Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 76136 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76136 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
“It’s a start,” Sofia says.
“I would like to say something.” I hold up my hand and see my father and my uncles just shaking their heads, telling me it’s not a good idea, but I’m only going to get one shot at this. “I’m sorry for what I did to Sofia,” I apologize, looking at her and putting my arm around her and pulling her to me. “And like I told her, I will spend forever making her not regret giving me another chance.” She slips her arm around my waist. “And I hope that you all give me another chance to prove myself to you and to her.”
“You do not have to do that,” Olivia says. “Sofia is the only one you need to prove that to, and if she has chosen to have you in her life, we have to believe that she knows what she’s doing.” She glares over to her husband. “That should be enough for us.” Her eyebrows go up. “Right?”
He glares back at her. “Before you agree to anything,” my uncle Matthew says, and I want to groan, “you should tell them what you are about to do.”
“What he’s about to do or what he just did?” Max asks, standing next to Matthew, his eyes on Casey, who just stares at them, and it looks like he’s smirking.
He doesn’t back down like most people who try to go head-to-head with my uncles. “Interesting.” That is the only thing Casey says.
“I think it’s safe to say we both have our sources.” My uncle Matthew puts his hands in his pockets. “Better they hear it from you, don’t you think?”
“What is going on?” Sofia whispers as she looks over at her grandfather, who avoids looking at her. The guilt is now written on his face and I can’t even imagine what it is that he did. Whatever it is, it must be bad.
“Casey Barnes,” Olivia says, her teeth clenched together, “what did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything,” he deflects, turning to my uncle Matthew, “yet. But I’ve decided to buy a hockey team.” I don’t even have time to process what is going on until I hear my uncle Matthew.
“Oh my God,” I hear Hazel say at the same time I feel the air drain out of the room.
“Not just any hockey team,” my uncle Max declares, “none other than Matty’s team.” He points at me.
The blood must drain from my face because I’m shocked “What?” I say almost in a whisper. As soon as the shock fades, which is seconds later, it turns to anger. Pissed, I’m so pissed now.
“You bought his hockey team?” Sofia asks, looking at her grandfather, her own face going pale.
“It’s not his team,” Casey states, “he plays for the team. I own it.”
“I have a contract,” I finally say, and my father comes to stand beside me.
“Trust me, I know,” Casey assures me, “for another year, and then we’ll see, I guess.”
“Fine,” I say, letting out a huge breath and feeling so defeated I just want to storm out of here.
“If that is what you want, I can always play overseas.” I stare at him while I say this. “Norway has a great team. Finland also. Paris. Europe is a great place to play. I know a couple of people who play there, and that is what I’ll do if I have to.”
“If he goes,” Sofia announces, “I go with him.” Her voice is so low, I’m not sure anyone can hear her. “You do that and I’ll leave and go with him. And then you’ll never see us.”
“Now wait a minute,” Reed says and I look over to see Hazel getting up and walking over to grab a tissue as she wipes away the tears. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
“Casey Barnes,” Olivia demands, “you are not buying that team. You cancel that right now.”
“He can’t.” My uncle Matthew laughs, clapping his hands. “Not only did he buy the team, he bought it for way over asking price.” He shakes his head. “It’s not even that great of a team.” My uncle looks at me. “I mean, you’re the best on the team, but if you wanted to buy a hockey team, you should have called me. You ran a check on me three weeks ago, surely you had my number. You knew exactly what I did and who I did it for. You must have known I owned not only the New York team but we are also looking to branch out to the West Coast.” Casey now just looks at my uncle, his eyebrows going up. “You aren’t the only one who does the computer stuff.”
“Stefano Dimitris,” Casey says of my cousin, “I knew he would catch the trail.”
“What is all this?” my father asks and I look over at him. “My son made a mistake. A mistake a kid makes and he knows he’s made a mistake. He’s admitted he made a mistake and now you want to come in here and what, ruin him?” His voice goes tight at the end.