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

I groan as I rub the back of my neck and enter my penthouse, the elevator doors shutting behind me which I have to admit, tonight is a nice fucking sound.

My fucking body aches like a bitch, and the fact Rhett wasn’t there, coach drove us harder. He understood why but fuck me…

“Hard practice?” my brother’s voice travels, and I grunt not surprised he’s here waiting for me as I throw my bag on the floor near the breakfast bar, walk over to my large dark gray corner couch, and fall into it, sinking into the cushions making me moan and Roman chuckle.

“Coach understands why Rhett was absent today. Obviously, he’s aware of who we are, but he stuck to his rule,” I grunt as I put my aching feet on my glass coffee table before I grab the remote from the arm of the couch and switch on the open electric fireplace.

“Any player that misses practice thirty sprints which will normally mean more if a player can’t keep up with the rest of the team,” Roman finishes from my armchair and I nod.

Fucker had to keep up with his rules because not everyone within the team knows who I am, who Rhett is and Adams couldn’t fucking keep up. We ended up doing an extra twenty more all before we had to begin practice.

“How did it go,” I ask with a sigh and lean back, enjoying the comfiness of the cushions.

Fuck, Mama has good taste in furniture, unlike our sister Bianca who’s currently studying aboard.

She wanted to buy this hard as fuck white couch.

Roman sighs and I look his way to see him slouched with a glass of scotch in his hand. Roman, Rhett, Mama, Dad, Morgan, and the kids all went to Rocco’s house to meet Paige, the girl I’ve got to keep an eye on for the next god knows how long until Roman can either set the record straight with the Cartel and they go on their merry way or go to war with them, something they won’t want, not when we have the Greeks, the Irish, the Spanish, and the Russian Mafia on our side that we didn’t have when they attacked Peter.

They’ll fucking lose… Paige may not know who we are, but her dad was important, he was family, meaning she’s family and has our protection.

“She’s… she’s not what you’d expect, I guess,” he says, and I raise a brow. He sits forward and sighs, “She’s definitely headstrong, no doubt about it, and she was quick to throw Rhett under the bus – something about a puck bunny sticking his hockey stick up his ass because it got her off.”

My mouth drops open, and honestly, a little bile comes up making me gag. So much for him refusing to fuck the crazies anymore.

Roman nods, “Yeah, I know. Apparently, Paige walked in on it yesterday. Anyway, she was quick to use that as a way to try and keep the attention off her.”

I cut in, “But it didn’t work.”

He nods again and replies, “Right. We were there to meet and assess her but were never really introduced to her. She knows my name and Morgan’s. I introduced us, but all she did was nod and pay attention to the kids, and she refused to make eye contact with Dad.”

I tilt my head and remind him, “He was in the hospital room when she woke up.”

“I know, and I think Dad took it to heart a little, he looked sad the whole time we were there, you know, Peter was his best friend,” he answers, and I nod because he was, they grew up together, initiated into the Mafia together and went to each other’s weddings.

They were as close as brothers can be, like Roman and I.

Roman continues, “She spent her whole time after being welcomed by Rocco and Tyra – like parents welcome their children into their home, by the way – with Emma and after a little while Damian, though she was more reluctant with Damian, I just don’t know why. She didn’t ignore him, but she was, I want to say something delicate to him. He sat on her lap and she looked frightened that she was going to hurt him.”

I furrow my brows and ask, “But she was fine with Emma?”

He nods, “She was. She gave Emma a figure skater doll that, according to Rocco after Emma found it, Paige’s mom gave her when she was young and used to carry it around everywhere, including to school. He warned us to be aware she may lose it seeing Emma playing with it, but instead, she was mesmerized that it was being played with and willingly allowed my daughter to continue her game, shocking everyone.”

I furrow my brows in confusion, and Roman sits back in the chair, allowing me to think momentarily.

She’s hardheaded and struggles with kids, but only males, and she gave away some memorabilia from her childhood without hesitating despite Rocco believing she’d lose it.

The woman isn’t making sense.

“Did she speak at all during the meal?” I ask, and Roman snorts.

“Did she fuck as like,” he scoffs, “she paid more attention to the kids than the adults, and as soon as she helped Tyra clean up, she excused herself to her room. Rocco explained she stays the night when she has dinner with them to keep Tyra happy. She didn’t appear once, not even when we were leaving, only sending a message to Rocco that Emma can keep the whole ice rink and doll collection, something Morgan and I were extremely shocked about.”

We’re missing something. It’s obvious she doesn’t know of our world that’s apparent otherwise she would have respected Roman a little more and given him a conversation at least, but there’s something she’s hiding, I can just feel it.

I nod and then state, “Right, so basically there’s more to the story Rocco, Tyra, and Dad are keeping from us. I don’t know how I know, but my gut is telling me something else is troubling this girl than just her parents dying in a car crash she survived. I mean, she was small, meaning she had more chance of surviving than them.”

Roman sighs but nods and agrees, “Yeah, and even though I’m now Don, I don’t know if I can demand to know what it is because it seems personal for her more than anything but not something that will get in the way of you watching out for her.”

I tilt my head and stare at the fire, already regretting this. I should have just walked away, but then my dad may have tried to get me to retire by going through my coaches.

I know all I have to do is keep her alive until the Cartel comes knocking, but technically, they shouldn’t if they don’t want a war.

They’re stupid, but they’re not that fucking stupid. We and our alliances have all stayed away from what they have been doing as long as it’s not in our territories, but they fuck us off; we’ll destroy them, and they know this, so this should be easy as piss and besides it’s mainly Houlis that’s the fucking problem. His son Jose wants nothing to do with him or the organization and Rafael, their cousin can’t stand that they deal in flesh.

“All I need to do is ensure she’s safe, and by the sounds of things, she’s not how she was back in high school, so it should be easy,” I summarize.

Roman hums, “Yeah,” then admits, “To be honest, she didn’t look like someone who spent her high school years doing drugs, partying, or fucking around, she seems quiet and honestly innocent, and she won my wife over after giving Emma her precious toys.”

I nod nonchalantly as I stare at the fire, then admit, “I’ll do as Rocco asked, but I’m telling you now, I’m not retiring, Roman. You made sure you could skate for another year when you were at the height of your career. I haven’t even reached my height yet, and I don’t plan on leaving the league anytime soon,” I look at my big brother, “I’ll do as I’m asked. I’ll even take on some of David’s work, but I’m not leaving my team, and if you try and make me, then you can find another second.”

He nods, his eyes serious. “I spoke to Dad, we both agreed you can take all the time you want. We should never have forced your hand or tried to, at least,” he sighs, “He feels guilty for forcing you into this life the way he did, and even though you were due to train, it shouldn’t have started with her. I shouldn’t have gone behind your back just like I shouldn’t have asked you to give up your dream when you helped ensure I had mine, and David understands as well.”

I groan. Here we fucking go, diving back into the past. I throw my head back and state, “Roman, it’s in the past.”noveldrama

He scoffs, “Sure it is. That’s why you have never had dinner with our parents since I got with Morgan, and you knew I didn’t need you to basically have my back against our father anymore.”

I sigh, and I look his way and remind him, “I’ve just had a hard fucking practice without a good fuck afterward because the puck bunnies held no interest. I really don’t need a lecture right now.”

He grins, “One, it’s not a lecture. Mama is always asking for you, so be warned, and two…. Amy, is she not doing it for you anymore?”

I roll my eyes and admit, “Bitch tried to kiss me,” and he laughs.

Fucker.

I grab the cushion Mama picked out and throw it at him, making him laugh harder, and I sigh.

“To be fair, I’d had enough of her a while back, and she was just easy,” I admit, and he hums.

“Been there, done that,” he says, and I nod. He was at the end of his tether in college with the puck bunnies and then in came Morgan and while they had some problems but held onto her.

“I just need some fresh blood,” I mumble, and Roman snorts, but I ignore it and stand and demand, “Fuck off, big brother, I need a shower, then sleep before I start to basically stalk some girl that I have a feeling is going to be a pain in my fucking ass, and you need to get back to your pregnant wife and don’t forget, I’m having Emma and Damian tomorrow night so you and Morgan can have some time before the next baby arrives.”

I walk out of the living area to his laugh and shake my head.

Fucker…

I groan at the incessant ringing and turn over to switch my alarm off before it stops. I sigh, but it starts again, and I sit up, scowling.

“Fuck’s sake,” I grumble when I realize it’s not my alarm because it’s my day off but my phone ringing.

Huffing, I lean over and grab it. Without looking at the caller ID, I answer it and snap, “What?!”

Everyone knows not to call when it’s my day off. I like to sleep in and exercise before spending the day with my niece and nephew, well, that’s after I stalk some girl anyhow.

Sniffling hits my ears, making me raise a brow before Amy rasps, “Dante….”

I sigh and sit up in bed against my headboard and ask, “What do you want, Amy,” not dick enough to hang up when she’s crying.

I’m not that fucking heartless.

“I-I, oh god, Dante, what are we going to do,” she cries, and I raise a brow but don’t say anything, waiting her out, but I soon sit up as she cries, “I’m pregnant, Dante, pregnant, and it-it’s yours…”

Of course I should have seen this coming after knocking her back. Fuck my life….

Nodding to myself, I say, “Alright, Amy, try and calm down for me, yeah,” trying to sound calm when all I want to do is shout at her, and she sniffles. Calmly, I say, “I just need to get showered and changed, then I’ll come by yours, alright?”

“O-Okay,” she sniffles, and I hang up without saying anything else before sighing.

I should have seen this coming with how clingy she’s become.

Shaking my head, I press the button on my phone and pull up the Roman number, pressing on it.

“Fucker, it’s six in the morning,” he answers after five rings, and I reply, “Fucker, Amy just called sobbing that she’s pregnant, and it’s apparently mine.”

He’s quiet for a moment before he asks, “I thought you stopped fucking pussy after Michelle claimed you knocked her up years ago?”

I blink and admit, “I did.”

He’s quiet for a moment before he mumbles, “Fuck’s sake,” clicking what is happening, and I nod.

Bitch is trying to trap me.

“Get dressed, big brother. I have a woman to go see while you investigate who she’s been fucking, otherwise, I’m going to be stuck with the bad press unless I make her mine until I can get a DNA test done because let’s face it, the bitch is most likely pregnant by someone else trying to trap me also meaning, I can’t do what Rocco wants with this hanging over my head,” I state, and he repeats, “Fuck’s sake,” on a groan.

“What-what’s happened,” I hear Morgan in the background, and Roman mutters, “Amy, the puck bunny, is claiming to be pregnant.”

“Fuck’s sake,” Morgan repeats, and I nod even though they can’t see me.

Fuck’s sake….