Offside by Bianca Sommerland

There aren’t many other teams for sale. I assumed you wanted to own one badly enough you took what you could get. Even if the team fails here, there are other places you could move it to where it would thrive.”
    Keane nodded. Chuckled. “Mr. Richter told me you don’t pull any punches, so I appreciate your tact. But there are plenty of teams for sale. I wanted the Cobras, and I’ve been making offers to the Delgado family for years just to get a piece. Ford Delgado—”
    “Kingsley.” Dominik ground his teeth. “The little bastard only took on the name to make his new daddy happy.”
    “Legally, he is a Delgado. Which is beside the point.” Keane’s tone lightened with amusement. “He’s not too crazy about ‘you kinky fuckers’ either. But he acted in the best interest of the team. Do you know he asked me if I could handle the alternative lifestyle most of the players are involved in? He seemed quite relieved when I told him not only could I handle it, but I could relate to a majority of the players.”
    Rubbing his jaw, Dominik laughed. “Really? So you and your wife like to play?”
    “No. I’m not married.” Keane gave Dominik a level look. “But I uncollared my slave of five years months ago. My point is that I understand where you’re coming from.”
    Rising slowly, Dominik faced the man. “No disrespect, sir, but if you brought me here to discuss my relationship with Oriana, I’m not interested. As openly ‘kinky’ as the team may be, I value my privacy.”
    Keane held up his hands in a calming gesture. “I don’t expect you to. But the team needs stability. I asked Mr. Callahan to come here because he is the team’s captain. The uncertainty in his future creates unrest with the men. That is no longer an issue. He is leaving—all that remains are a few contracts to be signed.” His eyes darkened. “I need to know if you are staying. If you are, I’d appreciate your help. The team needs a leader.”
    Fuck! Dominik paced away from Keane, then back, shaking his head. “Why me? Ask Richter, or our coach, Tim. I’m the most volatile player on the team. The men expect me to protect them on the ice, to throw my weight around. Not to lead them.” He let out a harsh laugh. “Besides, you have no fucking say in who leads the team.”
    “I’ve spoken to both the coach and Richter. Granted, they hadn’t considered you as a suitable captain, but things have changed. They’ve both seen how you handle yourself at the club—”
    “The club is not the goddamn ice. I’m not the same man out there.”
    “You can be.”
    I don’t need this shit! With a few strides, Dominik went up to the window and stared out at the streets below, crowded with cars, tourists, all basking in the blazing summer sun. This place had become home. With Oriana, and Max, and . . . even Sloan. Without them, he had no idea where he belonged. Put him on the ice and he could forget everything else. But now, Keane was asking for more. For renewed dedication in the game, in the team.
    He wasn’t sure he had it in him. For the first time, his summer hadn’t been devoted to training, to making himself a better player. He spent every moment he could with Oriana, feeling her slip further and further away from him. His jaw tightened as he blinked against the burning in his eyes. When she’d gone with Sloan and Max to visit Sloan’s father, he’d declined the invitation to join them and headed down to Chicago to visit his mother, spend some time with his sister and his brothers. His mother knew something was wrong. She’d asked him why he hadn’t brought his “sweet girl” with him.
    All his life, he’d confided in his mother. There wasn’t much about him she didn’t know. But he couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud.
    He’d lost his sweet girl to another man.
    There wasn’t much left for him besides the game. Keane was giving him an opportunity to focus entirely on the team. Not the imposition it first