Chapter 6

Linc

I’m stepping off the elevator to my condo, having just finished my morning run. I freakin’ love Sundays. It’s the one day that I don’t feel compelled to really do anything. Today, I think I may just lounge on the couch and play Call of Duty on my Xbox.

As I juggle the keys to my door with the newspaper and coffee I’m holding, I glance up and see Nix standing there. He offers me an uneasy smile.

“Morning, Sunshine. Just finish your run?”

“Yeah. And not that I don’t enjoy seeing your handsome mug, but what are you doing here?”

Nix looks pointedly at the paper I’ve got tucked under my arm. “I assume you haven’t read the paper yet.”

I glance down at it. “I was just getting ready to enjoy a cup of java on the balcony with my paper. Anything good in it?”

He’s silent for a minute and I feel a slight foreboding. Then Nix says, “The article that Ever Montgomery did on you is in there. It’s not very nice.”

Not nice? Why wouldn’t it be nice? We had a really nice interview and got along quite nicely. It should be a nice article!

The tone of Nix’s voice sets me on edge.

I hand Nix my coffee and unlock my door. He follows me in and I throw my keys on the table. Nix takes a sip of my coffee and groans with pleasure. I just give him the evil eye as I open the paper, flipping through it until I find what I’m looking for. I recognize the small picture of Ever that is at the beginning of the article, and damned if her blue eyes don’t pop even in black and white newsprint.

Tearing my eyes away from the beauty of Ever, I read the title out loud, “RANGERS’ GOALIE SCORES...A LOT! What the fuck?”

“It gets worse, man.” I had forgotten Nix was standing there. I continue reading the article and after every line I finish, I can feel my blood pressure rising incrementally. When I get to the end, I stare dumbfounded at the words, not sure if this is some type of joke. I notice my hands are clenched and the paper is crumpled in my grip.

“Linc? Are you okay?”

“Did Emily know she was going to do this?” I know it sounds accusatory but I’m hurt by the fact that Emily introduced me to this she-devil.

“Of course she didn’t know. She’s just as upset as you are. She’s been trying to call Ever all morning but she’s not answering.”

I blow out a pent up breath of frustration. I could use some of Nix’s deep breathing exercises he practices to help calm my own racing heart rate. I throw the paper to the floor and grab my coffee out of Nix’s hand to take a sip. I realize my hand is shaking.

I can’t believe how much this fucking bothers me. I know I’m not a saint, but I am in no way a man-whore like she suggests. In fact, I’m pretty selective and limited on who I will take to my bed. The fact that she has published this bullshit for the entire world to see has me mortified. What about all of the kids that look up to me as a role model? What will they think?

And just thinking about that causes my fury to launch out of the stratosphere. Without thinking, I pull my phone out of my pocket and dial my lawyer. When he answers, I tell him to get me an appointment with the Senior Editor for The New York Post and I want to meet him within the next two hours. And I tell him Ever Montgomery needs to be there. When my lawyer tells me that it might be difficult to get an appointment on such short notice, I snarl at him that if they aren’t there at the appointed time, we will be filing a libel and slander lawsuit against The Post first thing on Monday. I hang up on my lawyer without giving him a chance to respond.

“What are you going to do,” Nix asks.

“I’m going to make her fucking pay for this,” I growl. “Where did she come up with that shit? She seemed so nice when we were talking. What a fucking bitch!”

I am so mad right now, I want to punch a hole in my wall, but I can’t do anything to hurt my glove hand. I start pacing the living room, subconsciously running my hand through my hair. Nix sits down on the couch and watches me with wary eyes.

“What in the world did you say during that interview?” Nix asks.

I look at him, my eyes wild. “Nothing. I mean, nothing that would have caused her to write that article. She makes me sound like a real douche-bag. What the hell are my fans going to think about that? What is Kyle going to think?”

My anger is starting to make room for an overwhelming sense of dread that is pitting in my stomach. For the lies that she has told about me, The Post had better be ready to do some serious damage control on my behalf.

“So, she just made up that you were with several women that night?”

I spin on Nix and glare at him. Is he believing what she wrote? He immediately holds his hands up in surrender before I can even lay into him.

“I don’t believe it,” he says. “I’m just trying to help you figure out why she would say that.”

I let out a huge, frustrated breath of air. “I have no clue. None of that stuff is true. I mean...I was with Brenda that night, but that was in my bedroom. I have no clue how she knew about that. She’s lying about any other women. The other stuff...she twisted my words.”

Nix shakes his head. “I only just met her at the party but she seemed pretty nice. I wonder what she was thinking?”

Before I can answer, my phone rings. It’s my lawyer. He tells me the meeting has been set pursuant to my demands. He also advises me that he’ll have a draft lawsuit that he will fax to me within the hour. He offers to go with me, but I decline. I don’t need him for something as simple as demanding that Ever get fired for her dishonesty. The lawsuit should work well enough.

I plop down on the couch beside Nix and sigh. Staring at the wall, my mind is spinning with anger, disbelief, embarrassment and downright mortification.

“Are you okay, buddy?”

I glance at Nix. “Do I look okay?”

“No, you look like you are ready to blow a gasket. What’s your game plan once you meet with the Editor?”

I shrug my shoulders. “I guess the only thing I can do...demand an apology, a retraction, and most importantly, demand they shit-can Ever Montgomery immediately. I want her career ruined before it can even get started.”

“Harsh, dude.”

“You think?”

“Nope. Not really. Not for writing lies about my little bro’.”

I give Nix a smile. Besides my dad, he’s the one person in my life I can always count on to have my back. Just the thought makes the pressure in my chest ease a little.

My phone starts “dinging” in my hand. I look down and I’m getting a slew of text messages from my teammates. Just fucking great!

Dude...you bagged four women at the party? Why didn’t you share?

UR the man! Horn dog!

Those were some pretty awesome fireworks, huh?

Man-whore! Linc’s a man-whore!

I groan. I can take the teasing from my teammates, because that’s all it is. But I’m not going to kid myself. This is what most of New York will be thinking today after they read this article.

Maybe getting a retraction isn’t enough. Maybe I need to do something more proactive to rehabilitate my image after this brutal smackdown.

A pounding on my door interrupts my thoughts. I walk to open it and Emily storms in.

“I’m going to kill her, Linc. I swear it...I’m going to kill her. Then Nix will help me bury her body where it won’t be found.”

I can’t help but smile at Emily. She’s so feisty and protective. My brother lucked out with this one. “I appreciate the offer, Em, but I’m going to handle it a bit more subtly.”

Nix snorts. “There’s nothing subtle about what you’re getting ready to do.”

Emily looks at me questioningly, even as she drapes herself across Nix’s lap. His arms go around her to squeeze and my heart warms just looking at the love between those two.

“What are you going to do?” she asks.

Taking the last sip of my coffee, I head back to my room to take a shower. “I’m going to destroy her and when I’m through, she’ll wish she never met Linc Caldwell.”