Chapter One

Chapter One

Knight

Six Years Later…

When I step into my agent’s office, she holds a finger to her lips. Through a series of apologetic gestures, she indicates that she’s on the phone, that the call can’t wait, and that they’re talking about me.

Well, someone’s talking about me. Anna can’t seem to get a word in edgewise.

“Yes, that’s right,” she says, already nodding as I take a seat across from her. “He’s here. Actually, let me put you on speaker. He should hear this.”

I lean into her desk. This sounds… promising. After two years playing for a lukewarm franchise, with my contract up, I was hoping to get picked up by a contender this year. The closer we’ve gotten to the end of the trade deadline, the more anxious I’ve become. My plus/minus should speak for itself.

Maybe this is finally my shot at the Stanley Cup.

Anna taps a button on her phone, and a familiar voice blares from the speakers, although I can’t quite place where I’ve heard it. “Hey, Knight! How’ve you been?”

“Hey.” I cock my head to one side and frown at Anna. “Sorry, who is this?”

“It’s Sergio!” the guy crows.

I clap my hands and aim finger-guns at the phone as if he can see me. “No way! Sergio Giovanetti? Aren’t you still in high school?”

“Man, fuck you.” Sergio laughs. “Listen, I heard you’re looking for a change of scenery. How would you feel about playing for the Vegas Venom?”

“Oh, I…” I catch Anna’s eye and make a face. The last time the Venom won the Cup was over two decades ago, when Noah Abbott and Anders Beck retired. She waves to the phone and nods eagerly. Apparently, she thinks I should go for it. “I mean, Dad always talked about how playing with the Venom was the best time of his life. And I wouldn’t mind going home.” I scratch my jaw. “It’s kind of odd, though, isn’t it? Like… nepotism?” I don’t want my new teammates to think I’ve gotten this offer just because of my dad’s reputation, especially because I’m pretty sure that’s the reason Sergio called in the first place.

“Speaking as the son of the owner…” Sergio deadpans.

“It’s different.” I cross my legs. “You don’t have to be out on the ice with the other players. You’re safe from criticism in the owner’s suite.”

Anna’s eye twitches.

“I’m not saying no,” I hasten to explain. “I’m just saying that I see the potential for conflict, you know? And I’m wondering how that would be handled. I guess I’m looking for the overall vibe of your team.”

Sergio considers this. “I can see where you’re coming from,” he says finally. Holy shit, is this really Dante’s kid all grown up and acting like he’s in charge? In all my memories, Dante was kind of a dick, even when we were really small. Sergio seems… sane. I wonder if he takes after his mom Julie, the team’s former publicist. “If we had a stronger team, it might be a bigger issue. You know, some kid gets brought into a tight-knit unit or whatever. It’s not like that, though. I’ll be honest, we’re no t likely to do well this year. What we are going to do is focus on building a strong core group of guys ready to rocket straight into the future. I’ve seen you play.”

He earns another ounce of my grudging respect. “You watched the livestreams?”

“I watched in person.” Sergio chuckles. “I was really impressed by your last playoff game. That shortie in the third period?” There’s a smacking sound like he’s kissing his fingers. “Perfection.”

“Thanks. It was a good season even though we didn’t make it past the second round.” I fidget in my chair. I have mixed feelings about stepping into my dad’s old shoes, but the more I consider it, the more I like the idea of returning to Vegas. Northern winters kill me. It would be nice to have more time with my family. I miss my twin sister.

There’s someone else I’d like to reconnect with, too.

When I think of home, it’s not the lights of Vegas or the roar of the crowd that comes to mind first—it’s Sofia. God, I miss her. I miss the way her dark hair falls in soft waves over her shoulders, how her eyes hold this quiet strength that always made me feel like she could see right through the tough guy act I put on for the world.

She’s got these curves that make my mouth go dry, but it’s more than that. It’s how she stands, confident even when she’s shy, and how her skin seems to glow under the Vegas sun. I wonder if she ever thinks about me, if she misses our late-night talks, or how we’d just sit there in comfortable silence, her presence alone enough to make me feel like I belonged somewhere. Like I was enough if I was just… Knight Hale. Hell, maybe she’s forgotten all about me, but damn if I can stop thinking about her.

I’ve had my share of hook-ups over the years—college, a few here and there—but none of it ever meant anything. Not really. No other woman could ever compare to Sofia. It’s like they were placeholders, something to fill the time, but never anything lasting. She’s the only one I’ve ever pictured standing beside me, the only one I can see as my future wife. The mother of my kids. No matter who came along, none of them ever felt right. They weren’t her. And now, all I can think about is getting back to Vegas—to my friend—and seeing if there’s a chance for us to become something more.

“If you’re interested, we can talk numbers—” Sergio begins.

His words are drowned out by a flurry of furious Italian from his end of the line. Ah, Dante. I’ve known that guy forever. According to my dad, who once punched the man for being inappropriate with my mom, he’s supposed to be hands-off the team, but it appears he hasn’t gotten the memo. I’m kinda shocked that he hasn’t had a coronary yet.

“I need to speak to you!” Dante bellows.

Sergio’s response is slightly muffled. “I’m on a call, Dad.”

“So hang up!”

“Dad…” Sergio whines. “You’re supposed to be retired.”

“I can retire when I’m a corpse!”

Anna seems bewildered by this turn of events, but when she looks to me for an explanation, I only laugh under my breath and throw my palms up. Sergio’s a few years younger than I am, although I seem to recall that he skipped a grade somewhere along the line. By my calculations, my dig about him being in high school can’t have been that far off. He sounded grown up on the phone, but I can see that the dynamic hasn’t changed. Dante’s still a holy terror.

It’s good to know that some things never change.

“Mute the call, for fuck’s sake!” At Dante’s continued shouting, static echoes through the high-tech speaker .

Sergio grumbles to himself. Then there’s a beep. “There, it’s muted. Now, what the hell are you yelling about?”

Anna opens her mouth to correct him, but I hold a finger to my lips and shake my head. She leans back in her chair with a small smile and listens.

“We need to talk now !” Dante hollers. “This fucking kid. Can you believe it? I hand him a team to control, and he managed to drop us to the bottom of the league. And you? Where the fuck is your shirt?”

I recognize Briggs Sawyer’s voice over the line. He’s one of the old Venom players from my dad’s day. He and his family were also our neighbors in our gated community when I lived at home. As far as I know, he still lives there. “Ten seconds ago, you were complaining you couldn’t hear while the baby was crying. I fixed it. No more tears.”

“Put a shirt on. And why is there a fucking baby here in the first place?”

More muffled voices crackle from the speaker.

Briggs sighs. “And now your publicist is crying. First, you scare her into premature labor, then you make her come in during maternity leave for this meeting. I don’t think Sergio is the reason people keep quitting, dude.”

Dante’s voice drops to a growl. “Do you even remember who the fuck you’re talking to?”

“Dante, I’ve known you for more than twenty years. And I’m still not scared of you. Now, let your kid work. Sergio truly cares about this team and its long-term success. He’s doing a better job than you ever did because he knows how to get out of his own way.”

Anna’s eyes look like they’re about to pop out of her head. She covers her mouth with one hand to muffle her incredulous laughter. As for me, I’m used to this. This is all par for the course.

Dante is still fuming. “How about you? Are you working? I had to hire the goddamn baby whisperer to scout out new players. I must be an idiot!”

“You’re not,” Briggs coos soothingly. “You’re a very savvy businessman. Or so I’ve heard. Even though you’re supposed to be retired.”

More grumbling. Dante’s voice gets louder, not as if he’s upped the volume of his screaming yet again, but as if he’s getting closer to the phone. “Ignore him, Sergio. Did you find the kids yet?”

“Okay,” Briggs says, “that sounds ominous as hell.”

Dante chuckles. “I have a plan, Briggs. Last time we won a Stanley Cup was with you assholes. That was the last time the Vegas Venom had the magic. I want the magic back. So, we need your asshole kids for our comeback story. It’s all in the bloodlines. It will be like that ancient movie, Miracle on Ice , only better because I’ll be at the helm.”

“They’re not assholes,” Briggs counters, “but don’t worry, you can get the magic back… just as soon as you open that magic bank account. Our kids are as good as we were.”

Dante actually chuckles. Maybe marriage and fatherhood softened the man just a sliver. “Find them, Sawyer. Let’s make a deal.”

We can’t see Dante, and I can’t quite wrap my head around the idea that he’s aged, but I know exactly what expression he’s making. It’s somewhere between that of Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers reboot and Marlon Brando’s The Godfather. The guy’s a one-man show.

According to Mom, Dante used to be this big, scary badass constantly with veiled threats about fitting people for cement shoes. Maybe he still is, but I’ve never seen him that way. He’s always struck me as kind of inept. His wife runs circles around him, and his threats bounce off the other family friends like Nerf darts. Good to know he’s still up to his old schemes, though. Never let the dream die, my guy.

“I’m on the phone with Knight Hale right now,” Sergio says.

“Who? Hale? Cash’s kid?” Dante huffs. “Why did you start with him?”

“He’s one of the top forwards in the NHL. Do the math, Dad.”

“Don’t sass me. I brought you into this world, and I can—”

“Mom brought me into this world,” Sergio interrupts. “Do you want me to tell her you made the publicist cry again? No? Then stop threatening me and get to the damn point.”

Dante’s quiet for a moment. “Okay, fine. Start with the Hale kid. Just… make sure he can’t punch me in the face.”

Sergio’s voice is incredulous when he says, “I’m not sure why that would need to be in a contract, but okay.”

“I know why,” Briggs says. “And there’s a greater likelihood that his sister will punch you in the face.”

“Can that be in a contract?” Dante asks.

“Not unless you’re going to put her on the roster,” Sergio says.

Anna’s face is hidden behind her hands, and her shoulders shake with laughter. The mental image of Knova throwing hands with Dante finally breaks me. I let out a snort-laugh so loud that it gets Sergio’s attention.

“Knight?” he asks at full volume. “Was that you? This damn watch, I still haven’t figured out all the settings…”

“I’m just saying, Briggs is right. Knova’s a bit… tempestuous.” I run my hands through my hair and shake my head. “But if you want to make an offer, I’m happy to include a no–punching clause in the contract. ”

“Wonderful.” Sergio sounds relieved. “Now, you’ll need a place to stay while you get settled…”

Dante cuts in. “Have him stay with Cash! All the new guys stayed with Cash back when we were winners. This is perfect! Just like back in the golden days. I’m getting my magic back!”

Leave it to Dante to cook up this wild scheme. According to Dad, the team won the Stanley Cup twice, once when he was playing and again after he retired. Ever since, the Venom has been going downhill. It’ll be cool to play for Dad’s old team, especially if I can help strengthen them for a real playoff run.

And I have to wonder, if I’m headed back to Vegas, who else will be there? Knova moved back after her military service ended, so my whole family will be together again. Viktor already plays for the Venom—he got drafted right out of high school. But I bet Sergio will try to get Camden and Adler on board with this crazy plan, too. What about everyone else?

When I think about Sofia, my heart trips over itself. I can’t wait to see her. Assuming she even wants to see me.