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They were finished, and Bennett told himself it was for the best. Nico was operating under his own set of rules and unwilling to listen to anything he had to say. Nico hadn’t even apologized for ignoring Bennett for almost a full day.
As Bennett walked to the door, he adopted his captain’s voice. “Stop harassing the players and stop breaking into their houses. Leave Noah Brown alone. And leave me the fuck alone, too. We’re done.” Then he paused, hand on the latch. “Are we clear?”
Nico said nothing, not even a snarky response or flirtatious order. Bennett felt the loss of it in his chest, then berated himself silently for being such an idiot.
He walked out the door, intending to put this man behind him. There were more important things to focus on, like saving the life of four players who deserved it—and one who definitely didn’t.
CHAPTER 16
There were many things Nico did not handle well. Broken promises, ultimatums. Rum. And being ignored. Ever since the confrontation in his office, he’d texted Bennett, tried to get his attention, except the other man wasn’t responding.
Leave me the fuck alone, too. We’re done.
No. That wasn’t how this worked. They definitely were not done. Nico drummed his fingers on the kitchen island and re-read the string of texts he’d sent Captain.
Nico: You have balls, Verreault
Nico: I do not know whether to be pissed at you or impressed
Nico: But do not come to my office again
After an hour went by with no response, Nico had tried again.
Nico: And we discussed you giving orders to me
Nico: This is unacceptable
Nico: I will handle the search in my own way, without input from you
Nico: No one tells me what to do
Nico: What do you have to say for yourself?
Apparently nothing, because the phone stayed quiet. Nico stared at the screen, growing more and more irritated by the second. Was Verreault ignoring him? Was this retribution?
He poured a glass of wine and pretended he didn’t care.
It lasted ten minutes before he was texting again.
Nico: I should come over there and spank your ass for ignoring me
Nico: Do you think this is a game?
Nico: I do not care if you say you’re done
Nico: I don’t believe you
Nico: Whatever I do to your teammates doesn’t change anything between us. I will still fuck you whenever I want, capisce?
It went on like this for some time, with two dozen or more texts flowing from Nico’s fingertips. Flirtatious, angry, goading. Smug. He tried everything to get a response from Bennett, but nothing worked. There was still only silence by the time Nico finished his wine.
Fanculo. Fuck this.
He went to find the fob to his car. For this, he would drive himself and tell no one.
The rink was cold. It shouldn’t have surprised him, but there was no way for Mediterranean blood to prepare for such frozen temperatures. Cazzo, do people actually like this weather?
Nico heard him before he saw him. The slapping of pucks were like gunshots in the cavernous space, and it repeated in rapid-fire succession, whack, whack, whack. He closed the door softly behind him and began walking toward the ice. The area around the rink was dark, with only a single strip of light illuminating one end of the ice like a halo around its lone occupant.
