Rushing the Goal (Assassins #8)(104)

Benji shrugged as he hit Lucy’s name to call her. “Not sure.”

Jayden let out a long breath, falling back into his locker. “I hate that dude.”

“Hey,” she answered and he leaned on his legs. “Sorry I’m not there.”

“No worries, are you okay?”

She hesitated for a second, and he could hear the pain in her voice as she said, “Not really. I’ve eaten four boxes of Girl Scout cookies I had hidden away, but they aren’t helping.”

“Okay, I’m leaving in about thirty. Want to meet me at the house?”

“Yeah, I would really like that.”

“Okay, I’ll see you soon.”

“I’m really sorry, Benji.”

“Don’t be. It’s fine,” he said and he wasn’t lying. So she didn’t come and they wouldn’t go to dinner. That was all trivial to the fact that she was upset. “Is Angie okay?”

Her voice broke and it gutted him as she whispered, “I think so.”

His stomach ached with uneasiness. “See you soon.”

“Okay,” she said as he hung up and then started getting undressed so he could shower.

“Well?”

“I don’t know details, but she sounds crushed. I’m meeting her at my house.”

Jayden nodded. “Well, let me know if we’re going to go on a manhunt.”

Benji nodded because, if he had his way, that’s exactly what he’d want to do. He just wanted the dude gone, but he was sure that wouldn’t happen. Throwing down his girdle, he reached for his towel and said, “Will do.”

After getting dressed and saying good-bye to the guys, Benji headed to his house, anxiety eating him alive. He had no clue what was going on, but this was the first time he had heard Lucy that upset. She sounded helpless, distraught, and that wouldn’t fly with him. He was really getting tired of Rick, and something needed to change. Like he needed to disappear or something. He was going to have to sit down with the guy. Or beat his face in. One of the two. He prayed it wouldn’t come to the latter. He wanted to handle this like adults. The only thing that mattered was Angie.

Getting to his house, he found that Lucy was already there. Parking beside her car, he got out, locking his doors, and headed through the back door into the kitchen. The downstairs was dark, and that worried him.

“Lucy?”

“Upstairs,” she called as he walked past her shoes and noticed her coat lying over the counter. Reaching for it, he took it to the coat closet and hung it up before heading upstairs. Taking the stairs two at a time, he got to the top quickly. When he looked down the hall to find Lucy lying on his bed on her belly with her face toward him, his stomach dropped.

She had been crying.

“Aw, you’re not naked,” he called teasingly, hoping like hell he could make her smile as he walked toward her.

She shrugged, not returning his smile, not that he expected her to. Still, his heart remained in his stomach. “Sorry.”

Pursing his lips, he toed out of his shoes and climbed over her, taking her in his arms and cuddling her close. She wrapped her arms around his torso, nuzzling her nose into his chest, clinging to him. “What happened?”

Shaking her head, she sucked in a deep breath, filling her lungs before letting it out slowly. Closing his eyes, he listened as she told him what happened at the rink, what Rick had said, and how Angie had looked at her. He listened, he did, but it was hard when her voice broke and her tears soaked his tee. All he saw was red. All he wanted to do was rip Rick limb from limb. How dare he? How could he be so heartless to Angie? Hockey was important to her, and he didn’t care? What kind of man doesn’t care what makes his daughter happy? Benji would kill for the chance to make Leary happy again. And this man—no, this scum—was wasting this precious chance of loving a piece of himself?

It was sickening.

But what was more stomach-turning was listening to Lucy cry for her daughter.

“I didn’t want to let her go, Benji. I didn’t, but it’s legal, you know? I can’t say she can’t go. No matter if I think she doesn’t want to go. I’m not even sure if she has to go. I just don’t know,” she cried, clinging to him, and he held her close, dusting kisses along her temple. “I don’t know what to do, and I don’t know how to fix it. I don’t understand why he is being like this. Is it you? Is it because I’m finally moving on? Or is it because he’s just a jackass and he doesn’t like that Angie is more vocal now? Telling me when she is not happy with him. I just don’t know. He wants her to know to respect him.”

“What a douche.” It could be any of those reasons, and that was just sad. Angie was a great kid. Very respectful. Honest. Sweet. Wacky. The dude was worthless, and Benji hated that for both of them. “Lucy, I’m sorry. I’m completely speechless. He’s such a dick.”

“He is,” she agreed, nuzzling her nose to his. When she opened her eyes, they were full of pain, watery, and just so damn sad it hit him straight in the gut. “What do I do?”

He could only shake his head. He had no clue. “Have you called your dad? Isn’t he your lawyer?”

She looked away, her shoulders falling. “Not yet. I will tomorrow. I was too upset to speak to him tonight, and I just hate talking to him. I don’t want to need him. Maybe I should find another lawyer?”