Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70269 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70269 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
“So, just like when I’m squaring up with another team.”
“Right, except now you’re playing for your life, not for a winning goal.”
“Fuck, you really know how to put a guy at ease.”
He chuckled and rang the doorbell as I prayed I would make it through this meeting. I wanted the Marchesis on my side, and I also wanted Vito to be proud of me.
Why did that matter so much? If I was just having fun and getting his protection….
You know that’s not what this is. You know you’re feeling so much more and so is he.
Was he really? I thought about the way he’d looked at me earlier, the way he’d told me he knew what I was feeling, the things I couldn’t say. Did he? Or did he just want to put me off? Was he hoping I wouldn’t say something we’d both regret?
He’s brought you to meet his family.
He doesn’t have a lot of choice.
He could’ve left you with the guards and come to this meeting on his own.
He could have. Val hadn’t wanted to let Liam come with him, but it had never been a question that Vito was bringing me.
The older man I’d seen with Vito at my game opened the door.
“Zeke, this is my father, Dominic Marchesi.”
He held out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
He had a firm, warm handshake. “I’m honored to be invited to your home, Mr. Marchesi.”
“Please, call me Dom.” He winked at Vito. “Good on the ice and nice manners. Aren’t you lucky?”
Without saying another word, he turned and encouraged me to follow him. I wasn’t quite sure what to make of his behavior. He seemed almost flirtatious. Would he flirt with me in front of his son? I mean, he was fucking gorgeous, but I’d fallen for Vito. I couldn’t deny it anymore. I’d fallen. Hard. There wasn’t going to be anyone else for me.
Dom led us to a beautiful room at the back of the house that looked out onto a small courtyard.
There were several men standing around holding drinks as if this was a cocktail party.
Dom gestured to the man I knew was Vito’s brother. “Zeke, this is my other son Val.”
Val smiled. “It’s nice to meet you, Zeke. Can I get you a drink?”
“I can handle that,” Vito said.
Val laughed at Vito’s insistence. “He likes you a lot.”
“He’s great,” I said not really acknowledging what Val said.
“He can be. He says you’re pretty amazing too. I have to admit I haven’t been a close father or a hockey fan, but I really enjoyed your game the other day.”
“Thank you.”
Val put his arm around the slender blond man standing beside him. “This is my husband, Liam.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Liam said as he held out his hand for me to shake.
“It’s nice to meet you too.”
“Whatever Vito has told you about me is exaggerated at best and completely untrue at worst.”
“He hasn’t told me very much, but I’ll keep that in mind.”
Vito frowned him. “I have not said anything disparaging about you.”
“You’d better not,” Val said.
“These are my nephews,” Dom said, turning to the other men in the room. All of them were equally tall and incredibly gorgeous. Two of them could easily be mistaken for twins.
I learned they were Angelo and Devil. The man who was slightly shorter with perfectly styled black hair was Lucien, the head of the family. I hadn’t heard much about him from Vito, but I could tell by the way everyone deferred to him that he was someone to be reckoned with. I was glad he was at least supposed to be on my side.
“Vito was thrilled when you got traded from Vegas,” Devil said.
Angelo grinned. “He’s lucky we were already taken.”
Heat rose to my face, and I wasn’t sure how to respond. Vito returned with my drink and scowled at them “Enough of that.”
“He’s very possessive,” Devil said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what you can do this season.”
“Thank you. I’m hoping this is going to be a really good year.”
“You’re enjoying Boston?” Lucien asked.
It wasn’t easy, but I held eye contact with him like Vito told me to do. “Yes. I’m hoping to stay with the Badgers for a long time.”
Lucien smiled. “That’s good.” He immediately turned to Vito, saving me from needing to respond. “Uncle Dom has explained the situation with Benito, but I’d like to hear a little bit more about it from you since you are the one who saw him, and I’d like Zeke’s take on the situation in Vegas.”
“Can we sit down?” Angelo asked. “Or do we have to stay all formal and shit?”
Lucien gave him a scathing glance, then turned back to me and gestured toward the sofa. “Please, have a seat.”
I sat down on the sofa next to Lucien, and Vito took the chair on the other side of me. The rest of the men settled themselves into the other seats.