Page 131 of Desperate Pucker
I ball my hand into a fist, aching to tell that guy to fuck right off. I look at Greg, wondering if he’s going to tell his son to shut the hell up and defend his daughter, but he just stands there, quietly looking off to the side.
Anger slices through me. I feel on edge, like a caged animal. I’m done standing here, waiting for Maddy’s dad to stand up for her while her older siblings talk down to her. Clearly he’s not ever going to do that.
I walk from behind the bar over to them.
“Don’t talk to her like that,” I bite.
Preston’s brow lifts as he looks at me. “Pardon me?”
“Don’t talk to her like that,” I say again.
He blinks at me, like he’s still processing the fact that I dared to speak to him.
“Did you earn your current job through merit? Because from what I heard, your dad gave it to you.” I turn to Claire. “And your job too.”
They both gawk at me.
“Who the hell are you to speak to me like that?” Preston says.
“I’m one of the players that Maddy coaches. She helped me train after an ankle injury and a knee injury. Because of her—because of how good she is at her job—I’m playing better than I have in years. She’s done that for multiple players on this team. We’re one of the top teams in the league, and she’s the reason for it.”
Preston blinks, narrowing his gaze at me. He probably thinks I’m a piece of trash that’s beneath him. I don’t fucking care. I’m not going to let him get away with insulting Maddy.
“Yeah, maybe she got this job because of her dad, but you’re not any better,” I say. “In fact, she’s better than you. She actually earned this position because she’s one of the best figure skaters in the world. What are you even good at?”
He stammers, pulling at the collar of his tux.
“Don’t you dare insult her like that ever again.” I turn to Claire. “And I don’t know what your problem is, but Maddy looks incredible in that dress.”
I turn to Greg. “I don’t know what your problem is either. How can you stand there and let them insult Maddy like that? She’s your daughter. She’s fucking incredible. Beyond incredible. Most parents would lose their minds if they had a kid like her. And you barely act like her dad. What is wrong with you?”
It’s not till I finish speaking that I realize how fast my heart is pounding in my chest.
I shouldn’t have gone off on the team owner and his kids. He’s probably pissed. I’ll probably get in trouble for this. Maybe even suspended from the team if he’s really pissed at me.
I don’t care though. It would be worth it. Anything’s worth it as long as it’s for Maddy.
Just then, Maddy grabs my hand and pulls me away.
We end up in that same darkened hallway where we kissed an hour ago, but we walk farther down this time. She pushes open a random door and flips on a light. It looks like a storage closet.
She presses her palm on my chest, pushing me against the wall. Her eyes are big as she looks at me. She looks totally stunned. For a tense moment, she doesn’t say anything.
“Ryker, you just went off on my siblings. And my dad. The owner of the team you play for.”
“Yeah.”
“You could get in trouble. He could suspend you.”
“I don’t fucking care.”
Her eyes go even bigger. “You don’t?”
I shake my head. I cup my hand over her cheek. “No one treats you like that, Maddy. I don’t care who it is.”
She blinks, the look in her stormy eyes warm. And then she kisses me.
Chapter 46
