Page 66 of Puck Drop
I place a hand on her thigh under the table and give it a gentle squeeze of support, just reminding her that I am here with her, I got her back. Her entire body tenses under my touch.
She clears her throat, and when she speaks, she sounds a lot stronger than before.
“The last time we talked, you made it clear that you were not interested in talking to me unless it was to apologize about my relationship with Logan.”
I sit up straighter when her father’s eyes connect with my own at hearing my name. He squints his eyes at me as he takes me in, leaving me no choice but to prepare for a possible attack from him.
“My goal was to help you not make a mistake,” he tells Elizabeth. “But I do have to admit that I underestimated you both. I hadn’t expected you to follow him here, or for him to continue jeopardizing his career just to have you.”
My ears perk up at hearing that. “With all due respect, sir,” I intervene. “I am not a member of the New York Sliders anymore, and I am not breaking any rules by being with Elizabeth.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to say that I did not break any rules while playing for his team either, but I figure that particular can of worms should remain closed.
A smirk forms in the corner of his mouth, making him look condescending and like he actually has something on me.
“You are no one in the league,” he reminds him. “Just because you don’t play for my team anymore, it doesn’t mean that I have no power over you. The professional league is a tight group, despite the very healthy competition in between teams.”
“Daddy!” Elizabeth’s gasp fills the room. “I can’t believe you’re doing this again…”
“Is that at threat?” I ask, even though he made it very obvious that it is.
He shrugs, uncaring of his daughter’s feelings or how his actions could destroy my life.
“It’s only a threat if you want it to be,” he says. “I warned you before to stay away from my daughter.” His tone is made of steel. “I thought sending you to Austin was far enough from her.”
My heart about stops in my chest. He actually had to approve my transfer to Texas. He had the power to send me back to the minors no matter what. He controlled my career, and, by proxy, my entire life.
“Daddy, I am an adult,” Elizabeth chimes in from next to me. “And I love…”
Her father turns cold eyes on her. “I hear you got fired from your job.”
She digs her fingernails into my hand, piercing the skin with the sharp tips. I’m pretty sure she’s drawn blood.
“I know you had some money,” he continues, “but you’ll be out pretty quick when you don’t have an income. For how long you think you can stretch it?”
His words anger me to the point where I could fly over this table and punch him in the face. In fact, I want to beat him into a pulp and not stop until they need to use his dental records to identify him.
“Elizabeth is doing just fine on her own.” My voice comes out as a growl, sounding threatening even to my own ears, but Mr. Brown doesn’t look impressed, quite the opposite.
“Yes,” he chuckles sarcastically. “I hear that she had to move in with you. That’s how well she does on her own. What will happen when you lose your job and run out of money? You two plan on being bums together, or what?”
“Daddy,” Elizabeth whispers in shock.
“With all due respect, Mr. Bown, what we do or don’t do is none of your business.”
His entire demeanor changes. All amusement is gone from his face when he sits up straight to stare me down.
“It most definitely is my business when you fuck around with my daughter’s future!” He slams a hand against the table.
“Your daughter is twenty-five years old,” I yell back. “You never gave her the chance to grow up and know how to be an adult!”
Elizabeth grabs me by the arm. “Logan…”
“My entire life has revolved around my daughter’s wellbeing,” he retorted, just as angry. “She would’ve never had any of the opportunities she got if it wasn’t for me!”
“Daddy…” Elizabeth tries to intervene.
We both ignore her while I point a finger at him. “You coddled her to the point of incapacitating her. You never showed her what it meant to live in the real world where no one gives you anything just because of who your father is.”
