He climbed to his feet, gingerly touching his broken nose. ‘Oh, come on, you love the drama, babe. Don’t pretend you don’t.’ He smirked. ‘We can laugh about it later,’ he added mischievously as if Hannah was in on it. ‘And McKenzie, I’m suing your ass. Expect assault charges.’

‘Bring it on,’ Ward countered, taking another step closer. ‘I’ll gladly whoop yours anytime asshole.’

Hannah then turned back to face him. ‘And you … ’ she began as her heart hammered in her chest, but then realized she didn’t know what to say. She looked up to meet his green eyes, still glittering with emotion. She was so angry with him, yet at the same time thankful that he had stepped in. But tonight had surely put the final nail in the coffin of his career … and hers too.

After all of her … their … work.

Now, Hannah knew she would be little more than a punchline in the PR world. There wouldn’t be a third time for her to strike out, that much she knew.

‘Ward … I … ’ she began, swallowing hard. ‘I … I can’t work with you anymore.’

Then turning on her heel as the cameras continued to gleefully flash and record every last humiliating moment, a laughing stock once more, Hannah slunk away into the crowd as quickly as she could, desperate to disappear.

Chapter 62

WARD

‘What in the hell were you thinking? I mean, just look at this!’ Bernie bellowed as he pointed angrily at the flat-panel TV on the wall of his office.

Onscreen, the Rumble on Red as the media had since deemed it, played out in all its glory – Kendrick’s opening punch, Ward’s retaliation and subsequent ass-kicking of the golfer, then Shelley entering the fray in her designer dress and heels like the badass she was.

Slumped into a chair on the other side of his agent’s desk, Ward sat in stony silence, refusing to look at the TV. After all, he had been there. He had lived it – why did he need to watch it again?

But no matter, the press continued to eat it up. It was the only thing that ESPN and FOX Sports and every single other sports network, YouTuber and gossip site had been talking about and replaying ad nauseum for the past twenty-four hours. The NHL ceremony and award winners were merely cast aside as afterthoughts.

The media reaction had been intense – but Ward had a hard time caring. He flexed his bruised right hand and reflected on the sensation of first-connecting his fist with Kendrick’s smug-ass face. The recollection was deeply satisfying and he smirked at the memory.

‘Something funny?’ barked Bernie. ‘Is there some sort of joke I’m missing out on right now?’

He glanced up and met his agent’s furious gaze, then quickly rearranged his features.