Novels by ituafavour82

Chapter One Hundred Seventeen : Jay pov The morning after Viktor's suspension, I woke up to the sound of rain hitting the window. The sky was gray. The streets were wet. The apartment was cold. Cole was still asleep next to me, his arm around my waist, his breath warm on my neck. I didn't move. Didn't want to wake him. I just lay there thinking about everything.Viktor. The suspension. Twelve games. It wasn't enough. It was never enough. Men like Viktor didn't stop because of a suspension. They stopped when they were broken. Or when they were dead.Cole stirred. His arm tightened around my waist."You're awake," he mumbled."I'm awake.""You're thinking.""I'm always thinking.""Too loud."I smiled. "Go back to sleep.""Can't. Too awake now."He pulled me closer. Buried his face in my hair."I love you," he said."I love you too."The phone rang at 9am. Richard."Jay," he said. "How are you?""Good. Tired. Cole is still sleeping.""He deserves the rest. The suspension is a good thing

Chapter One Hundred Sixteen : Cole pov The morning after the Detroit game, I woke up to the sound of rain hitting the window. The sky was gray. The streets were wet. Our apartment was cold. Jay was still asleep next to me, his arm around my waist, his breath warm on my neck. I didn't move. Didn't want to wake him. I just lay there thinking about everything.Viktor. The game. The hit. The look in his eyes when he skated past me. The way he looked at Jay. Like he was planning something. Like he was waiting."You're awake," Jay mumbled."I'm awake.""You're thinking.""I'm always thinking.""Too loud."I smiled. "Go back to sleep.""Can't. Too awake now."He pulled me closer. Buried his face in my hair."I love you," he said."I love you too."The phone rang at 9am. Maria."Cole," she said. "How are you?""Good. Tired. Jay is still sleeping.""I've been thinking about Viktor.""What about him?""He's not going to stop. He's going to try again.""I know.""The restraining order is still

Chapter One Hundred Fifteen :Jay pov The morning after Viktor was released on bail, I woke up to an empty bed.Cole was already up. I could hear him in the kitchen. Coffee brewing. Dishes clinking. The soft sound of him moving around. I lay there for a while, staring at the ceiling, thinking about everything.Viktor. The letters. The restraining order. The bail. The six months until trial. The way Cole's jaw tightened when he talked about him. The way his hands shook when he read the letters.I got out of bed. Walked to the kitchen.Cole was standing by the window. Coffee cup in his hand. Looking out at the street."Morning," he said."Morning.""You're up early.""Couldn't sleep.""Thinking about Viktor?""Thinking about everything."I walked to him. Put my arms around his waist."We're going to be okay," I said."You don't know that.""I know. Because we've been through worse.""Have we?""David Chen. The trial. The threats. We survived."Cole turned to face me. "That was different

Chapter One Hundred Fourteen : Cole pov The envelope arrived on a Tuesday. No postmark. No return address. Someone had slid it under the door of the apartment while we were asleep. Jay found it first. He was barefoot, still in his sleep clothes, coffee cup in his hand. He picked it up like it might bite him."What is it?" I asked."I don't know.""Open it."He opened it. A single sheet of paper. Typewritten. No signature.You think you're safe. You're not. I know where you live. I know where you sleep. I know who you love. Stay away from Viktor Petrov. Or your artist won't be painting anymore.Jay's hands were shaking."Give it to me."He gave it to me. I read it twice. Three times."Viktor," I said."It has to be.""He's been quiet for weeks.""He's been waiting."I called Maria."Another letter," I said."Read it to me."I read it."Don't touch it," she said. "I'm sending someone to collect it.""When?""Today.""He knows where we live.""I know.""He knows where we sleep.""I know

Chapter One Hundred Thirteen : Cole pov The next game was in Chicago again. Viktor Petrov's home ice. The crowd was hostile. They booed every time I touched the puck. They chanted his name every time he hit someone.I didn't care.I played hard. Fast. Focused. Viktor was everywhere. Chasing me. Hitting me. Slashing me. The refs let it go. They always let it go in Chicago."You're bleeding," Liam said during a timeout."I'm fine.""You're not fine.""I'm fine."He handed me a towel. I wiped my face. The towel came back red.Jay was in the stands. Front row. He was wearing my jersey. His face was pale. His eyes were wide.I found him during the TV timeout. Held up my thumb. "I'm okay."He didn't look convinced.The third period started. The game was tied. 2-2. Viktor found me again. Hit me again. This time I was ready. I turned. He hit my shoulder instead of my head.The ref blew the whistle. Viktor got another penalty. The crowd booed.I skated to the bench. My shoulder was sore. But

Chapter One Hundred Twelve :Jay pov The morning after the Chicago game, I woke up to an empty bed.Cole was already up. I could hear him in the kitchen. Coffee brewing. Dishes clinking. The soft sound of him moving around. I lay there for a while, staring at the ceiling, thinking about everything.The game. The hit. Viktor Petrov's eyes. The way he looked at Cole like he wanted to destroy him. The way Cole got up. The way he scored the winning goal. The way he limped off the ice.I got out of bed. Walked to the kitchen.Cole was standing by the window. Coffee cup in his hand. His shoulder was wrapped in ice."Morning," he said."Morning.""You're up early.""Couldn't sleep.""Thinking about the game?""Thinking about everything."I walked to him. Put my hand on his shoulder. "Does it hurt?""It's fine.""It's not fine. You're icing it.""I'm icing it because it's sore. Not because it's broken.""Same thing.""It's not.""It is."The phone rang at 9am. Richard."Jay," he said. "How ar