3. Donovan

Donovan reclined in the rear seat of the SUV that Danilo Doni had sent for him. With the blacked out windows and low hum of the SUV's powerful engine, Donovan could easily have fallen asleep right there and then. After all, it was barely 5:00AM and Donovan hadn't exactly had a good night's sleep.

After meeting Danilo and then realizing that his introduction to life as an Ice Bear wasn't exactly going to be straightforward, Donovan had been up all night, tossing and turning in his bed and wondering exactly what was in store for him.

But now in the early hours of the morning, Donovan felt pretty sure that he was about to find out.

‘We're headed to Pine Rise, right?' Donovan asked, leaning forward in his seat and talking to the driver.

The driver was at least 6'5" and had the kind of physicality that could cast a shadow over even the biggest of hockey players, Donovan included. The driver might not have had a six-pack or been able to do endless drill-sprints, but he was a formidable and imposing figure, that was for certain.

As Donovan waited for the driver to navigate around a slow but precarious S-bend, he also noticed the large scar that ran from the tip of the driver's eyebrow all the way down to his impressively square jawline.

‘We're headed in that direction,' the driver replied, his response not exactly filling Donovan with confidence. ‘Just relax, we'll be there soon enough.'

Donovan bristled at the driver's response.

Having been a leading hockey player with a fearsome reputation for a few seasons, Donovan wasn't exactly used to people being dismissive toward him. Sure, the driver might have been even bigger than him, but Donovan didn't especially care for his brusque attitude.

He can't speak to me like that.

I'm Donovan Pitt.

Six feet and three inches of danger on skates…

However just as Donovan was about to tell the driver to watch his attitude, he saw something that put any thoughts of speaking out right to the back of his mind.

Across from the driver on the passenger seat was a small black bag. The bag's zip was partially undone and Donovan spotted the unmistakable sight of a pistol, its metal casing gleaming momentarily as the SUV drove through a well-lit road.

Donovan leaned back into his seat and shut his eyes.

This isn't good.

But, hey, it's the Ice Bears.

I knew what I was getting myself into…

Donovan even allowed himself a subtle smile as he cast his mind back to all the rumors and innuendo that other players had said about the Ice Bears over the years. It was an open secret that the Doni family were involved, or at least had been involved, in crime. Donovan was no fool. He knew there could be no smoke without fire.

But actually sitting in a Doni SUV and being driven to an unnamed location by a gun-carrying driver was like one of the Doni scare-stories that players would gossip about before practice.

The more he thought about it, the more Donovan found himself beginning to enjoy the feeling. Sure, he loved being a hockey pro. But Donovan was always looking for something else in his life too. Training and playing games was incredible, there was no doubting that. However Donovan was slowly coming to the conclusion that life had to be about more than just slashing a puck across the ice – and if being an Ice Bear meant coming into contact with a very different kind of personal driver, then Donovan was all there for it.

Of course, probably what Donovan wanted most was to find a Daddy.

Having a strong, protective, and stern Daddy in his life would probably fill the hole in Donovan's life that was making him thirst for action outside of the ice rink. And as Donovan contemplated all this, he couldn't help but see the funny side of things.

A Daddy to fill the hole in my life…

Or do I mean MY hole?

Jeez. I need to get laid.

Donovan shook his head and laughed. With no end in sight on the journey, Donovan decided that he may as well listen to a podcast. After all, if he kept on thinking about Daddies, holes, and whatever else came to mind, he might just end up getting way too excited in the backseat – and it wouldn't just be the driver's gun that was in danger of firing bullets.

However just as he was reaching into his personal bag to dig out his headphones, Donovan felt the SUV swing into a sharp left. Suddenly, they were off the main road and were heading down a long, winding track that didn't seem like it could possibly be the right way for Pine Rise…

‘Donovan!' Danilo said, stepping out of the sleek facility that almost seemed to blend into the dense forest around it. ‘I see your alarm clock didn't fail you.'

‘Nope, I'm never late,' Donovan replied, nodding in thanks to the driver and walking toward Danilo.

Danilo was looking as sleek as ever in his dark, pinstriped suit. With a gold watch on display and a family gold signet ring on one finger, Danilo was very much looking like a man who was capable of running the most successful hockey franchise in the league over the last eight years.

‘Come on, let's get inside,' Danilo said, opening his arm and pointing toward the heavy-looking dark double door at the front of the building.

‘Okay, but…,' Donovan said, casting his eyes over the stylish but ambiguous looking building once more. ‘Where are we? I mean, I know this isn't the Pine Rise facility…'

‘Follow me, Donovan,' Danilo replied, a knowing smile on his face. ‘All will be revealed.'

And with that, Donovan put his suspicions to one side and followed alongside Danilo as the pair of them walked up to the door, only for it to automatically slide open as they approached.

The inside of the building was certainly different from the outside. With perfectly polished floors, subtle but focused lighting, and super-chic furnishings, this looked more like a boutique hotel than a training complex.

‘Pretty damn nice,' Donovan said, casting his gaze across the lobby and toward various rooms that shot off the central space. ‘I guess appearances can be deceptive.'

‘They can indeed, Donovan,' Danilo replied. ‘In fact, that's more or less what both these two upstanding young gentlemen said too.'

‘Wait, what?' Donovan said, a little taken aback as he assumed he was the only other person there.

‘Tommy, Oliver, come and meet the final piece of the new player puzzle,' Danilo declared, a wicked smile on his face as Tommy Jane and Oliver Rennes appeared from behind two elegant pillars at the rear of the lobby area. ‘I guess you three all know one another to varying degrees?'

‘We know of each other,' Donovan nodded, not entirely happy at being blindsided by Danilo. ‘Good to meet you guys.'

‘Damn, Donovan Pitt?' Tommy said, a look of awe on his face. ‘I used to love watching you play when I was in high school.'

‘I'm not that much older than you,' Donovan said, rolling his eyes. ‘Or you either Oliver.'

Both Tommy and Oliver were twenty-one years old and in different senses were hot property in the hockey world. However both had been through difficult times. For Tommy, it was a case of injuries stalling his progress, and for Oliver it was his reckless side and little rich kid persona that had landed him in trouble.

But there was no doubting one thing.

Tommy and Oliver had great potential as players, and clearly the Ice Bears coaching team saw something real in them to award them contracts.

However one thing that Donovan didn't understand was why the three new players were at this as yet unnamed location rather than settling in a Pine Rise…

‘Mr. Doni, respectfully,' Donovan said. ‘I don't mean to be rude. But what the fuck is going on?'

Both Tommy and Oliver burst into a fit of giggles.

‘Enough,' Danilo said, his sharp word and equally sharp look causing both Tommy and Oliver to fall silent immediately. ‘Mr. Pitt, I understand you want to know what is going on. Well, I'll tell you. You're at The Academy.'

‘But I'm not a damn academy player,' Donovan said, beginning to lose his cool. ‘I've been a multiple season MVP at two league teams. I'm twenty-eight. I know my way around the fucking rink and I'm great at what I do.'

Donovan could feel his heart racing and his blood boiling.

Even though he knew that Danilo wasn't to be trifled with, Donovan was more than ready to stand on business when it came to his merits as a hockey player. Donovan had come up the hard way and was proud of each and every last one of his achievements.

But before Donovan could continue making it very clear to Danilo that he was not the kind of player to accept someone not respecting his hockey career, Danilo stepped in with a response of his own…

‘Yes, the famous Donovan Pitt fighting spirit,' Danilo said, smiling. ‘This is why Coach fought so hard to bring you here. And it's why I know that you're going to enjoy your time at the academy. The Ice Bears are getting ahead of the competition on the ice. We're creating a legacy. But with success, comes envy. The family needs to know that all our players are ready to fight on the ice and off it too. Call it a new kind of induction training. I don't want to go into it too much now. But I know a man who is more than ready to be of assistance.'

Donovan arched his eyebrow.

This sounded dangerously like some former player was about to be foisted upon him as some kind of mentor figure. Donovan didn't particularly like the sound of that. But before Donovan could process any further what Danilo was talking about, he noticed Danilo looking into the distance behind him.

As Donovan turned around to see what had captured Danilo's attention, his jaw almost hit the floor.

You've got to be kidding me.

That's… Taine Crash.

And he's drop-dead, all kinds of hot as hell.

Donovan felt all six feet and three inches of his hulking frame freeze in that moment. He knew a little bit about Taine Crash's career as a fighter, and the controversies that followed him around. But what Donovan had never quite comprehended from a distance was just how strikingly handsome Taine was.

Taine's closely shaved blonde hair and sparkling emerald-green eyes were immediately noticeable as he walked toward Danilo, Donovan, and the others. Taine's thick stubble and the slightly wild edge to his smile was only adding to the immediate and very intense response that Donovan was feeling in that moment.

Donovan suddenly felt shy.

As his cheeks burned bright red, Donovan averted his eyes from Taine and desperately tried to get a grip of himself. Taine's presence was causing Donovan to react like a schoolgirl with a crush on the high school bad-boy.

Get a grip.

He's just a man.

Holy shit. What the hell is that in his pants?

Donovan now had no choice but to look up and away from Taine's crotch and face him eye to eye. Clenching his jaw and putting his shoulders back, Donovan steeled himself.

‘Taine, this is Donovan,' Danilo said, his voice calm. ‘Donovan, this is Taine.'

‘Hey,' Taine said, his hungry eyes looking Donovan up and down.

‘Hey,' Donovan replied, doing his best to sound casual but confident too.

‘Two big talkers, I see,' Danilo laughed. ‘I think it's time you two got to know one another a little better. Tommy and Oliver come with me, the gun range instructor has some rifle practice set up for you.'

‘Danilo, what's going on?' Donovan enquired, still wanting more answers.

‘Don't worry,' Danilo replied, already walking away. ‘Taine will explain everything.'

With that, Donovan turned back to Taine and the pair of them faced up to one another. Donovan could feel his cock hardening and his heart racing. But more than any desire he might have been feeling, all Donovan truly wanted to know was what in the name of the Ice Bears was going on?

But before Donovan could ask Taine for an explanation, Taine was already walking away.

‘Follow me, kid,' Taine said, a casual chuckle at the end of the sentence infuriating Donovan almost as much as his use of kid.

Donovan gritted his teeth.

Whatever this was, it wasn't going to be easy.

Suddenly, the decision to move to the Ice Bears wasn't quite looking like the home run Donovan thought it was guaranteed to be…