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The line goes dead as he hangs up on

Chapter 7

Marek

"This may be the dumbest idea you've ever had," I tell Holt as I look at the three sledgeha on his kitchen counter They're flanked by crowbars

"It's a great idea," Holt insists "Ime destroy my kitchen?"

"Spending tiehaht in his hands

Of course he'd say that He's all in love for the first time in his life and has stars in his eyes

What a fool

I pick up a sledgehaainst the side of one of his cupboards "So you just want us to knock the shit out of these things, huh?"

"Pretty ressions We've been far too sedentary this summer"

This isn't true We've all hit the gyet us riled up so we'll start swinging

Holt Craig came to the Cold Fury last February just before the trade deadline He's an incredibly talented center who has been waylaid by injuries the last several seasons He playedback from his injuries, he lost his first-line position He was ripe for a trade deal, and Gray Brannon has proved tih I can't wait to see what this guy does for the team

On a personal note, I was happy to see Holt coether at Boston College He left school for the pros after our freshree We had a good working relationship and an even better friendship we'vedistance over the years

Holt bought an old farmhouse as soon as heThe kitchen is his first project I'd told him he was stupid to sink money into this place when he could easily be traded to another teaed and said, "What else do I have all this money for if not to spend it? Besides, it will be like an investment"

I have to ad the shit out of these kitchen cabinets

I woke up this rets over the amount of booze I'd consumed I'm hazy on the details, but I knoanted to kiss Gracen last night, and that was about as stupid as it comes

I wasfor my lack of self-control where she's concerned, so when Holt texted me to come over for some demolition fun, it was an easy escape foraround upstairs, so I just threw soone during the day, and hightailed it out of there

Not the bravest thing in the world, but I's that I need some time to process

"You seriously couldn't hire people to do this?" Reed asks Holt as he rests the haht against the handle I'd invited Reed to co our relationship He wasn't overly thrilled, but he also wasn't going to say no to helping a new teammate out

"My interior designer had hired a co conflict," Holt says as he grabs the last sledgeha to be installed in two days, so everything needs to be out of here by then Besides, againfun We get to demolish shit"

"All right," I say, shoring updo this"

"Let's do it," Holt says with an evil sort of laugh He steps over to a set of cabinets on a short wall that sits between his pantry and double oven It has floating cabinets above a built-in desk

Just as he starts to swing, a female voice calls out from the front door "Helloooo Holtare you home?"

Holt tries to halt his swing, bobbles the sledgehammer, and it tumbles out of his hands The heavy iron end falls onto his foot and he yells, "Fuck"

Reed and I both snicker, but then straighten up tall when an ao straight to Holt, who isaround in circles

"I told you to let me hire someone to do this," the woman says in a throaty purr of a voice Reed and I stand up a little straighter

She's tall, at least five ten and with curves in all the right places Fashionably dressed in a white wraparound dress that hugs her--also in all the right places--with a pair of black heels that have to be at least four inches high Her hair is a brilliant shade of red and her eyes are pale green

Witchy eyes