Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Claimed by the Rival Hockey God novel · Chapter 6 of 24

Chapter 6: Nineteen

Brielle took a morning train to New York and found me in a coffee shop across from the Ironclads' arena.

She came in wearing sunglasses, a gray hoodie and no makeup.

She looked about twenty.

She sat down at my table and took the sunglasses off.

Her eyes were swollen.

"I didn't know," she said at once. "I swear to you, I didn't know."

"Know what?"

"That you were anything to him."

I stirred my coffee.

"He told me you were his cousin," she said. "He said you worked for the team, and you were a bit clingy, and the toast was an inside joke the family had with you."

"I'm not his cousin."

"I know that now."

She pulled out her phone and put it on the table between us.

"Mrs. Marchetti called me the night of the gala. She was so nice. She said she was sorry you were upset, and that I shouldn't worry, because you were like a daughter to her."

"I am."

"She said they've looked after everything for you since the fire. She said you'd be lost without them."

I put the spoon down.

"Did she say anything else?"

"She said Dario needs someone who lets him be himself," said Brielle. "And that you'd settle down once you saw I was a nice girl."

I looked out the window at the arena.

Gianna had called Brielle.

At eleven o'clock at night, after the gala, after everything, Gianna had picked up the phone to smooth things over for her son.

It was exactly what she would do, and I had always loved her for it.

"Brielle," I said. "I want to show you something. You can say no."

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