Page 71 of Worth the Risk
I know, because I’ve watched every game. Every single one. I hated hurting him, and feeling like I was responsible for sending his career into a tailspin. I’m still not sure if it’s a good idea for us to be together right now, but I can’t fight it any longer. The few weeks we were apart, I was miserable. I felt like I left my heart at his apartment door, and I’ve just been going through the motions.
I’m not sure how Luca got under my skin so quickly. We’ve barely known each other for long, but the connection I have to him is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. Knowing he feels the same has made this all worth it.
“Dammit!” I hiss as Luca blatantly high-sticks an opposing player. What is going on with him? I thought if we got back together, he’d settle down. But it’s almost like he’s even more determined to wreck things now — “Holy shit! He’s doing it on purpose!”
“Who’s doing what on purpose?” Claire asks.
“Luca. He’s trying to make them lose,” I explain.
“Why would he do that?”
“Woodward and the GM want to trade him. There’s some … drama …” I swallow harshly as I refrain from giving out any details. The attorney Dominic provided for me was already pissed when I called him this afternoon to update him that Luca and I were together. Now I know it’s the attorney the entire Santo family uses when needed, and it makes sense since Dominic is also protecting Luca here. “Anyway, they want Luca gone, and he doesn’t want to go.”
“Won’t losing make them even more determined to get him out of here?”
I sigh. “My guess is he’s determined to make it so no one wants him.”
“If he gets traded, will you go with him?”
“I don’t know. We haven’t even talked about that. I just started at the hotel, and I actually really like it. It’ll look incredibly bad on my resume to have resigned from two positions so quickly.”
“Following your partner because he had to move isn’t exactly resigning, Hannah. I think anyone would understand that.”
“Possibly. Damn, he got hit with another penalty! This is ridiculous,” I seethe. I don’t understand what he’s doing here. What he thinks he’ll accomplish, other than pissing off the entire organization, and thousands of fans. And seeing Woodward’s look of pure unadulterated glee, I’d say Luca’s penalties are having the opposite effect from whatever Luca wanted.
“You want a glass of wine? You need one so you settle down and quit the pacing,” Claire asks as she stands to walk into the kitchen.
“Might as well. Looks like it’s going to be a long evening.”
One problem with staying so far west of downtown is the fact that it’s well past midnight before Luca will get here. Since I knew it would be incredibly late, I opened up a second bottle of wine after Claire went to bed. When a knock sounded on my door, I assumed someone had let Luca in.
I should have looked through the keyhole.
“Hello, pet,” Jefferson snarls, reaching a hand up and grabbing my neck. “You thought you could run from me? Think again, pet.”
I always hated how he called me ‘pet.’ Not only is the name incredibly demeaning, but he’s hissing it at me with such malice. Looking back, it should have been a glaring red flag the first time he used it. But I was so accustomed to giving men the benefit of the doubt. And, according to my parents, Jefferson was a ‘good catch from a good family.’
I try to scream out for help, but Jefferson’s hand tightens. I know I only have a minute before I black out, and I swiftly bring up my knee between his legs as hard as I can. He groans and crumbles to the ground.
“Claire!” I croak, rubbing my throat. I doubt she hears me, as she sleeps with at least two oscillating fans and a white noise machine on at all times, so I know I’m on my own.
“You fucking bitch!” Jefferson moans from the floor. He’s half inside the apartment and half out, one leg braced against the door, meaning I can’t close it and lock him out. I run to the kitchen and grab a knife, then dash across the room to get my phone. Quickly dialing 911, I rattle off the apartment address before letting the operator know the situation. I’m surprised at my ability to remain calm in this situation. Maybe I’ve subconsciously known something like this would happen eventually with Jefferson, and therefore it isn’t a surprise. Or maybe my fight-or-flight mode kicked in at just the right time.
I make the mistake of turning away from where Jefferson thrashes in pain on the floor for a second, and he takes the opportunity to lunge at me. The knife is ripped from my hand, and I scream in pain as the blade slashes across my palm. He has it up to my throat immediately.
“Hang up the phone, Hannah Ann,” he snarls. Another red flag is how he always referred to me as Hannah Ann, just like my mother. I whimper as blood drips steadily off my fingertips, smudging my phone as I try to end the call. “Did you really think I’d give you up? I spent years training you, pet. I will not go back to square one and train someone else.”
“Train?” I whisper.
Jefferson chuckles maliciously. “Yes, pet. Train. I fucking trained you. You were nothing before me. You waited at the door when I got home from work with my whiskey. You knew every meal I approved of, the restaurants I wouldn’t go to, and even how much starch to use in my clothing. When you so much as thought about stepping out of line, I reeled you back in. Then you got this little harebrained idea of moving to Colorado and broke up with me. Did you really think I put up with your awful parents and your boring as fuck sorority sisters because I wanted to?”
“What do you mean that you reeled me back in?” I’m hoping I didn’t fully end the 911 call, and the operator is still recording the call. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I know what Jefferson is going to say.
“Reminded you who was in control, obviously. You didn’t like it when I got physical with you, and you’d get back in line and do as you were expected to do.”
“No, Jefferson, I didn’t like when you hit me,” I tell him.
“You fucking deserved it every goddamn time, Hannah Ann. Staying late at work? Being around all those sweaty athletes for fun? You were supposed to be at home waiting for me,” he seethes.