Tough Ice

Tough Ice: Chapter 31 - Valery

I see a pair of white skates in my line of visions then I look up at the woman, expecting to see Katerina, but I'm met with...

Who is this?

The blonde girl flashes me a smile and says,
"I'm Sienna! Nice to meet you, I heard you're captain of the hockey team?"
"Uh yeah... Valery, who are you?"
"I'm new on the figure skating team! I used to be on the one at UCLA, but since I'm graduating, I had to find a new rink to train at, and this other girl Natasha in my biology class recommended here!"
"I know Natasha, nice to meet you too... Sienna is it?"
"Yup!" I smile at the girl, then I look around, and I find Katerina on the other side of the ice, staring the Sienna down.

Sienna skates over to her and flashes Kat a smile, but she's only gifted with one back that could only be described as bitchy. Katerina looks her up and down, then skates off, and I laugh at her and skate over to her.
"What was that Katerina?"
"I don't like her."
"Why? Are you jealous that she was talking to me?" Her face twists into confusion, but I see the blush on her cheeks.
"No! She just has a really negative aura, like I just don't like her because she doesn't seem nice."
"Kat don't judge a book by its cover."
"I'm not, I know who she is, she's in my biology class, she's always really loud and annoying."
"Hm." I look over at Sienna who's trying to talk up Ares, but Natasha skates up to him and leaves a big, sloppy kiss on his cheek.
"That's my girl." I laugh and look back at Katerina. "What? I would never let that girl date my brother when he's already engaged to my best friend." I start laughing louder, and go into hug her, but then Lev walks into the rink to pick Kat up. She skates over to the wall and looks at him. "I don't even start for another 30 minutes, and I'm going to be training for 5 hours today, what are you doing here?"
"I want to watch you train." I skate up behind Kat and eye my brother.
"Don't you have... business things to be dealing with Lev?"
"Papa sent me away, said today was going to be a lot on a 23 year-old."
"Why?" I look over at Katerina and my eyes widen. I can't believe he won't tell her that he's apart of the Russian mafia and his father's the boss.
"Doesn't matter love." Love? That's my thing, back off you dickhead- I feel someone touching my arm.

No, looping their arm around mine.

"Who- oh, Sienna, hi."
"Hey captain, how do you know these two?"
"He's my brother, Lev, she's my..."
"Friend." Katerina smiles at me, and I think my heart shatters.
"My friend."
"Cool! Does Lev play hockey too?"
"No I don't, taking on my papa's business."
"Papa? What are you five?" Katerina side-eyes her, and so do I.
"We're all Russian, that's what we call our fathers Sienna."
"Katerina's Russian? But she looks so..."
"Arab?" Sienna looks Kat up and down, so I stand in front of her.
"How dare you say that to her."
"No no Valery, I'm sorry I didn't mean it." I roll my eyes and Kat skates off the ice so she can stretch, and I get my team up and running for a game again as Sienna finally gets off the ice.

I finish practice and wipe the sweaty hair away from my forehead, skate up to the wall and rest my forearms against it, then I turn my head up to the ceiling and groan.
"Are you okay Valery?" I look down at Katerina, and she startles, forgetting how much I tower over her.
"Yeah."
"Are you sure? You look like you're in pain."
"Just tired and hot, the rink is yours now." She smiles softly and gets on the ice, touched my arm, making me shudder and starts warming up on the ice, and I walk away without another look back.

I get home later and I hear a faint sound of skin slapping coming from my brothers room, then a,
"Fuck Kat," And my eyes widen.

I'm back out the front door in seconds.

I don't even know where to go, Ares wouldn't be home, and all my other friends are out tonight.

I get in my car and I run my hands through my hair, then I start the engine and I just start driving.

32 Kilometres later, I'm in the car park of some random target, my hand gripping the steering wheel.

He's fucking my ex, in my own house.

What a fucking dickhead.

I get an incoming call from my papa and I pick it up.
"Привет Валерий."
"Привет папа."
"I have decided that you are to fulfill your brothers duties... that is until he gets back from a mission."
"What mission papa? And what do you mean decided? I have better things to be doing, like graduating university in a month, and preparing for a game that will determine if I get into the NHL or not."
"Your brother has been sent back to Russia to complete a mission we have been working on for quite some time, and you have no say, you must do as I say."
"No, I am my own person papa, and you're currently staying at my place, I have complete free will to kick you out whenever I want, you do not decide for me."
"Fine, but I just hope you know how much he hurt that silly little girl by not telling her anything until right before he got on the plane."
"Katerina-" I hang up the phone.

How long have I been out?

I look at the clock and realise I've been sitting in this parking lot for 3 hours.

I rev the car up and speed out of the empty car park, and to their place.

I bolt through the front door.

"Where is she?" Natasha and Ares stand up quickly and nod towards Kat's room. I turn around instantly and walk over to her room then I knock on her door softly.

____________________

Lev the asshole is gone!!!