Page 63 of Worth the Risk
“Safe?” he asks. “Am I in danger?”
“No, not exactly. Safe isn’t the correct word. I wanted to keep you as far from the situation as possible. I knew if you got wind of anything, you’d try to protect me, and that would get you into even more trouble.”
“What can you tell me about whatever is going on? Who is involved?”
I stare at him, riddled with doubt. I’m worried about putting him in a compromising position with the Wolves. Concerned about the video being released. I haven’t even met his family yet; what will they think of the slut in the sex tape? Now that I think about it, I never saw the tape. Is it even real? Could Woodward be bluffing the entire thing?
“Coach Woodward insinuated he had a camera hidden in your hotel room in Boston. He saw us together, and threatened to release the tape to the media if I didn’t help him get you kicked off the team,” I blurt out.
Luca stares at me incredulously, his mouth agape in shock. “Are you fucking serious?”
I nod, chewing on my lip, worried he won’t believe me.
“That motherfucker!” he shouts, carefully sliding me off his lap before jumping up and beginning to pace the length of Claire’s apartment. “How many laws did he break here? And he admitted it to you? Jesus, he’s a dumb fuck. Was anyone else there when he admitted it?”
“My uncle and the GM.”
Luca turns, his glare glacial. “Your uncle?”
“Yes. Woodward assumed Uncle Bennett would help take you down, but my uncle says he’s only going along with it because he doesn’t want me to be embarrassed if the tape does get released.”
“Did you see the tape?”
“No. I was actually just thinking about that. Could he be bluffing?”
“I wouldn’t put it past him. He’ll do anything to get ahead,” Luca says as he runs his hand through his hair exasperatingly. “Can we trust your uncle?”
“Yes, I promise. He knows he’s on thin ice with me already,” I tell him, then giggle at my pun.
“Thin ice? Really?” Luca teases.
“It slipped out, I swear,” I say. “Are you mad? At me?”
“What? No, of course not. None of this is your fault, baby. This is all on Woodward,” Luca says.
“Oh. It’s just, as soon as I told you, you got as far away from me as possible, so I assumed …” I trail off.
“Shit. No, Pixie,” Luca says, coming to kneel in front of me. “I’m not mad at you. Not at all. I’m just really pissed we’re in this predicament.”
“Me too,” I say quietly. Luca slides back onto the couch, pulling me into his side. I sigh as his arms tighten around me. “I should have told you from the beginning.”
“Maybe, but maybe not. I don’t know what I would have done in your shoes, Han. You were put in an impossible situation, and you reacted as you thought was best at the time.”
“My new boss put me into contact with an attorney, who is looking into what laws Woodward broke and how we can move forward with criminal charges. My uncle is very inconspicuously asking around to see if anyone else was put in a compromising position with Woodward as well.”
“Wait. A compromising position? Did something else happen?” Luca asks.
“Not exactly, but a couple of times he would touch my shoulder or neck and let his hand linger. It was creepy. Once his hand skirted way too low on my shoulder to be considered professional. Uncle Bennett thinks other female employees have probably had similar situations happen, and we just need a few to be willing to come forward.”
I feel Luca’s entire body stiffen next to me as my words sink in.
“That fucker touched you?” Luca growls.
“Well, yes. But nothing like what you’re thinking right now. Trust me, I know the difference,” I joke, and Luca’s stricken expression meets mine.
“What the hell does that mean, Hannah? The difference between a nonconsensual grope and what?”
Luca and I have barely skimmed the surface of our dating histories, and he knows nothing of Jefferson. Nothing about Jefferson’s temper, and how he’d get handsy with me. Woodward is nothing compared to Jefferson. But seeing Luca’s chest rise and fall in quick succession, I’m hesitant to reveal all of this information right now. I fear Luca might burn all of Denver to the ground if he finds out Jefferson has been here looking for me.