The Penalty Box (Vancouver Wolves Hockey #3)(73)

Mica either called or texted every night that he was on the road.

“How was your day?”

I smiled into the phone. “Busy. Sasha ate one of Krista’s shoes.”

“Was she pissed?”

“She laughed.”

His voice rumbled in my ear. “Miss me yet?”

With my entire being. “I’m enjoying having the entire bed to myself.”

He laughed and dropped his voice. “I think I want another lingerie show.”

“You think you’ll make it through more than one outfit?”

“Doubt it.”

Those conversations were the best part of my day.





*



Two nights later, I was lying in bed, watching TV, when I remembered that tomorrow was recycling day. Groaning, I yanked some clothes on, knowing that if I didn’t get it out tonight, I’d probably miss the pickup in the morning.

I stood in the garage and looked in dismay at the amount of recycling we had. Between the party and the gifts, it would take three trips to haul it all to the end of the driveway.

I opened the garage door and groaned when I saw the sheets of rain cascading down.

“Shit.”

I put up my hood, picked up a bin and carried it to the edge of the street. There was no one outside this late at night. I dragged all the bins to the street and trudged back towards the open garage door.

I half screamed when a dark figure moved in between me and the door. He had a hood up and water streamed off his hood, obscuring his face.

Sniper was inside with the door shut. The front door was locked. He was between me and the house.

He pushed his hood back, revealing his identity. Yazimoto. One of his eyes was black and his face was covered with bruises.

My heart thudded loudly in my chest, threatening to give up at any moment.

“What do you want?” I gasped.

He stepped forward, up to my face. “Make them stop.”

“What?” I could barely speak, I was so scared.

“I told them your debt was forgiven. I even offered to return all the money to you, but they told me as long as I left you alone, we’d be good.”

Anger surged through me. “Maybe you should have left me alone, then!”

“I haven’t sent you a single text. Not one. And none of my guys dares go near you.”

He pulled an envelope out of his jacket and shoved it into my hands. “Take it. It’s all there. All the money you gave me, all the interest I charged. I forgive your brother his debt too. Just tell them to back off. Please.”

I stared down at the thick block of cash I could feel inside the envelope. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah.”

I lifted my head. “Did you start that fire?”

He winced. “I didn’t order that. One of my guys went rogue, and trust me, he won’t be setting any more fires.”

“Maybe some of your other guys have gone rogue and have been trying to scare me?”

“No way. No one is coming near you.”

Anger made me stand up for myself. “What about the break-in and the scarecrow? Or Mica’s car? You think you can intimidate me and get away with it?”

“I don’t know shit about that, but I didn’t send you a single text.”

“Who cares about the texting? You’ve been coming here and harassing me.”

“I’m the one who’s being harassed,” he yelled.

This conversation wasn’t making any sense. “Then why were you trying to scare me?”

He stepped forward, so his face hovered over mine. “Bitch, I’m the one who’s scared.”

We stood there staring at each other.

He tried again. “I’m begging you with my life. Please call off your fucking dogs.”

And without another word, he disappeared into the night.





*



I moved back into the house, set the alarm and sat down at the island to open the thick wet envelope. Inside was $107,000. All the money I had paid Yazimoto over the last two years. This made no sense. Why had he shown up here to give me the money back?

When he told me he hadn’t been the one to harass me, I believed him. The guy had been on edge and scared, begging me to get him off the hook. Which meant that Mica’s mysterious friend had held true to his word and had been working overtime to keep Yazimoto away from me.

A shiver of fear went through me. If Yazimoto wasn’t behind all the scare tactics, then who was? It was almost worse to realize that my perpetrator was an unknown entity with no known agenda.

I put the money in the kitchen drawer, not sure exactly how I should handle this situation. I would talk to Mica but not while he was on the road. This was a conversation that needed to happen in person.





*



I went to the clinic. They prescribed monthly birth control pills, which I would start the day my next cycle started.

And then finally the day came that I had been waiting for since Mica left. Eager to be done with work, I hustled the dogs in the car and drove home, unsure when he would arrive home.

When I opened the door, he was sitting at the island. He stood up when I walked in, and I flew across the room towards him.

“You feel good,” I moaned as he wrapped his arms around me.