Page 30 of The Breakaway

The crowd booed, and my pulse rushed, heat flooding to my cheeks. This was because of the courtyard. I knew it before Rob sprinted to catch up with the other guys and got nailed by another player as he went for a pass from Bear.

The Montana team had it out for him through the entire first period, slamming into him at every opportunity. Each hit was harder than the last. Brutal. Punishing. The first period was a mess of dirty plays and cheap shots. Montana racked up penalty after penalty, but it didn't seem to deter them. Rob was taking the brunt of it, his frustration mounting with each hit.

I winced as Rob was checked into the boards near the blue line, his head snapping back from the force.

"What the hell is going on?" Crystal muttered, her brow furrowed. "They're targeting him."

I nodded, my stomach twisting as another Montana player slammed Rob into the glass. He staggered, slapping a glove to his helmet.

Maddie let out a low hiss beside me, her fingers clenching around her poster. And then, with just seconds left on the clock, it happened. Rob snapped. When the player from last night collided into him at center ice, he shoved him back. Hard.

“This is my fault.” I groaned, clapping my hands over my mouth.

“What?” Crystal turned to look at me, but I couldn’t stop staring. The Montana player dropped his stick to the ice, and Rob’s gloves were already next to it. He tore at his jersey, and both their helmets went flying. They were throwing punches, a blur of maroon and blue.

The refs descended, prying them apart and escorting them to the penalty box. As Rob yanked off his helmet, I got a clear look at his opponent. It was him, the drunk douchebag from the courtyard. Rage boiled in my veins as they hurled insults at each other, slamming their fists against the glass.

"I've never seen Rob lose it like that," Maddie said, her eyes wide. "He's usually so controlled."

Crystal nodded, her pink hair glinting under the lights. "What happened, Shar?"

I bit my lip. “Long story.” The buzzer sounded, signalling the end of the period. I slumped back in my seat.

Crystal raised an eyebrow. “Start talking.”

“Holy hell.” Maddie straightened in her seat, saving me from answering for the moment. Crystal and I both followed her gaze to the Outlaws bench.

“What?” I asked. I didn’t see anything noteworthy.

She curled into me, pointing toward the end of the bench. “That guy. Who is he?”

I searched and found the only face I didn’t recognize. “I don’t know. New coaching staff?” They were all new this year, but Logan hadn’t mentioned someone coming in mid-semester. But then again, Logan wasn’t here.

Maddie’s face was drawn, her eyes wide. “I think that’s my step brother.”

Chapter

Thirteen

“Step brother wins.”Crystal put a chip slathered in queso into her mouth. The victorious energy surged around us at Ranchmans after the game, but we were in our own world, huddled together in the back corner.

“Yes!” Maddie crossed her arms over her chest, a smug grin on her face.

“What? How does that win? I was in literal physical and emotional danger, and then Rob swooped in like a vigilante. Wearing a T-shirt at minus fifteen. That totally wins.”

Crystal reached for her glass of ice water. “I would never minimize what you went through, Shar. For real. But hot step brother who used to walk around in your house in basketball shorts? Then shows up out of nowhere across the rink from you? What are the chances of that?”

“I mean, he’s from Calgary, and he played pro hockey,” I muttered, reaching for a jalapeño popper. “It’s not that unrealistic.”

“Jealousy’s not a good look on you,” Maddie teased.

I grinned, not wanting to show where my head went with that phrase. I scanned the crowd for Rob, but only saw a few Outlawssauntering in, getting high fives and cheers from all directions. I didn’t need to be on the lookout. Ranchmans was going to flip its lid when Rob arrived. He’d scored the winning goal—making the score three to two—in the last minute of the third. The hits he’d taken only bonded the fans, and by the time the game ended, I wondered if the visiting team would get jumped in the parking lot.

Maddie’s head snapped toward us as she swivelled on her chair and hunched her shoulders. “He’s here.”

“What?” Crystal squeaked, craning her head.

“No!Don’t look!” Maddie hissed.

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