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Spinning on my heel, I call out over my shoulder, “Follow me ”

As I walk through the locked door to the back area,on the tile floor, I can feel his eyes burned onto my ass the entire way I’at the Sharpie-covered, scuffed heels of my shoes

When I reach my office, I push the door open and motion for hi the door behind me

Walking past him, I say, “Please have a seat ”

Rounding my desk, I put Mara’s file over on one of my bookshelves and sit in my cheap office chair with uneven wheels that squeaks every tiazing at me in stunned disbelief “You’re Sutton Price?”

“The one and only,” I quip

“Fuck,” hehair in a show of irritation “I thought Sutton was a dude’s name ”

“Probably is,” I confirm “Also happens to be my name ”

“Christ,” he ain, and for the life of me, I can’t understand why my name seems to bother him

Theto know Alex Cross him

Chapter 3

Alex

Son of a bitch!

The totally s across the desk froht—is the fking counselor I have to ith over the next year to build this outreach program?

This does not aly char this whole charitable deal sobut an assle to this woman I know she doesn’t deserve it, but that’s just the way it is

Yes, I know this is a worthy cause, and yes, like I said, I’forced to do this as punish me to heel Theth

is enragesthat this poor girl is not going to knohat hit her by the tih here today

If it were just aaway froht noould have told Coach to blow me the other day and walked out But unfortunately, this career that I hate soelse in life that I’ood at Good ol’ Pops y, efforts and talent into being one of the world’s best hockey players, so much so that I’ve never considered once what I would do when it was over

As a result, I count every penny I earn and I sock it away for that day when this career is no longer there for ure out what the fk to do with my life So that’s why I live in a small, two-bedroom apartment and drive a used Chevy Suburban, while my teammates live in s areand abusive father incapable of loving his son, and a career I’d just as soon vo else

Looking at Sutton Price, I snarl inside over this unfortunate turn of events I was hoping I’d get another crack at her before I left, fairly certain I could convince her to have dinner atnice…certainly not Haer Helper But no, this is essentially my jailer for the next year, which also makes her my enemy

And I can’t fk the enemy