying you don’t want to be traded?”

Bash shakes his head. “I’m not leaving. You can always get a new coaching staff.”

Anger heats my skin and has blood rushing in my ears. “I’m not quitting.”

Bob scowls at me. He wants to get rid of me. And he would be well within his rights to fire me this fucking minute.

I need to remind him why he can’t.

“You can’t fire me, Bob. You would have to tell the world you fired the first female head coach in history who took an expansion team to Stanley Cup playoffs in its first year. Have fun explaining that.”

His jaw tightens, and a muscle there tics. It’s the same look he always got when things were going to shit on the ice. “I don’t have a fucking clue what I’m going to do with you two. Let’s just get the rest of the season over and then I’ll figure it out. But until then, you two stay—”

Bash holds up his hands. “No need to worry about that, sir. It’s over.”

Those last two words feel like the final twist of the blade in my heart. I knew it was over after our last conversation, but hearing the words out of his mouth, hearing Bash tell Bob that his career is more important than mine, is more important than us…

It’s too much.

I grit my teeth and clench my fists to keep from crying. He’s always going to think his wants and needs are more important than mine. It’s who he is. Maybe he had a shit childhood and suffered at the hands of his father, but instead of making him sympathetic to others, it’s turned him into someone I can barely stand to look at.

The person I thought he was the day he set foot on my ice.

Bash Fury is an arrogant, self-centered bastard. And he always will be.

I was kidding myself to believe the flickers of the caring man were enough to rescue him from his true nature. Just because he can be sweet and is good with kids and a generous lover doesn’t mean he’s not selfish when it comes to something having to do with himself, when it comes to giving something up.

Bob waves a hand at me. “Greer, get out of here. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“That’s it?” I glance at Bash then back to Bob.

“I need to talk to Bash alone for a minute.”

I push myself up on shaky feet and make me way out of the office with nothing but unanswered questions, a broken heart, and a guillotine hanging over my neck.

* * *

BASH

I barely managed to get the words out before my throat closed up, and I had difficulty swallowing.

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