The Penalty Box (Vancouver Wolves Hockey #3)(85)

My heart expanded big in my chest and my hand rested on my belly.

That’s your daddy out there. He will be the best dad in the world.

“You’re still hanging in there,” a cool voice said beside me.

I glanced up at Sabrina. She looked picture-perfect with her red hair in a long swinging ponytail at the top of her head and a puffy white ski jacket.

I ignored her.

She leaned down and spoke quietly in my ear. “You’re such a fool. You realize your husband has been fucking around on you for months.”

“Shut up,” I said, angry at myself for even indulging her.

She smiled at me. “Not that long after your wedding, he came crawling back to me.”

“Mica’s faithful.”

She gave me a knowing little smile. “Is that why he buys me tickets to all his away games? All those little phone calls he makes at night to you? I’m usually sucking on his cock when he talks to you.”

I didn’t have to listen to this. “You’re so pathetic.”

I started to walk away, but she grabbed my arm. “He told me how gullible you are, how you fall for all his lines. He said that he can feed you any line and you eat it up, hook, line, and sinker, but he’s tiring of playing house with you.”

I shook her arm off. “Leave me and my husband alone.”

“He’s the one who can’t leave me alone. He can’t get enough of fucking me. He told me I’m his little addiction.”





*



“Did you have fun?” He smiled at me as we walked out.

“I did. Those kids were adorable.”

Sabrina, not so much.

“The little one with the purple snowsuit—she was a cute one, hey?”

I smiled up at him as he took my hand.

I imagined him lying on a hotel bed, phone to his ear, asking me about my day while Sabrina worked her mouth over his hard cock.

Instantly, I felt guilty for even thinking that about him. He smiled down at me. “You okay?”

He loves me. He would never cheat on me.

“I’m okay.”





Chapter 28





MICA





Charlie was pregnant. No matter how many times I came to terms with this, it still shocked me. I sat on the couch and watched as she moved around the kitchen. She looked so damn cute with her bare feet and messy hair tied up on the top of her head. The second she opened the dog treat jar, Sasha came bounding towards her, all legs and tail. Sniper followed close behind.

“Sasha, sit.” She held the treat to her chest.

Sniper sat his ass down and stared at her with rapt attention. Sasha sniffed the cupboard, playfully nudged Sniper, got a whiff of something and started to nibble at some crumbs on the floor.

“Do you think he’s deaf?” She glanced up at me with an amused smile on her face.

“Selective hearing.”

She passed Sniper a cookie, which got Sasha’s attention.

“You have to sit if you want a cookie. Sasha, sit.” She lifted Sasha’s chin and pushed on his bum. His tailed wriggled deliriously as she turned to get him a cookie. He moved fast, putting his big paws on the counter beside her.

“Sasha, get down!” She gently tugged him back. “Now sit.”

He licked her hand, but he didn’t sit.

I loved this woman. I loved everything about her. I don’t know how it had happened, but she took up camp in my heart and now she owned the entire damn space.

I just couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going to go wrong. She constantly reassured me she was feeling good. Her doctor reassured me that the pregnancy looked great and that everything was normal and “within range.” Still, I spent a lot of time silently stressing about everything that could go wrong.

I didn’t talk about the baby. I didn’t even want to think about the baby. Right now, the baby represented a threat to Charlie, something that could potentially harm her. we carried on. We didn’t speak about the future. We didn’t daydream together about the baby. We didn’t pick out names. I took things day by day, working overtime to keep her safe because that was the only thing I cared about.





*



I woke up with a start and realized that a cold dog nose was pressed to my arm. I looked over the edge of the bed and Sniper whined softly, looking up at me with his big, black eyes.

“What is it, boy?”

He whined again and started towards the bedroom door, looking back at me. I checked on Charlie, who was curled up on her side.

“What is it?” she asked without opening her eyes.

“Sniper needs to go out.”

“Thank you,” she breathed.

Instead of leading me to the back door, Sniper led me to the front. He sat down and looked at me.

“What’s going on?”

Sniper wasn’t agitated or upset, but he wanted me to open the door.

I disarmed the alarm and swung open the door. Sniper stepped forward and sniffed something on the steps. I flipped on the lights.

“Sniper, sit.”

He moved to sit beside me. Whining, he looked up at me.

Fuck. At first, I thought it was a skinned cat, but on closer inspection, I realized it was a skinned rabbit. I debated calling the police, but guaranteed that fuckwad, Detective Wallace, would show up and do absolutely nothing but angle his story to make it look like I had done it. I took some photos with my phone before getting some garbage bags to clean it up. It left a stain of blood on the front steps. With rubber gloves and a hard brush, I spent another ten minutes scrubbing the stones clean.