Page 34 of Rules

Shell-shocked, my heart rapidly beating, I stay hidden, looking at the unknown guy standing in the darkness. I don’t know who he is or how they’re connected, but whatever she said to him must have been really bad to get that kind of reaction.

What the hell are you up to now, Josephine?

Chapter Twelve

MAX

Loud music and the familiar buzz of the crowd occupy the hockey arena. We’re playing on our territory, the sea of white and blue jerseys filling the stands, heavily outnumbering the colors of our rival. Their cheering is so loud it’s almost deafening. I’ve been playing for years, and with time I’ve gotten good at tuning out all the noises and distractions, concentrating on the ice underneath my blades, the puck sliding over the white surface, my teammates around me. But something about today made it hard to get in the zone.

Concentrating on evening my heavy breathing and rapidly beating heart, I rinse out my mouth, my eyes not once straying from the action happening on the ice.

“Last few minutes, guys.” Coach gives us a quick look before returning his gaze to the action. “Ready to wrap this up?”

This game has been more grueling than we expected, our opponents giving us a good fight. Right now it’s a tie, but there’s still more than enough time for us to turn this over.

King, Hill and I exchange a look before jumping to our feet. I shake my muscles loose, ignoring the ache already setting in, as I wait for Coach to give us the signal and then we’re off.

We meet at the center for the face-off. I give the guy across from me a hard stare as the usual taunts and trash talk spread across the ice.

The puck falls down, both guys launching at it at once.

“Dammit!” I curse when I see the guy in the red jersey skating away with the puck on the tip of his stick.

Taking a second to assess the situation, I see an opening and grab it. Skating fast, I intercept him in no time. Flashing him a smile, I steal the puck from right underneath his nose.

Take that, fucker.

The flash of white from the corner of my eyes catches my attention.Right on time.

It was like the guy possessed some kind of inner compass or some shit. No matter what we thought of each other or what shit was happening between us off the ice, on the ice, we clicked perfectly. So perfectly it would be creepy if it didn’t end up in goals that ultimately lead our team to victory.

Not one to waste an opportunity, I send the puck flying right to Derek. He catches it effortlessly and shoots for the goal as I get in the way of the guy who’s been tailing him and steer him away.

The team quickly catches up, forming a barrier between Derek and our opponents, a maneuver we’ve been working on for a couple of weeks now.

Come on, man.I chant in my mind.

The big clock on the wall catches my attention. Seconds tick down slowly.

One goal. That’s all we need. Just one more goal.

The guy I’ve been steering away from Derek tries to shove through me forcefully. I hold my ground, my stick darting forward and making him trip just when a collective gasp spreads through the arena, followed by utter quiet.

I make a quick turn, just in time to see Derek face plant on the ice.

“Fuck!”

Everything around me stops, and so do I. My heart is beating frantically against my ribcage, breath stuck in my throat. We all exchange worried looks, wide, anxious eyes greeting me behind every visor as the seconds tick by in dead silence. We wait for something, Derek really, to snap out of it and get on his feet, but it doesn’t happen.

It feels like forever, although I’m sure it’s no longer than a few seconds before coaches start yelling. That gets me moving. Struggling through still bodies that surround me, I rush toward Derek.

But I’m not the only one. Because Hill is also there, gloves and stick on the floor, his hands wrapped around the guy’s neck, holding him off the ice. Andrew shoves the guy into the Plexiglass so hard it rattles from the impact, his fist connecting with the guy’s face over and over, blood spilling on the crystal surface.

Coach and Doc get on the ice just as I see Derek start to stir. I breathe in relief seeing him slowly get up. Coach and Doc go to him, helping him sit straight. My eyes dart between my two teammates, and in the last second, I change my direction.

Andrew’s still fighting with the guy, and if he doesn’t stop soon, he’ll do some serious damage, both to the guy and to our team.

As soon as I’m at arm’s length from him, I wrap my hands around his torso and pull back.

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