Page 101 of Revenge Puck

“This isn’t going to end well for either of them,” Audrey remarks as helmets are thrown down too.

Fists fly and then Christian goes down on the ice. Preston is right there on top of him, punching him repeatedly in the face. The refs even give the two a chance to get a few hits in before they try to pull Preston off Christian. But Preston isn’t about to let up. His elbow rams into the face of the ref behind him and then there’s more blood spraying.

“Crap. He’s going to get thrown out for that!” I remark as I cover my face with both hands, unable to keep watching.

“Oh, what a mess,” Audrey mutters.

As the ref blows the whistle and calls for Preston to be ejected to the cheers of the Bobcats crowd, I can’t help but feel like it’s somehow all my fault.

I was supposed to help Preston keep his cool around Riley. Instead, I may be the reason he just lost it and hurt a referee.

I’ve become a distraction he didn’t need. After all, it’s the whole reason why he doesn’t date.

And I think he may be right to blame me for this as well.

“I need to go talk to him.”

“Now?” Audrey asks. “Are you crazy? What if he throws a swing at you?”

“He won’t hurt me,” I tell her confidently.At least not physically.I keep that part to myself. Even if the truth hurts, I want to hear it now before his team leaves after the game.

Downstairs in the tunnel leading to the locker room, I manage to throw Steve’s name around to some security guards, who go retrieve the man.

“What do you want, troublemaker?” he asks when he finally walks up.

“I need you to get me in the locker room to see Preston.”

“Are you nuts? I can’t let you back there. Not without a press pass. This is the Bobcat’s arena. I don’t have that kind of pull here.”

“Please, Steve. Let me check on him, make sure he’s okay.”

“You’re not worried about your Bobcat boy? Looks like he took most of the damage.”

“Is Christian still able to play?”

“Maybe. The docs are checking him out.”

“He’ll probably be fine, right? Do you know what he said to Preston?”

“No clue. And trust me Elle, even if I could get you back, you don’t want to be around him right now. He’s destroying the locker room.”

“Destroying?” I croak out.

“Lawrence has lost his shit. He’s going to be fined out his ass for the hit on the ref and the property damage.”

“Then let me talk to him. Maybe it’ll calm him down and prevent any more destruction.”

“You seriously believe you have that much power over him? You think awfully highly of yourself, don’t you?”

“No, I just I want to try to help him.”

“Fine. Give me a minute and I’ll see what I can do,” he huffs.

“Thank you.”

He steps away, talking into his intercom for several minutes before he goes up to the Bobcats security guys and tells them, “Riley needs an escort to the hospital. Go! Get over to the Bobcats locker room.”

Once they take off, he comes back over to me just as the crowd and the arena roars in triumph of something good happening for the Bobcats, possibly a score during the five-minute power play Preston caused.

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