Laces and Lace (Assassins #6) Read online

  The Bellevue Bullies Series

  Boarded by Love

  Clipped by Love (early 2015)

  Hooked by Love (late 2015)

  The Assassins Series

  Taking Shots

  Trying to Score

  Empty Net

  Falling for the Backup

  Blue Lines

  Breaking Away

  Laces and Lace

  A Very Merry Hockey Holiday (Coming December 2014)

  Overtime (Spring 2015)

  Standalone

  Let it be Me

  Taking Risks Series

  The Whiskey Prince

  Becoming the Whiskey Princess (Due out 2015)

  This is my tenth novel. Holy crap, right?!

  Because this series wouldn’t have ever been started without this man, I want to dedicate this novel to Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators.

  Thank you for always being so supportive and proud of my accomplishments. It means the world to me.

  This book is for you.

  GO PREDS!

  Letter from the Author….well, me.

  Hi, y’all! Hope you are well and THANK YOU SO MUCH for buying my tenth novel—and the sixth installment in the Assassins series, Laces & Lace. Before you get started in the magical world of my beloved Assassins, I want to take a moment and explain what I have done here. When you turn the page, you’ll see that Tangled in the Laces is there. I decided to include the prequel because it’s the start of Karson and Lacey. Some people didn’t buy Seduced by the Game, and I really didn’t want anyone to miss out. (Though you should get Seduced by the Game, there are some great stories in there!) I also thank you, because a dollar of your purchase goes to the Nashville Predators Foundation which helps the babies with cancer.

  I am completely in love with this novel. I had my heart ripped out like you did during the prequel, and I love the way Karson and Lacey’s story plays out. It isn’t going to happen the way you think, and I pray that you love it the way I do. These two are so complex and amazing, but it isn’t just Lacey and Karson; Karson’s family and his best friend are a hoot! And I can’t wait to read your reviews.

  Most of all, again, I thank you. I wouldn’t be where I am without you, and I feel so blessed and elated to have you as my reader.

  Thank you.

  Enjoy.

  Love always,

  Toni

  Start reading Tangled in the Laces

  Jump to Laces and Lace

  February 2005

  Karson King pushed himself as he skated up the ice and back along with his teammates. A cloud whooshed out with every breath he let out; his lungs were burning, and so were his legs. The rink was cold, and he loved the sound his skates made against the ice, along with those of his twenty-nine teammates. It was seven in the morning, and he was tired from staying out way too late the night before, but he loved this. Hockey was his life. He had eaten, slept, and breathed hockey since he was old enough to stand in his skates. It was all he knew; it was all he cared about. This was his life, and he was ready to do everything he could to make his dreams come true.

  And that was making it into the pros.

  He had done everything to get there. He played hockey 365 days a year, trained with the best coaches, went to the best camps, and never started a day without a morning skate and a little puck handling. He was taught to be the best by his father, who played for twenty-one seasons in the pros before getting hurt and having to retire. Karl King was the best on and off the ice, and Karson had every intention of following in his father’s big footsteps.

  He, along with his family, believed that the Chicago Cats were one of the stepping-stones to get him to the pros. He loved his Cats family. In the two years of being here, since he skipped going into the draft at eighteen, he had made friends for life and worked to polish his skills even more. His mother, Regina, was very adamant about his going to college for at least two years to make sure that hockey was really what he wanted to do with his life, despite the many scouts who begged him to go into the draft. So he did, and while he believed it was a complete waste of time, he was glad he was able to meet the guys he had and to be trained by one of the greatest college coaches around. He had enjoyed the life he had here in Chicago, but he was ready to be drafted. He was ready to play for the big leagues.

  Passing the puck up to his friend, Grady Martin, Karson crashed the net, going around it before hitting the slot where Grady slid him a beauty of a pass, resulting in an awesome top-shelf goal. Doing a small fist pump, Karson turned to congratulate his teammates before throwing his arm around Grady.

  “Way to pass, Grad!”

  “Thanks,” he said, sending him a wide grin. “Let’s do that tomorrow.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Karson agreed before skating back to where Coach was waiting for them. Tapping Karson’s shins before doing the same to Grady, he nodded.

  “Good pass, great goal. Let’s do it again. Passes have to be hard and accurate if we are going to beat NYU tomorrow. Come on, boys. We got this,” he encouraged before blowing his whistle.

  Karson nodded, turning to get set for the next drill. Leaning on his stick, he took in a deep breath and noticed that Coach had skated up beside him.

  “Scouts will be here tomorrow. They are looking at you, Martin, and Fellows. Go out hard, and make me proud.”

  A man of very few words, Coach skated away. Karson’s stomach fluttered but only for a second. He wanted this, he was ready for this, and the pros were his for the taking. Barely able to contain his excitement, a grin pulled at his lips as he set up for the upcoming pass, shooting the puck past the goalie and then lining up to do it again. Adrenaline was coursing through his veins, his heart was pounding, and he couldn’t wait to call his dad to let him know what was going on. More than likely his parents would fly out for the game, since he always played better when they were there, and they’d probably catch his sister Kacey’s game the following day. Like Karson, Kacey was one of the best, too. They were both offered full-ride scholarships to Chicago, and that was the main reason they left Wisconsin. Not wanting to put a financial burden on their parents, even though they could afford it if it came down to it, they both worked hard to make sure their college was paid for. It was just the way the King kids were raised.

  You worked hard for the things you wanted.

  After doing the drill again, Karson found himself behind Grady and tapped him in the shin.

  “Big day tomorrow,” he said, leaning on his stick.

  Grady nodded. “I know. Nervous as shit.”

  Karson laughed as he shook his head. “I’m not. This is what we want. It’s ours. This time next year, we’ll be in the pros.”

  “Or the AHL,” Grady said, always the level-headed one between the two.

  “Sure, and we will be one step closer to the pros. We got this.”

  Grady could only nod before kicking off to accept the pass that he quickly shot toward the goal, but the goalie stopped him. When the whistle blew again, Karson dug into the ice, accepting the puck before shooting it hard to the goal, through the five-hole. He hadn’t missed a shot yet and didn’t intend to. Being the captain of the Cats meant being the best, and he wasn’t going to accept anything less.

  Skating toward where the next line was, he glanced up at the stands to see who had braved the cold to come watch them practice. Usually, the guys’ girls would come out, some parents, and maybe even Kacey if she woke up on time. But she didn’t come often though, not that he minded since he never went to her practices. His stare traveled lazily over the almost-empty stands as he waited for his turn. When his gaze met a pair of pale green eyes, he stopped dead in his tracks.

  He had no clue w