Page 110 of Saving Forever
“I’m paying you a fucking fortune!” he snaps, throwing up his hands. “Take the birds and move them somewhere closer to where you want to live. It’s win-win for everyone.”
“I can’t replicate Grandma’s house.”
He rolls his eyes. “It’s old, falling apart. You don’t even live there.”
“I’m not selling, Dad. End of story.”
Mr. Grant shakes his head. “You’ll be sorry. Both of you.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Holly
Overwhelmed.
That’s the only word for how I’m feeling right now. There’s so much happening—on the ice, with Viktor, with my father. I don’t know which thing to focus on first. But Viktor hasn’t let go of my hand. We’re in a flurry of excitement, surrounded by his teammates and their families, enjoying a sort of revelry that’s hard to describe.
But most of Viktor’s attention is on me.
“Come,” he says after forty minutes. “I must speak to someone.”
“Who?” I ask, letting him pull me down the tunnel, past the locker rooms and offices, and into a small office. There’s a man there I don’t recognize, but he smiles at Viktor and they hug.
“Viktor. Congratulations.” His voice is warm, deep. American.
“Thank you.” Viktor pulls me forward. “This is my wife, Holly. Holly, this is Gage Caldwell. He owns the Alaska Blizzard.”
This is surprising but he’s always had nice things to say about his former team so I shake the man’s hand politely, still wondering what this is about. He shouldn’t be hanging out with the owner of his old team on a night like this, but there’s no deterring Viktor when he sets his mind to something.
“Your text surprised me,” Gage says, perching on the edge of the desk in the room. “But I’m guessing this has to do with the favor I promised you last year during the trade.”
Viktor nods and then glances at me for a beat before turning back to him. “I am here to collect.”
Gage nods solemnly. “Shoot.”
Then he tells him everything about my grandmother’s house, land, and what happened at the sanctuary.
“I’m sorry about all of that, but how do I fit in here?”
Viktor clears his throat. “You are very wealthy, but also powerful. I would like for you to buy it.”
“Viktor!” I stare at him in disbelief, ready to yank my hand out of his but he just increases the pressure and continues.
“If you buy the land, it will be much more difficult for Mr. Grant to intimidate you.”
“That’s for sure.” He has a slight scowl on his face.
“You buy the land, we give you back the money, but the land stays in your name. Anyone who sees that it is owned by Gage Caldwell will think twice about trying to take it. And of course, we have legal paperwork for one hundred years or whatever lawyers think is best—Holly maintains control of the property and the sanctuary. You are merely the owner.”
He nods slowly. “I see.”
“This perhaps will cause drama for you,” Viktor says slowly. “That is why it is favor. I have plenty of money. It is power I do not have.”
He smiles but it’s a wolfish one, where he’s obviously warming up to the idea.
“There are two things I hate in this world—crooked politicians and a man who doesn’t take care of his family. I can do this for you, no problem. I honestly have no interest in a bird sanctuary in Georgia, but I can make it harder for someone to take it away from you.”
“I am very grateful.”
