20. Drake

The hospital waiting room is eerily quiet as I sit there, the harsh fluorescent lights casting a sterile glow on the bland walls. The uncomfortable silence is only broken by the distant hum of machinery, a constant reminder of the unfamiliar and unwelcome place I find myself in. Beside me, Emma shifts nervously in her seat, her eyes darting between the floor and the clock on the wall.

"This is my fault," she murmurs.

"It's completely his fault. You are not to blame for his poor decisions."

Zane is lucky. Well, lucky might be an overstatement considering the circumstances, but at least he"s alive. The same can be said for the other driver involved in the collision. They"re both banged up, bruised, but nothing life-threatening. Zane, however, won"t be hitting the ice anytime soon. The doctors are currently in surgery mending his broken leg, effectively ending his hockey season.

I glance over at Emma. The lack of support from Zane's family or teammates is a sharp ache in my chest, a cold reminder of how isolated he's become. Maybe he deserved it. Burned bridges have a way of leaving you stranded.

Emma catches my gaze and offers a small, sympathetic smile. "We just need to focus on damage control for now."

Damage control. It"s become a mantra when it comes to Zane. We navigate through the paperwork, the insurance calls, and the logistics of Zane"s recovery. All the while, the waiting room remains empty, devoid of familiar faces or any sign of support. Zane"s family is nowhere to be found.

I lean back in the uncomfortable plastic chair, running a hand through my disheveled hair. "You think they"d at least check in," I mutter, more to myself than to Emma.

"Zane's family has never been like that. It's why we got along so well. Our fathers were practically the same human being."

"None of the team has shown up. Chase is the only one who texted to ask about him."

"Maybe they're all texting Chase," she shrugs. "You know how he's been lately though. Maybe … maybe he's burned his bridges with everyone. This doesn't exactly paint the team in a good light."

"You're right."

As Emma and I continue to tackle the administrative maze of hospital procedures and doing our best to keep all of this mess out of the media, a nurse comes into the waiting room. She looks at us with a mix of sympathy and professionalism, her scrubs hinting at the countless stories of pain and recovery she"s witnessed. "Mr. Baron, we"ll be moving Zane to his room shortly. The surgery went well, and he"s in stable condition."

Relief washes over me, and I nod my thanks to the nurse.

"Thanks, Bella," I smile. She walks over and puts her hand on my shoulder. "He's lucky to be alive and we're all praying this is the wake-up call he needed to get his shit together."

"I appreciate you guys."

Emma and I sit there for a few minutes as Bella walks back behind the closed doors.

"He's okay," she sighs.

"I'm glad you're here with me. I'm glad this fake engagement turned real."

Why did I just say that?

Emma nods, her mind somewhere else.

I hear a voice clear behind me and I glance up to see Loughlin's dark grey eyes glaring back at me.

"You were told to keep the players in line. This is a media nightmare."

"We're handling it. Zane's okay, but he's out for the season."

"And who are you going to replace him with? There's no one who can take his place. Our season just went in the dumpster with the team and their star player's reputation."

"We're handling it. Emma went to school for public relations and marketing. This will be nothing."

"You know, I was hopeful that you being engaged to Emma would turn you around. I was hopeful that you'd focus on the team and making it better. That her level headedness and experience would turn the tide. It seems that you lied to me and to everyone else with a pretend engagement. What else are you lying about?"

"Hold on a minute," I snap as I stand up.

"No. I'm removing you as owner of the team effective immediately."

"You can't do that. I have a stake in the team. I can buy it myself."

"The league won't let you. I've been in talks with them about this for the last few months. This was the last straw. They told me if the team looked bad in the media for your or another player's actions then it would be grounds to remove you as it is a breach of contract."

"Breach of contract?"

"You can clean out your things."

"I'm not sure who you think you are, but you're a silent partner and not my boss," I hiss.

Loughlin laughs and shakes his head. "We'll see."

Emma takes a deep breath, breaking the silence. "We should let Zane rest. I"ll handle the logistics of informing the team and arranging visits. We can check on him later."

I nod, grateful for Emma"s practical approach. She laces her fingers through mine and we walk out of the hospital.

***

The next day is a gloomy one, mirroring the storm brewing within me. I"m in my office at the rink, trying to focus on work, but Zane"s accident still haunts my thoughts. The door slams open, and I look up to see Loughlin, accompanied by two stern-faced members of the league. My gut tightens with a sense of foreboding.

Loughlin strides in, exuding an air of arrogance that has always grated on my nerves. He barely acknowledges me before addressing the league representatives. "Gentlemen, thanks for joining me. I"ve been waiting for someone to finally do something about this mess."

The league members exchange glances, and one of them, a middle-aged man with graying hair, clears his throat. "We"re here to address the situation calmly and find a resolution. Let"s keep this civil."

Loughlin smirks, his eyes narrowing in on me. "Civil? I"ve been patient long enough. Drake here is a liability to the team, to the league, and frankly, to the entire sport of hockey in Willow Creek."

I lean back in my chair, crossing my arms. "Cut the theatrics, Loughlin. What are you really here for?"

He ignores me, turning to the league representatives. "Gentlemen, it"s clear that Drake"s ownership is jeopardizing the team. Zane"s accident is just the tip of the iceberg. I propose we take control of the rink and ensure that Willow Creek has a team that doesn"t implode."

The other league member, a woman with a no-nonsense demeanor, speaks up. "We need to assess the situation objectively. Let"s not jump to extreme measures. Drake, what do you have to say about Zane"s accident?"

I take a deep breath, ready to defend myself. "It was an unfortunate accident. We"re dealing with it, and Zane is recovering. I don"t see how that reflects on my ownership."

Loughlin scoffs, rolling his eyes. "Oh, come on, Drake. You were there. You saw Zane in no condition to drive, and yet you let him get behind the wheel. That"s on you, and it"s a liability we can"t afford."

The middle-aged man leans forward, his expression stern. "Is this true, Drake? Did you knowingly let Zane drive?"

I clench my jaw, frustration bubbling within me. "I didn"t think he was that impaired. It was a mistake, he had friends escorting him out of the restaurant. How was I to know they would let him drive."

"Mistakes, Drake, have consequences. And now, those consequences are threatening the entire team. We can"t have that."

The woman from the league cuts in, her voice firm. "Loughlin, let"s focus on finding a solution that doesn"t involve taking over the rink. We need stability, not chaos."

But Loughlin isn"t one to be deterred. He leans on my desk, locking eyes with me. "Drake, you"re out of your depth here. The league and I have decided that unless you resign as the owner, we"re taking control of the rink. This is non-negotiable."

I scoff, refusing to back down. "You can"t just strong-arm me out of my own business. What"s your endgame, Loughlin?"

He leans in, his voice dripping with menace. "Simple. You sell the team back to me at a reasonable price, and I ensure the stability of the rink and the team. It"s a win-win, really."

I shake my head. "I won"t let you manipulate me into selling my team. Find another way to deal with this mess."

The league representatives exchange uneasy glances. The woman speaks up, her tone reluctant. "Drake, we"ve reached a decision. If you don"t agree to sell the team back to Loughlin, we"ll pull the team out of Willow Creek. We can"t afford the reputation damage, especially with the recent incident involving Zane. It's a media nightmare and his behavior lately should have been dealt with more sternly than it has. Allowing him to play after assaulting a female?"

I open my mouth, my eyes flitting to Loughlin, knowing that was on him.

"Loughlin tied my hands on that. You can ask my coach, my assistant, anyone will tell you that I benched him and this man went directly to Zane and told him he could play."

"He's making up lies to get himself out of trouble. Pathetic really," Loughlin sighs dramatically.

"We'll look into that, but right now, it's too much. You have to resign as owner."

My jaw clenches, the weight of their words sinking in. "You"re threatening to take the team away? Just like that?"

The middle-aged man sighs. "It"s a difficult decision, Drake, but the league has to prioritize the reputation and stability of the sport. We can"t risk further incidents under your ownership."

I feel the ground slipping away beneath me. The team, my passion, my connection to this community—all on the brink of vanishing. I take a moment to collect myself before responding. "My lawyers will fight this. There's no way this is legal."

"None of your lawyers have the salt to go up against mine, it would be futile and make you look worse than you already do."

Loughlin smirks triumphantly, and the league representatives exchange glances once again. The woman speaks, her voice softer now. "Drake, it"s for the best. This way, we can avoid any more damage to the team and the league"s reputation."

As they leave my office, I"m left alone with the weight of my decisions. Zane"s accident, the crumbling team, and now the impending loss of the very thing that has defined my life for so long. The rink, once a sanctuary, now feels like a battleground where I"ve fought and lost.

If I don't relinquish ownership Willow Creek can lose the team. I would lose all the money I've put in to beautifying the town and helping the local businesses. The town would crumble without the revenue from the Battle Hawks. I couldn't allow that to happen.

On the other hand, Loughlin is fighting to take the rink from me too and I can't allow that to happen either. Who is to say that I don't sell to Loughlin and he take the team out of Willow Creek anyway.

I pick up my phone and call my longtime friend and lawyer, Will, I need to figure out if any of this is even legal. I bought the team myself, they shouldn't have any say in any of this.