Page 79 of Broken Promises
Gideon’s voice continues while pictures of Declan and me flash across the screen. Some of them I recognize as ones Ben took, including the one of me in Declan’s arms in the parking lot of the training center. The pictures fade into a video of Martinez.
“The first time I met Willa and Declan, I told him his wife was,” he pauses like he’s searching for the right word. “Hot.” I snort, knowing what was actually said. “He had me up against a wall for disrespecting her like that. I knew we’d be best friends right then and there.” He talks about moments he noticed as more pictures flash across the screen. These are ones I don’t recognize. Pictures the guys must have taken in the locker room. There’s even a bunch of Dec on FaceTime with me in his hotel room.
“Willa is like a sister to me.” I gasp when I see Cal’s face on the screen next. “Declan quickly became a brother to me, and my daughter’s favorite uncle.” Unlike the nice stories from the Bruisers, you can see the anger in Cal’s face. “I don’t take threats to my family lightly. Willa is family. Declan is family.” Instead of flashes of pictures across the screen with a voiceover, a video of Declan and me on Christmas greets the crowd. We’re snuggling in our Christmas PJs while everyone opens gifts. I turn to look at him after Cora squeals her excitement over the hockey stick he got her. Even I can see how in love with him I am at that moment.
The next video is of me watching one of Declan’s games and screaming at the screen, then immediately texting him aboutsomething. I laugh. I know this one. Harlow took it because she thought I looked crazy.
She’s not wrong now that I’m watching it on such a huge screen.
Then I hear my voice even though the screen is black. “I love you, baby.”
Declan’s voice comes through right after. “I love you, too, Princess.”
Everything fades and the lights come on, but then I hear another voice and notice there’s a video playing. The arena goes dark again, and Bethany is on the screen.
“I don’t care what you have to do! Drug him if you have to, but you will get him into my hotel room after the game tonight!”
“You want me to drug Declan Monroe and get him to your hotel room? He’s the size of a horse. I don’t have a fucking horse tranquilizer, Bethany. And how the fuck would I get him out of the arena and into the hotel with no one noticing?” I can’t see who the man is that’s speaking, and his voice is distorted, but it’s clearly Bethany on the screen plotting to drug my husband.
I’m out of my seat, but Maggie grabs my hand. “Wait. I don’t think it’s over.”
“Then just drug him and get him into a janitor’s closet or something,” she huffs.
“What are you going to do with him?”
“I have someone who is going to walk in on us and take pictures of him naked with me. Then he’ll have to be mine. Daddy will make sure of it.” Bethany smiles like a psychopath.
The video stops and the lights go back on. I’m trying to get out of Maggie’s surprisingly strong grip so I can rip Bethany’s head off her shoulders and use it as a puck.
“Oh dear, how did that get in there?” Sinclair says; the edges of his mouth twitching. “Officers, I do believe you have a job to do.” He nods towards the owner’s box. I can’t see what’shappening, but I can hear Bethany screaming in frustration. So I can assume she’s being arrested.
Maggie lets me go, and I bolt for the tunnel. Declan was being led off the ice by Gideon. I need to get to him if it’s the last thing I do. Security doesn’t stop me, probably understanding what I’m doing.
“Declan,” I yell when I see him. He turns immediately and catches me as I launch myself into his arms. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t know,” he says, his voice shaking.
“I love you. I won’t let her touch you. I’ll rip off her fake boobs and beat her with them before I let her near you again,” I promise. Declan snorts and relaxes.
“I love you so much, Princess,” he says into my neck. “I’m done after this.”
I pull my head back and frown.
“I’m going to retire after this season.”
My frown deepens. We’ve talked about him retiring already. It was pretty much a definite with his knees, but I don’t want what happened with Bethany to force his hand.
“The only person I want to be valuable to is you. You and any children you give me,” he answers my unvoiced thoughts.
“Oh, baby,” I say, my heart breaking for him. “So many people value you for the right reasons. Not just me.”
“You’re the only one that matters, Princess.”
I kiss him. “Retire for you. Not for anyone else.”
“I am. I’m retiring because being with you is what I want. I’m sick of all these trips away from each other. We’ve spent most of our lives being separated by distance, and I’m done. I want to be stuck to your side like glue, Princess.”
I laugh and kiss him again. “If you make the finals, you’ve got another six months, hockey boy.”
