“We were just—”
He slammed the other guy back against the wall. “You were just leaving.”
Sal struggled. “Get off me. I have every right to visit my girlfriend.”
“Your former girlfriend,” Cole corrected.
“Same goes,” Sal retorted. “You sports guys think you can have whatever you like whenever you want it. How does it feel to be dumped for a change?”
Cole glanced over at Marisa. He was at a disadvantage because he didn’t know what she had said to Sal and what she hadn’t.
She looked at him mutely for an instant, as if dumbfounded, and then stepped closer. “Cole, don’t hurt him.”
Cole turned back to Sal, staring down the red-faced sports agent.
“I’ll sue you,” Sal said.
“That’s what it’s always been about,” Cole said. “You hankered for the money and the women, and the other baggage that comes with a pro athlete’s life. Is that why you want Marisa back, too?”
Marisa gasped.
Sal gave a disbelieving laugh. “I’ve wised up. You’re on an ego trip, Serenghetti.”
“Not as big as the one you’re on, Piazza.”
Marisa came closer. “Cole, let him go. Sal, you need to leave now.”
The threat of violence hung in the air even as Cole dropped his hold and stepped back.
Sal shrugged and straightened his collar. Then he ran his hand through his hair before settling his gaze on Marisa. “You know where to reach me, honey. I’ll leave you to give Serenghetti his walking papers. He must have had trouble reading them the first time.”
Cole tightened his hand into a fist, but he let the sports agent make his exit without further incident.
When the door to the apartment clicked shut, Marisa turned toward Cole. It was quiet, and they both seemed to realize at the same time that they were now alone to face the charged emotions between them.
“What are you doing here?” Marisa asked.
“Thank you, Cole, for saving me,” he replied in a falsetto voice.
“I can take care of myself.”
“Right.” He still wanted to break Sal in two. “Here’s the better question. What was Sal doing here, and if he wants you to take him back, why were you resisting?”
“Sal and I aren’t back together.”
Despite himself, Cole felt better. She hadn’t taken Sal back yet, and from the looks of things, Sal may just have ruined his chances.
“But I told him the reason wasn’t because you and I are still together.”
“So he saw his opportunity to press his case?”
Marisa sucked in a breath. “Next question. Why did you show up? You couldn’t have known Sal was here.”
“Jordan said you were trying to track me down.”
She shook her head. “No.”
Cole clenched his fist. Either his brother was misinformed, or Jordan had duped him into going to Marisa’s apartment. If he hadn’t agreed to go, would Jordan have tried to lure Marisa down to the Puck & Shoot instead? One thing was for sure—he was going to do physical violence to his brother, upcoming hockey playoffs or no.