Skating Towards Danger: A Mafia Hockey Romance – Dante’s Book (Mafia Hockey Series 2)

I smirk as I smash the Cheaters winger into the boards hard, their groan hitting my ears which I relish as I skate away settling the urge to hit him which could send me into the sin bin.

The fucker purposely tripped Adams, our new center who still hasn’t gelled with our team yet and doesn’t know how to act like a team player. The ref missed it, which he fucking gloated about, so getting revenge feels fucking good.

We’re one up, and they’re frustrated, so they’re getting sloppy. I like it when they get sloppy because it now means we’re in their head. It means they think they will lose, which will be their downfall.

Even if your four points behind, always keep fucking positive otherwise you’ve already lost.

I quickly glance at the clock and skate towards the opponent’s net, my eyes catching Adams moving towards it. Their right-winger is gaining on him, and he spots me when I get into position and quickly passes the puck to me just as he’s knocked into, and within half a second after it touches my stick, I shoot it to their net. Their goalie jumps the wrong fucking way like an idiot, and the puck goes in, the red light above the net flashing as the buzzer sounds, and I grin wide, lifting my arm.

First game of the season, and it’s a win. Fuck yeah.

My teammates all smash into me, making me laugh as my eyes catch Emma’s, my little niece, in the family box. She’s banging her little fists on the window as she shouts, and I grin wide, blowing her a kiss. Even from here, I can see her squeal.

Shaking my head with a chuckle I quickly move away from the boys and head to the box knowing a certain sister-in-law and best friend will want to check my injury.

“That is a nasty cut!” Morgan snaps as I jump over the boards and grin.

See… She’s such a worry wort.

“I’m fine, Morg,” I reply and she raises a pointed brow, but I ignore it and ask, “Did you see the delight on your daughter’s face when I blew her a kiss?”

The cut on my brow is instantly forgotten. She melts, her eyes softening at my words, and she mumbles, “That is probably because you are her favorite person in the world.”

I grin and admit, “And I’m Damians, even though he’s only one, and I’ll be that little one’s too,” as I point at her growing stomach, and she chuckles, “Yeah, yeah, go get showered so I can sort your eye out. Then you can go make Emma’s day before you go off and celebrate with the team.”

With a grin, I quickly kiss her cheek before doing as I’m told, knowing she’ll kick my ass if I don’t.

I’m man enough to admit I’m scared of her a little bit.

I wave to the fans as I go while purposely ignoring Amy, who presses her fake tits that are barely covered in her tank top up against the glass that’s thankfully separating me from her.

I meant what I said last week. I’m not fucking her. Tonight, I’ll go out on the town with the boys to celebrate the win and find another puck bunny wanting a good time.

“Dante!” she shouts, and I can hear the anger, but again, I ignore her and continue to wave to the fans who made the effort to come to the first game.

Bitch shouldn’t have tried to fucking kiss me.

Half an hour later, I walk into my family suite. Morgan has stitched up my cut, and I’ve completed some press interviews, something I fucking hate but it’s a must now that I’m captain, and now I have to see my father and brother, who I haven’t spoken to since they tried to bombard me at Mag’s Diner to retire, but I can’t just ignore them with my niece and nephew waiting for me.

Fucking great.

“Unci….” Emma squeals and runs my way, I chuckle as I catch the little soon-to-be three-year-old.

She has red hair and green eyes, just like her momma, and she is perfect.

The day Morgan announced she was pregnant the whole family celebrated, I was so fucking happy, but I did unfortunately pass out when her water broke at an away game.

Roman to this day still hasn’t let me live it down. I can handle blood no problem but watching that water gush and her go pale, I was a goner.

I’m just glad they induced her with Damian.

“Hey, sweetheart,” I murmur to the perfect little girl and kiss her head as Roman walks my way holding Damian, who squeezes his fists towards me. I grin and take him as well while my big brother looks at me, scrutinizing me.

We haven’t spoken since the diner, and the fucker was smart enough to give me space and ensure Dad gave me space as well, though I can feel his and Mama’s eyes on me.

“How’d it feel to watch instead of play?” I ask, staying away from the conversation about my retirement.

He groans, “Fucking horrible and that Adams is shit,” I snort but soon laugh as Morgan snaps, “Language Roman!” as she walks into the room.

He looks around me and grins, his whole body relaxing as his wife walks over to him, then presses into his body, and without a second thought, the whipped fucker wraps his arm around her, holding her close like she’s been gone for years than just a few hours.

“Sorry, little mouse,” he mutters before kissing her head, and I cough under my breath, “Whipped.”

He holds up a middle finger as Rhett walks past me, flicking my head. I laugh as Morgan slaps the back of Roman’s head, not missing his action, while I shove Rhett, who trips and just catches himself as he wanders over to his parents.

Chuckling, I look around the room as Emma lays her head on my shoulder while Damian plays with my chain.

My parents are here. Dad watches me like a hawk while Mama watches her grandchildren in my arms, most likely plotting to steal them back. Rhett is hugging his step-mama, but it’s the man standing near the bar who’s gotten my attention—a man who doesn’t normally come to my games.

“Rocco Carmen, it’s good to see you,” I say as we lock eyes, and he gives me a small smile as he walks my way with his wife.

“It’s good to see you too, son, and congratulations on the win,” he says as he pats my back. I nod in thanks as his wife Tyra kisses my cheek, making me smile before I look back at Rocco. On the outside, he looks hard, but on the inside, I know he’s struggling.

Roughly fifteen years ago, Rocco’s brother, my father’s old consigliere, a job Rocco had to take over, was killed by the Cartel along with his wife. Rocco has been a shell of himself since, not that I can blame him. Apparently, he spent a lot of time with his brother, and from what I remember, Peter Carmen was a good man—well, as good as a made man could be—and he didn’t deserve the ending he got.

“You come to try and convince me to retire too so you can retire, and Rhett can take over?” I ask quietly, knowing Rhett will follow suit as soon as I hand in my skates.

He’s already made it perfectly clear he won’t be able to stay when I leave. We played college hockey together and signed with the Jaguars, so where I go, he goes, most likely including the weirdos he attracts in bed.

In college, one girl made him believe he was gay because he liked a little finger in the ass, got off on it actually. Another wanted him to fuck her with a sharp knife handle, and according to Roman, one actually shat on him.

Last week he had a bitch piss in his mouth. She apparently never came before and thought needing a wee was the sensation, and well, she let loose while he was eating her out, and the fucker threw up afterward on her.

It was a big old shitshow, and he called me at three in the fucking morning, gagging that he needed help so of course I called Roman who tagged along and recorded the whole thing.

Rocco snorts, “Dante, I would never ask that of you. You and Rhett retire when you are ready, not beforehand,” he answers and I give him a nod in thanks as Morgan takes her son from me, and Mama steals Emma while Morgan has my attention making me scowl, but the women ignore me.

They always fucking steal the babies from me!

“Little mouse, you shouldn’t be carrying him!” I hear my brother snap, and I turn to see him trying to take Damian but Morgan, being Morgan, walks away from him and takes a seat, making him sigh and shake his head.

Chuckling, I look back at Rocco but frown as he looks at his wife, then back at me, and I can fucking see the nerves from here.

Rocco never gets nervous…

I furrow my brows, put my hands on my hips, and ask, “What do you need, Rocco?”

He swallows, his throat bobbing while Tyra’s eyes tear up as he admits, “I need your help, Dante,” and I stiffen before Roman walks over with Dad.

“I don’t want any part of the…” I begin, but Rocco cuts me off and states, “I can’t have the organization involved, so you won’t get in deep. I just need you to watch out for someone.”

Dad clears his throat, and I grit my teeth. Of course, the fucker has something to do with this.noveldrama

I glare his way, but he puts his hand up in defense and says, “What I’m about to say cannot go any further than this room, and I swear, Dante, if we didn’t need your help specifically, then I wouldn’t ask especially after last week knowing you’re at breaking point but I made a promise and I can’t break it,” Roman and I look at him confused but he ignores our looks and glances at Rocco who nods and dad states, “Peter Carmen had a family when he died.”

What the?

Roman steps forward and snaps, “Why in the fuck am I only just finding out about this now?”

Peter Carmen has a fucking family, as in kids…

I blink in shock, and Dad looks at Rocco again before sighing, making eye contact with Roman, then me, and continues, “His daughter, she’s in danger, and what we need is Dante to….”

Roman cuts Dad off yet again and snaps, “He will not be marrying this girl, Dad, no chance in hell. You already tried that shit with me and Penelope!”

More like slut-a-pe…Ha. A chuckle releases and I quickly clear my throat to hide it, though, by the raised brow Roman is currently sending me, I think I might have failed.

A small chuckle releases again – slut-a-pe – fuck, I wish I called her that to her face.

“Roman language!” Morgan snaps before Emma repeats, “Shit.”

My eyes widen as Roman winces and then mumbles, “Fuck, she’s going to kick me out of our bed for that one,” and I bite back a smirk knowing full well she will.

“Could be worse, your mother tried shooting me with my own gun when Gio said shit,” Dad mutters, and I snort because, yeah, I may have recorded that day.

Mama chased Dad around the kitchen and out into the yard, and she fired his gun. Roman and I were in stitches.

Sighing, I state, “Dad, I’m with Roman. I’m not marrying some girl for an alliance within our Italian Mafia or even to keep her safe.”

Rocco jumps in and snaps, “No one is marrying my fucking niece, she’s been through enough, and if she finds out we’re mafia, it will send her over the fucking edge!”

Wait what?! I spin my head his way in shock as my eyes widen, and I sputter, “H-how, fuck how does she not know about us, about you, fuck about who her father was?”

Tyra speaks up this time and admits, “Peter didn’t want his children involved with our world but the Cartel, they wanted an alliance. They knew your father would never marry off your sister, and rightfully so, and who’s the next best one in line…”

Roman finishes, “The consigliere’s daughter, fuck.”

“Roman!” Morgan snaps again, and he winces.

Tyra nods, then states, “The reason they went after Peter that day is that he refused his daughter for an arranged marriage, and they decided to go around your father and take it in their own hands, knowing marriage alliances were not and are not the Italian way anymore, not since your father met your mama, and we would never go against Peter’s wishes by asking Dante to marry her or even forcing her into that kind of situation when she’s clueless that she’s even in danger to begin with.”

“So, what do you need from my brother,” Roman demands while I keep eye contact with Rocco because, let’s face it, this has nothing to do with Roman and won’t have anything to do with him until the Cartel pounces, and we can finally take them down.

The fuckers are into sex trafficking, and while we’re no innocents, we don’t dabble in flesh.

Weed, cocaine, sex clubs, brokers, jewelry and finances, not fucking flesh.

“I need you to watch out for her, Dante, and preferably from afar. She doesn’t know of our world, and to her, you’re probably just this cocky hockey star giving the perfect opportunity to keep our world from entering hers,” he swallows hard as he looks at his wife, then back at me and admits, “The Cartel believes she’s dead. In the next coming weeks, it’s going to become apparent that she is in fact alive.”

“Why do they think she’s dead?” I ask, intrigued more than anything.

Tyra’s eyes tear up, and she admits, “Because she was in the car when they attacked them.”

Fuck.

My mouth parts as Roman growls, “Then how does she not know who we are? Both her parents had bullet holes in their heads after they were tortured, fuck, Peter had his skin torn off his body, his nails pulled, and several stab wounds, and Rose…” He shakes his head, “She was raped despite her severe head injury meaning they were both tortured right there on the fucking road before they shot them both in the head!”

It was fucking gruesome, or that’s what Ro and I heard when we eavesdropped that night after hearing David run into the house shouting Peter was under attack. We waited until Dad returned and went into his office before we snuck outside his office door and heard parts of the situation.

It sounded fucking gruesome, and the only blessing was that Rose was already dead before they used her body to torture Peter, so she felt nothing, or that’s what we heard anyhow.

Dad sighs and states, “Paige was knocked out as soon as the car flipped. One moment, Rocco heard her screaming, and the next, she was quiet while Peter tried to get her to talk to him after the car stopped flipping over, ending on its roof, but she was silent.” Dad looks between us, “Rocco heard everything, and so did I. They thought she was dead, and by the time we got there, the fuckers were gone, and Paige still had a pulse while her parents…,” Dad shakes his head, then admits, “Paige, fuck, she’s completely forgotten that day. She can’t remember or won’t more like it, and when she gets some kind of flashback, she lashes out, or she did.”

“Now she skates to forget, something she refused to do for years after stopping when she was sixteen. Tyra and I thought her continuing her passion would help bring her out of her shell, but if anything, it made her rebel,” Rocco finishes.

I look down as Roman asks, “What did she do to lash out before choosing skating again?”

I hear a sigh as Rocco admits, “Ditching school, doing drugs, sleeping with her teacher at fourteen, then with some of the jocks while on school grounds, not caring if she got caught,” I look up in shock as Roman mutters, “Great so she’s a drugged-up slut.”

Rocco’s eyes harden, and one moment, Roman is holding his ground, not caring about the impact his words could have and the next, a slap echoes in the room, and we look at Tyra in shock.

Okay, I expected Rocco to punch my brother, but what I didn’t expect was this pixie-sized woman smacking him.

Damn, and I didn’t record it….

Roman glares at her, but she doesn’t back down as her mama mode comes out, and she snaps, “That girl was eight years old, Roman, eight, when her parents were taking her home after skating practice, something they hadn’t gone along to in months. She blames herself, not realizing it would happen one way or another. She has survivor’s guilt and was mute for nearly two years, and that was after the doctors had to sedate her when we, her aunt and uncle, had to explain her parents were never going to come back!”

The room is tense, and Morgan has now taken a step towards Roman and not to stand by him because his words were fucking harsh and a little hypercritical considering he was the biggest whore in college but more to help him understand what his words just caused.

Tyra shakes her head and sneers, “We had to have her committed for two months at nine years old. She was suicidal, so don’t you dare judge her when I have heard many stories of your high school and college days that make her choices seem innocent compared to you!”

Roman winces, then flinches seeing the glare from his wife before he sighs and says, “I’m sorry, Tyra.”

She shakes her head before wiping away the tears that had fallen as Rocco looks at me and admits, “The Jaguar’s arena owner, Greg, wants to do a tribute to Paige’s mom in five months during the semi-finals. She was the biggest figure skater, but they want Paige to do the tribute something she has reluctantly agreed to this morning, and it’s going to be broadcasted nationwide. I need her safe, Dante, and I know this is a lot to ask, especially with the shit your brother and dad tried to cause with getting you to retire.”

Rhett steps next to Rocco, shocking me as he butts in, “You need to do it, Dante. She won’t let me get an inch in. She’s hardheaded and will most likely give you attitude,” I raise a brow at him, but he just shrugs and admits, “She knows my parents were close to hers, but she hasn’t allowed herself to get to know me despite being at family dinners over the years.”

I sigh and confirm, “Because she doesn’t want to be close to anyone who knows her parents.”

He nods, “Because she feels guilty that she survived and they didn’t,” he shakes his head, “She’s good, Dante, real fucking good. I watched her last week at the rink, and I swear that talent is going to waste,” he looks at Roman, “And no I do not like her like that or want her before you even ask. She’s like the little sister I never wanted if she’d allow me to look out for her, something I can’t do because she wants nothing to do with me.”

Rocco cuts in, “She’s wasting her life away working at that dead-end diner on Carlston Street,” Everyone tenses knowing part of the Cartel hangs around there, “They don’t know what she looks like, and our girl won’t listen to us,” he looks at me, “Please Dante, I just need you to keep an eye on her, that is it, even if it’s just from afar. She’ll be at the rink a lot to rehearse in between your games and practices, and I know it’s a lot to ask for, but I fuck, I’m scared of losing the only thing left of my brother, and as soon as it’s announced tomorrow that Rose Carmen’s daughter will be doing a tribute to her mother, they’ll want to investigate on whether or not it’s her before either demanding the arrangement that was never offered to begin with or kill her to kill off her father’s bloodline as a fuck you to our organization.”

The room quietens, everyone looking my way to see what I decide, and I swallow hard.

I don’t want anything to do with the mafia right now, especially after the shit my dad and brother pulled, but Rocco has been there for me for as long as I can remember, and the fact that he’s kept his promise to look after his niece despite her falling off the deep end.

I sigh but nod, and Rocco physically relaxes while I hope I’m not making a mistake. I mean, it’s just one girl to keep an eye on while I’m at the rink, mainly. It’s not like I’m going to fall in love with her, am I?

Right?