Page 29 of Icebreaker

Harsh fluorescent lights glared down on scuffed formica tables. The smells of stale coffee and burnt grease hung in the air. The diner was mainly a refuge for night owls and society's outcasts.

We sat at a table in the back corner, trying to keep our voices out of earshot of others. The vinyl-seated chair squeaked when Quinn settled across from me, a tense expression on his face.

He didn't waste time and launched directly into his concerns. "What is going on, Axel? You've been distant for days, and then you finally stood me up. I thought our relationship was better than this, and now, I got a text message from some mysterious source that claims to have information on you and Dante. "

"You what?" I had to fight an instinct to flee. "This is so damn complicated. I'm sorry you got pulled into all of this, and I don't think you'd understand."

Quinn's forehead furrowed, and his voice skipped up a few notes and grew louder. "Then help me understand! Explain it all to me—three times if necessary." The desperation in his voice drew glances from around the dining room.

He'd put me on the defensive, and it all was too much. I gripped the seat of my chair, my knuckles turning white as I fought to remain in place. "I c…can't." Next, my voice snapped, and I growled, "There are things in my past, things with Dante, that I'm not ready to talk about…with anyone."

Quinn recoiled as if I'd slapped him. His response was cold and sharp. "Fine. Keep your secrets, but don't expect me to sit around and wait for you to decide whether you trust me."

He rose and strode briskly to the door, leaving me alone, one of five lonely patrons at a greasy diner in the middle of the night.

***

The sky was overcast when I arrived at the arena for practice the next morning. The rolling gray clouds looked like they might rain buckets on my miserable life. I hurried from my car into the building, little visible puffs of my breath following in my wake.

I was early, and I found it nearly silent inside except for the occasional footsteps echoing in the corridor leading to the locker room. The ice was pristine and smooth from the final pass of the Zamboni.

Quinn had arrived even earlier than me. He was a solitary figure on a bench, meticulously lacing up his skates. Unspoken tension clouded the space between us. I kept my distance as I sat and pulled gear out of my bag.

Quinn left, and I finished gearing up by tying my skates. When I stood, the locker room door swung open with a bang. Coach Fraser appeared. "Axel, can I see you in my office for a moment?"

It wasn't really a question. It was a command, and I sighed heavily. The last thing I needed was for the coach to confront me over some petty concern.

Grumbling to myself, I followed. His office was cluttered, the walls full of team photos and press clippings. His desk held unorganized mounds of paper with past scribbled plays and strategies. Coach closed the door behind us and leaned on his desk, a dark expression on his face.

"Axel, there's something you need to know. I'm the one who texted Quinn about Dante."

My eyes widened in shock. "What? Why?"

"Because it's time for him to find out about Dante Russo, and there's more for you to know, too."

I braced myself. What more bad news could he share about his connection with Dante?Were they lovers now?

"What about him, Coach? He retired last year. Has anyone heard about him since then?"

Coach Fraser lowered his voice. We were the only ones in the room, but maybe he was worried the conversation would leak out through the air vents.

"Unfortunately, the answer to your question is yes. Let me back up. I've tried to keep an eye out for Dante since he retired. I don't trust him any more than you do, and it looks like he's back, and I'm worried he's looking for you."

I grunted. "You're a little late to catch that train. I saw him in the flesh the other day."

"That doesn't surprise me. So, you know he's out here in Portland, but there's more, Axel. He tried to use information about me to his advantage during the scandal."

I blinked. I'd never heard about Dante playing dirty with Coach. "But you practically threw me under the bus like he did. What do you mean he used things against you?"

Coach sighed. "Did you really think I wanted to do that? Did it ever occur to you that it wasn't my choice?"

I rolled my hand in a circle. "Come on, tell me the rest of the story."

"He was blackmailing me. He threatened to drag me and my family through the same media glare that came after you. I couldn't let him do that. I could have lost everything."

More pieces of the Dante puzzle started to fall into place. I don't know why I assumed someone so toxic would come after only me. I looked into Coach's eyes. "Why are you telling me this now? Is it just because he's in town?"

"It's because he's still dangerous and might try to escalate things. I can handle myself. My life has changed since our last run-in, but you should prepare yourself…and Quinn. He should know, too."

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