Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 121734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
“Yeah, but these are Boston fans. They raise ‘em different. That city and Philly.” He grimaced. “I really hate Philly fans.”
My grin came easier. “That’s the way they like it.”
He grunted before hitting my shoulder. “Don’t sweat it. We’re going to have fun tonight.”
I held up a glove. “You know it.”
He hit it with his before heading to the net for his turn.
Ray and Sunny both made sure to stay near me during warmups. I appreciated it. Judging by their dazed expressions under their helmets, they probably needed my protection more than the other way around. It made me smile. This was their taste of the real, passionate fans in the hockey world. Heckling was a normal part of the sport, but this was another level.
As we finished, Bruge came over. “Coach changed the starting line. Second line’s going out first.”
Ray cursed around his mouthpiece. “Are you shitting me?”
Bruge glanced his way, and Sunny came to join our circle.
“They’re starting their bruisers, so he wants us to meet them,” Bruge continued. “We’ll get the initial fight out of the way and then play hockey.”
Sunny swore. “They want a shit show, huh?” He bumped my shoulder. “All for you, Griff.”
To start the game with their fighters first? I glanced toward their bench, trying to get a read on their energy. A couple of them were standing to the side, talking and looking our way, but the rest were doing their usual pregame stuff. Was this really about me or was it something else?
Was this about Rain and the rest of the team didn’t know it? I found Dane, but he wasn’t part of the group talking and watching us. He was in line to hit the puck into the net. When it was his turn, he rounded behind the goal and came to join the other line. I got a glimpse of his face, and he looked normal. No unusual rage.
I shrugged to Sunny. “Guess we’ll find out.”
“We got your back.” Bruge moved in, making sure I heard him.
I gave him a nod, and we dispersed to do our thing.
When we left the ice, for the first time since Rain had told me her connection, I wondered if there was something more to it than I’d thought. I’d grown up hating Daniel Connors the most, but Dane was included. If she was one of the Connors too? Done. Simple as that. The loathing extended to her too, and it ramped up because she was in my world. She was in my space. She’d made me want to touch her. She’d made me want to open up in a way I never did. But she was dead to me now. I’d never sought her out before, but I knew the guys had noticed my newfound contempt for her.
A few had asked if there was something they should know. I didn’t want to fuck up her job, which would fuck up the team, and because I hadn’t decided yet whether I wanted her fired or not, I’d just told them there were things going on with my niece and I had a newfound loathing for all shrinks. They’d gone back to listening to her, attributing my issue to my family business. Only a couple of the younger guys remained wary around Rain, but as far as I’d noticed, she handled it just fine.
Now, though, knowing she wasn’t here and that according to Benny, she wouldn’t be at any of the games against her brothers, I began to question myself.
Was there something I’d missed?
35
RAIN
“GRIFFIN, YOU SUCK!”
The guy next to me was screaming, and the teams had just left the ice after warmups. The game hadn’t even started. After my debacle in the bathroom, strangely, I couldn’t bring myself to leave the rink.
I also couldn’t bring myself to be here in a work capacity. I was too strung out, too much of a mess. I knew Mal would’ve let me watch from the owner’s suite. And I could’ve gone down and watched from behind the bench, in the tunnel and out of sight, but either way, there’d still be people watching me. With Mal, there’d be pity and concern, maybe something else. With the staff, there’d be confusion. I couldn’t handle either, so I ended up purchasing a single seat, which put me in the middle of a bunch of Boston fans.
Holy shit, they hated Tyler. I’d known they did, but this seemed extra. Maybe it was because he’d left the eastern conference for Minnesota?
“Sorry,” the same fan said as he took his seat. “I just honestly hate that bastard. He’s a rat for leaving his team the way he did.”
The fan glanced my way and apparently mistook my confusion for ignorance. He grunted, shifting his popcorn aside as two of his buddies came back from getting drinks. And snacks. Their arms were full of food and beverages. As they sat, he explained, “He used to play for New York, and if you know your geometry at all, you’d know New York isn’t that far from Boston. He was basically one of us. And the way he left? Within a day? It wasn’t right. It just wasn’t right. He did New York dirty.”