Skating Towards Danger: A Mafia Hockey Romance – Dante’s Book (Mafia Hockey Series 2)

I breathe heavily as I bend a little, my eyes on the ref as he stands between the two centers in the middle of the ice, ready for this potential last play.

Frankie is focused, and he’s doing fucking amazing.

Adams is out after getting an injury he caused by shoving their player into the boards too hard causing him to bash his knee, and right now, he needs to be concerned about his spot on the team because Frankie has already scored twice, getting us ahead.

He knows when to pass the puck and when he needs to keep it. He’s aware of his surroundings and hasn’t allowed his ego to take over like Adams has done all fucking season.

The ref blows his whistle and drops the puck. Frankie manages to get it first, and instantly, I skate to my spot, bashing into the Charger’s left winger, making him stumble. Frankie locks eyes with me within seconds and smacks the puck toward me. I grab it but notice the defender on the Chargers coming my way, and I quickly skate around the net, just miss being smashed into the boards, and pass the puck back to Frankie. He barely has it before he hits it into the net, then lifts his arm in celebration as the light flashes before the horn sounds, ending the game and confirming we’re heading to the semi-finals.

I nod, but I don’t jump around like I normally would or celebrate by jumping on Frankie like the boys are doing.

My side is sore from when I was hit into the boards in the first quarter trying to protect a hogging Adams, and my girl isn’t here putting a downer on the win. No matter how much I pleaded, begged, and withheld her orgasms, she refused to come, and when I said refuse, she just shook her head and then ignored me.

The only time I’ve managed to get at least anything verbal from her is when we’ve had sex, which hasn’t been a lot, either.

Twice in two weeks.

She has shut me out, and fuck my rage is barely hanging on. My demon wants to be released and kill everyone in sight until she’s back in my arms.

“Sin bin twice, seriously, Dante!?” Morgan snaps as I climb over the boards.

“Shouldn’t you still be on maternity leave,” I groan because, well, it’s not even been a month, or has it?

Fuck…

I look at Morgan, who snorts and states, “My new baby is waiting in the family box with his brother, sister, and father…Now, about the sin bin?”

I roll my eyes and look at Coach, and instead of helping me out here, he smirks and turns away.

“Sure, let the pixie of a woman do your dirty work, Coach,” I say loudly, and he gives me the middle finger.

Fucker…

“Dante, getting yourself thrown in the sin bin is not going to make Paige magically show up,” she rasps.

I nod, then admit, “But it sure felt good to knock my anger out,” before I walk past her and mutter, “I’ve got interviews to get on with.”

Before heading to the locker room, I walk past the fans and wave politely, even though I feel nothing.

I need a shower, but more importantly, I need my phone.

I’ve been gone two days, and it’s been radio silence from Paige. The guards I have keeping an eye on her say she’s been at the rink and that she’s okay, but I haven’t heard jack shit from her, and the only thing that has kept me sane is the fact I watch her on the cameras I have around the apartment.

Creepy? Probably.

Do I care? Not one fucking bit.

I quickly grab my phone, get to my locker, and sit. I bring my girl’s number up and press the Facetime button. While it rings, I unlace my skates and remove them.

The phone rings, then beeps out, and I sigh.

“Fuck’s sake, little fairy…,” I mutter as I cancel the call, then press the ring button to make a normal call.

Again, it rings out but goes to her voicemail….

“Hey, this is Paige. I can’t reach the phone right now, so leave a message, and I’ll get back to you.”

It beeps, and I growl, “If you think ignoring my calls will keep me away, little fairy, you have another thing coming. You are my wife, and I love you. I get you’re confused, I get you’re scared, but lean on me, Paige, and I promise I’ll catch you.”

I hang up as I stand, then chuck my phone back in my locker and grumble, “Damn stubborn woman,” as I walk over to the showers before I have to endure God knows how long of interviews.

“Dante, what can you tell us about the hit on Tony Eccles that sent you to the sin bin?” a reporter asks, and I sigh.

I’ve been sitting in this seat for thirty minutes, and honestly, it’s times like these that I hate that I’m captain.

“He tried to trip our goalie up with his stick, which the ref missed but the cameras caught. I did what I had to. Goalies are off-limits, everyone knows this,’ I answered him professionally, and the reporter slumps back in his seat, clearly not happy with my response.

Another reporter stands. He’s wearing a suit, and his hair is gelled back, but I try not to pull a face as he clears his throat. “How does it feel to skate without your blood brother beside you?” he asks, and I smile.

See, those kinds of questions are easy.

“Different,” I admit, then state, “but I do get the puck more because Roman was a hog,” Everyone chuckles, “I feel like I’m missing a part of myself. Roman and I have been skating together since I was three, but his family needs to come first.”

He nods, happy with my response, before a woman with short brown hair and a very tight dress stands next.noveldrama

She used to be the kind of woman I’d go for, but then in walked Paige and her stubborn, beautiful ass.

“There’s a rumor going around Dante,” she says, and I raise a brow because, well, there are shit loads of rumors, and I state, “You’ll have to be more specific.”

The room chuckles, and the woman’s face goes red before she clears her throat and states, “Rumor has it you’re in a relationship with Paige Carmen, the ex-figure skater who is due to perform a tribute show in her mother’s honor.”

And it’s questions like this that fucking suck because now I’m about to out our relationship and most likely piss her off.

“You mean Paige Marino?” I confirm, and everyone looks at me wide-eyed, but I continue, “My wife?”

“W-Wife?” the reported stutters in shock, and I nod.

Flashes go off, and questions begin to fly at me, but I put my hand up until everyone quietens, and then I state, “Paige and I have been married for a few weeks, so to answer your question, Miss, yes, I am in a relationship with her, and when she performs in her family’s honor, I’ll be there watching on and helping her through it… No more questions.”

The reporters begin to shout as I stand, flashes going off repeatedly.

Paige is most likely going to kill me, but ah well, it’s time she understood she’s mine, and I’m hers, and we are not a lie.

“Dante, Dante, when did you two meet?” a reporter asks.

“Dante, is she pregnant?” another asks, and I roll my eyes.

Yeah, because someone has to be pregnant to get married….

“Dante, what attracted you to her to begin with? Was it the shared love for the ice?” the woman who originally asked about Paige calls out, but I ignore them all and walk out of the conference hall, and I sigh.

We’re not supposed to fly out until tomorrow, but I need to see my girl, even if it means a fine.

“In the sin bin twice and you couldn’t keep our relationship on the down low any longer, huh?” an angel asks, and I shoot my head up in shock as I lock eyes with my wife’s.

Morgan stands beside her, grinning from ear to ear, but I can only focus on Paige.

She’s wearing my jersey and jeans, and her hair is down, but her eyes show a little bit of fear.

She’s scared I’ll reject her after the silent treatment she’s given me.

I hear the doors open behind me, and I know it’s the reporters, but I don’t care. Without a second thought, I storm over to my wife, cup her cheeks, and slam my lips against hers and she grips my wrist tight, keeping me close as she kisses me back while flashes go off around us, and again, no fucks are given because she’s here.

Paige showed up for me, meaning she’s showing up for us.