Page 128 of Body Check

“Well, it's better than it could have been, I suppose,” Paul Stevenson—one of the CEOs—said. But despite his words, the tight clench of his jaw made his disapproval very clear.

“Were you anticipating something else?” Gavin asked as neutrally as he could manage.

“Well, no, not precisely. Only, this will be easier to sell than you being involved with a player.”

Why the fuck does everyone leap to that conclusion?

“Iwouldn’thave gotten involved with a player,” he said, taking a deep breath. “It wouldn’t be ethical. As it is, I had some concerns about getting involved with Dakota, which is why me stepping down makes the most sense.”

“No, no, it’s good you got ahead of it,” Ned said with a wave of his hand. “We appreciate you being pro-active. I can’t say I’m thrilled about the idea of you being involved with someone in the organization, but we can work with this.”

Gavin gritted his teeth, wondering if it would have been the same response if he’d told them he was involved with a woman.

Paul laughed. “Honestly, we thought if there was an erm, scandal, it would’ve involved your brother.”

“Mybrotherhas done nothing wrong,” Gavin said hotly.

“You must admit, with his personality and erm, history, it did seem like the potential was there.”

“Thad has consistently gotten rave reviews from his supervisor,” Gavin pointed out. “Our social media metrics have been excellent since he joined the organization.”

“Yes, well …”

Gavin ground his teeth together, realizing it was time for him to finally come clean. It was something he and Dakota had discussed, and he’d had a conversation with his lawyer about it, knowing the risk he was taking. They might very well let him go.

But it was the right thing to do, and he was tired of living with the shadow of this hanging over his head.

“All we’re saying,” Lindsey said, pursing her lips, “Is that you’re lucky it has worked out so well with Thad. You really put your neck on the line getting him hired.”

“I’m aware,” Gavin said shortly. He took a deep breath. “Youshould be aware you don't have the entire story about his arrest, however.”

Paul’s lips tightened. “Isn't this something we should have been made aware ofbeforewe hired him. Atyourinsistence, I might add.”

Gavin took a deep breath. “Truthfully, it's something I should have made you aware of before you hired me.”

“Oh?” Ned’s eyebrows rose to his hairline.

“When my brother and I were in high school, I got involved with some less than reputable people,” Gavin began. By the time he was done, he could feel a throbbing vein in his temple. God, stress like this was not good for him. “I understand if everything we've discussed is a dealbreaker for you. But I believe I still have work to do for this team.”

He cleared his throat. “And while I know this may not impact your overall decision; you should also be aware I’ve lined up a possible candidate for the position of president of hockey ops once I step down.”

Or get fired,he finished in his head with a grim sort of humor.

“And who is that?” Ned asked.

“Finnegan O’Shea.”

The shock around the table was gratifying.

“How in the hell did you pull that off? We’ve been trying to get him to work for the organization foryears,” Paul burst out with.

Confidence returning, Gavin smiled. “Well, it turns out, he’s excited by the thought of working with me.”

Andherewas the mic drop moment. “In fact,” Gavin added in a casual tone. “He said he’s not interested in working with anyone else.”

Lindsey and Ned exchanged glances. “You’re saying if you were no longer working as general manager, Finn wouldn’t want the hockey ops position?” she asked.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” Gavin sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers together. “Oh, and if you’re worried, Declan and Finn also know about my past.”

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