Cruel Betrayals (Savannah Sharks Hockey and Mafia #3)

Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

JOSEPH

I pass Rhett the puck as the announcer notifies the arena of the last minute of the third period.

“You take it. You’ve earned it,” Rhett says as he passes the puck back to me.

I shuffle the puck back and forth and bring it behind Knox Anderson.

“Hell of a game Marino.”

I give him a head nod and pass the puck down the ice to our center, Easton Hall. We are able to pass the puck around the ice and keep it away from the Texas Titans.

Spencer passes me the puck right as the buzzer sounds, and the crowd stands to cheer for us.

I follow my teammates through the team’s tunnel to the locker room. Jerseys and pads immediately hit the floor before skates are taken off.

Coach Bobby walks in with the biggest grin on his face. “Now that’s what I’m talking about, Marino. Way to keep your head in the game and stick with it.”

The guys clap and congratulate me on my hat trick.

Coach Bobby continues. “Because Marino got that hat trick and you guys listened and played like a professional team. You can have tomorrow off. Enjoy your night. Now hit the showers. I’m ready to get home to my wife.”

This was the best game I’ve played in years. Probably the best game of my NHL career.

Chase Williams and Phoenix Young walk over to me. Young punches Williams. “Man, tell him tonight’s plan.”

Williams laughs and says, “We are going to the black light club downtown. I made reservations for the VIP lounge for the entire team. It comes with unlimited bottles of booze and as many babes as you could want.”

There’s only one babe I want and she definitely won’t be at the black light club tonight. Not unless she recently got a job there.

“I don’t think so, guys. Thanks for the invitation, though.”

Young drapes his arm around my shoulders. “Aww, don’t be a Debbie-downer. You earned a night off. How many hat tricks does a hockey player get in his lifetime? You got one tonight and deserve to celebrate.”

They continue to beg me to come out with them.

“Let me shower in peace, and I’ll let you know before I leave.” I grab my shower stuff and leave the two of them to pester other teammates.

I want to celebrate, but I can’t. It feels wrong to party and have a good time with my teammates after everything I’ve put Alexandra through.

It’s been three days since the attack on Giuseppe Rossi. Three very long and sleepless days.

The fucking bastard ended up escaping his house. The question I’ve been asking myself on repeat is how? How did he get away when we were circling the house? We never saw a car leave. We never even saw him.

Where was he?

I don’t have any answers. No one knows where he was or where he went. He hasn’t surfaced since before the attack.

I’ll get him though. If he’s still alive, he won’t be for much longer. I’ve got a bullet with his name on it.

Thankfully, Alexandra is home safe, but she hasn’t returned any of my calls or text messages.

She doesn’t answer the door for me, and all of my gifts have been ignored. Bouquets of flowers, boxes upon boxes of chocolates, and even stuffed animals litter the hallway in front of her door, like it’s a fucking memorial.

That thought scares me more than I ever could have imagined.

Alexandra could have died.

Our baby could have died.

I was so careless and cruel to her. I deserve more than the cold shoulder she’s giving me, but it kills me knowing she’s ignoring me.

She is talking to Francesca and Savannah and they talk to Spencer and Rhett, who fill me in on whatever is going on.

She’s trying to sort her life out and decide where she goes from here. At least, that’s what Rhett told me this morning.

I want to beg her to come back to work for my father, but how could I be that selfish when she was just kidnapped because she worked for my family?

“Earth to Marino.” Rhett says as he waves his hand in front of my face.

“Huh?” I blink rapidly and glance around the shower.

“Are you alright?” He stares at me as if he’s checking to see if I have a concussion.

“Oh, yeah, I was just deep in thought.”

He whispers, “About Alexandra?”

There’s no point in lying. He and Spencer know all my secrets. “Yeah. I royally fucked up, and I don’t think she will ever forgive me.”

He gives me a sympathetic look. “Just give her time and space. I know it’s hard because you just want to be with her, but Alexandra needs time to process everything. If it makes you feel better, Francesca and Savannah are over there right now. They are trying to put in a good word for you.”

I stand under the shower spray and close my eyes, letting the cool water run down my face.

Rhett sighs. “Come out with the team. It will be a good distraction for you tonight. Spencer and I will be there to keep you company.”

I roll my eyes. “Fine. I’ll go out with the team tonight, but only because I don’t have any other plans.”

Williams cheers in the locker room.

I quickly shower, dry off, and get dressed. Most of the team is gone by the time I finish changing. Grabbing my bag, I head out to the parking lot.

I could just leave and ignore everyone’s calls and texts. I could even say something came up.

But luck is not on my side tonight.

My car is one of the last ones in the parking lot, and standing next to my car are Rhett and Spencer.

“We didn’t want you to change your mind and try to ditch us.” Spencer laughs at my glare.

“Fuckers.” I grumble. “Why is it so important that I come out tonight, anyway? You do know that I’m going to be terrible company, right? Why not just let me be in my sour mood alone?”

I unlock my car and throw my bag in my trunk. Rhett and Spencer follow suit before climbing in my car.

Rhett claps me on my shoulder. “This is probably one of the last times the three of us can have a guy’s night. I’m getting married in a few months, you’re having a baby, and Spencer here is well, Spencer.”

He reaches into the front seat and punches Rhett as I pull out of the parking lot. “What does that mean?”

“It means that you are always on your own schedule. You’re always with Savannah and after she graduates, you two will be inseparable.”

“Actually, I think she’s enjoying hanging out with Francesca and Alexandra and being around other women that understand this lifestyle. I just hope she doesn’t get the baby fever. We couldn’t handle three babies at the same time.”

“We are rich enough that we can hire a nanny or three for the babies.” I laugh along with my friends. It feels like a lifetime ago that we’ve laughed together like this.

We laugh and joke like old times, and just for a second, I don’t hate myself. My phone rings as I pull into the parking garage to the club.

It’s Nick Valentino. I glance at the two men and say, “I’ve got to get this.”

“Hey, Nick, what’s going on?”

“Hey, I’m sorry to bother you on a game night, but I wanted to let you know that we just got your shipment.”

“Oh great. That is some of the best shit out there. Make sure you charge a premium for it. It’s harder to get, so we don’t want to just give it away.”

He chuckles. “Oh, we’re planning on it. I’ll keep you updated after the weekend, but I suspect it won’t make it past tomorrow. Hell, maybe even tonight.”

I end the call and follow the guys to the front door of the club. Fans scream and stop us to take a picture and get our autographs. After several minutes of interacting with the fans, Rhett politely tells them we will have more community events coming up and to enjoy their night.

When we are shown inside, I say, “That seemed to calm the fans down for a few minutes. Let’s hope the VIP lounge has great security.”

We are escorted to the top floor of the club, where we can see everything that is going on down below.

“Welcome to the black light club. My name is Desiree. Can I get you guys something to drink? Beer? Wine? Champagne? Maybe something a little stronger?”

“Beer, please.” I say before making my way to the furthest couch in the corner of the lounge. I pass a pool table and a poker table where the guys are challenging one another.

“Here’s your beer, sir.” The waitress bats her fake eyelashes and bends forward a little too much to show off her fake tits.

“Thanks.” I grumble, not wanting to make conversation.

Rhett and Spencer mingle with the other teammates, but glance at me every now and then. I raise my beer and plaster on a fake smile.

I could be doing this at home, where it’s quiet and peaceful. Not here where everyone’s goal is to get drunk and hook up.

Bottle service girls take turns coming over to me under the guise of checking on me, but they’re really coming over to flirt. I politely turn every one of them down.

They aren’t who I want.

Rhett plops down on the couch next to me. “Alright, Mr. Sourpuss, what can we do to turn your night around?”

“Let me go home, where I can be alone with my thoughts, my booze, and my favorite snack food.”

He shakes his head. “Tonight is supposed to distract you from your real-life problems. Tonight, you can be whoever you want to be. You can dance, flirt with women, or just hang out with your teammates, who want to celebrate the best game of your career.”

“Fine.” I huff and get up. “One game of nine ball, and then I’m going home.”

“Fine by me, but you are playing the winner of Spencer and Chase.”

Chase wins and downs his beer. “I guess you are just too old to keep up, Reed. The young guns are coming for your jobs.”

“When you make it to the championship and win your first cup, then you can talk.” Spencer tosses his cue to me and shoves past Chase.

“Let’s make this quick. I’ll break.” I say as I chalk my stick.

I roll my shoulders and stretch my neck from side to side before leaning forward and lining up my shot.

I slowly pull the cue back and slam it into the cue ball. The balls on the table scramble and bounce off the banks. Two balls make it into the corner pockets.

The four ball and the nine ball.

Several guys laugh as realization crosses Chase’s face.

“What? How? That’s impossible.” Chase pulls the nine ball out of the pocket and stares at it.

“It’s all in the backspin.” I say as I hand off the cue to Rhett. “This was fun, but I’m going home. I’ll see you all in a couple of days.”

“Wait, I’ll come with you.” Spencer jogs toward me. “You drove us here.”

Rhett downs his beer and says, “I’m coming, too.”

We say our goodbyes to the team and head downstairs.

A group of bikers stands at the bottom of the steps with their arms crossed. “Just who we were looking for. The one and only Joseph Marino.”

I am not in the mood to be confronted by a wannabe gang.

“Where’s Gage? These look like some of his people.” I try to push past them, but they step in my path.

The middle man with a Santa Claus white beard says, “Listen here, wannabe frat boy. We are here to deliver a message. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

“Well, go on, because you’re wasting my time, and my time is valuable.”

He ignores my dig and says, “We were sent by the Emerald City Reapers. They want you to know they have video evidence of the attack from three days ago. They know you destroyed Giuseppe Rossi’s house, and as soon as they find him, they will take the evidence to the police and have all of you arrested.”

“What attack?” I play dumb, hoping like hell that they are bluffing.

Santa doesn’t take the bait. “You’re done. All of you. Your daddy won’t be able to buy his way out of this.”

I glance at the men standing at my sides. “Any idea of what he’s talking about?”

Both men shake their heads, but I can see the fear and worry in their eyes. They mimic my own.

We were supposed to scrub the video footage at Rossi’s house, but we must have forgotten. Now, it could bring my entire family down. Everything we’ve worked to build will be gone in an instant.

Part of me feels relieved.

I could live a normal life with Alexandra and our baby. If she ever forgives me.

“You can play dumb all you want, but the truth will come out and your futures will be wiped in a second.”

The bikers turn around and leave without another word.

I stare at Rhett and throw his words back at him. “It will be a good distraction for me tonight, huh?”

He shrugs. “It was supposed to be a small distraction from your personal problems.”

“Yeah, well, now we have bigger problems to deal with.”

When will I get a break?