Enforcer Read Online Free Page A

marveling at the swollen and stitched knuckles of his right, as well as the scars that covered both. A lot of the fans were women, which was precisely why Petre liked to go out with Connor. Petre had told him many times that they made a perfect pair for sexing women , with Connor’s pretty-boy looks and status as a professional athlete, and Petre’s handsome, Eastern European features.
    The girls would stop and say hello, smiling and giggling while Connor shook their hands, then he’d introduce Petre, who would melt them with his deep voice and Romanian accent. Petre would give Connor a wink and a grin when a pair or even a quad of females would approach them, and both would turn on the charm. Soon the girls would be sitting at their table, the two men buying them drinks and regaling them with tales of hockey, fights, and the tall tales of Romania that Petre would brag about, smiling and winking at the girls the entire time.
    Sometimes Petre fought bears on the border of Hungary. Other times he was a strongman for a local gang while growing up. Once in a while he was a secret agent, and he’d mess with the girls by repeating some phrases he had learned to say in a perfect New Jersey accent. Connor was normally quiet other than when directly asked something, usually about how tough hockey players had to be, if it hurt when he got in fights, why did he fight.
    Last night Petre was Connor’s bodyguard, assigned to him by Mr. Ojacarcu because of death threats from other teams who were scared of his hockey prowess. Theresa and her friend had known it was bullshit, but they played the game as well. Her friend gushed about meeting a real European, and a handsome one at that. Theresa had her hand on Connor’s thigh by the second pitcher of beer.
    He flushed the toilet, washed his hands and face to wake up a little more, then wandered back to the bedroom. There wasn’t a coffee maker in the apartment, but a Starbucks was less than three minutes from the apartment on foot. He sat on the edge of bed, pulling clothes on.
    “You want some coffee?” he asked the girl still dozing in his bed.
    “Sure,” she said, turning on her side to face him.
    “Gonna run to Starbucks real quick. There should be a clean towel in the closet if you want a shower.”
    She pulled the sheet down, exposing her naked skin, giving him a smile. Connor smiled back, but instead of diving under the covers, he grabbed his wallet from the nightstand and headed toward the front door.
    The sun was out again, but it felt barely above freezing outside. Steam from his nostrils formed thick clouds as he walked the back way through the apartment complex toward the gate that led into the shopping center. There was no practice today, only a light practice on Tuesday, then a game on Wednesday. His hands and legs were thankful to get a day off. Three games in four nights, and for Connor, four fights in three games, were beginning to take a toll on his body.
    The two girls in their green Starbucks aprons gave him their widest smiles as he walked through the door. The girl at the counter, Alice according to her name tag, took his order, frowning slightly when he ordered two coffees. The girl at the espresso machine, Dana, gave him a wink at hearing the order. They’d seen him almost every morning when the Bombers were at home, and they both had learned over the last year and a half that a single coffee meant he was alone, two coffees meant he had a girlfriend.
    Twice he’d ordered three coffees after he’d moved to the new apartment, and Dana’s eyes had nearly burst from her head. Connor’s subtle grin and wink the first time had caused her to let out a squeak that got the entire coffee shop’s attention. Her face had turned almost purple with embarrassment.
    He gave the girls a ten dollar tip and headed back to the apartment. As he went back through the gate to the apartment complex, he decided to keep Theresa around for the afternoon if she was willing to stay.