Sugar and Ice - RJ Scott Page 0,8

my mother fancied it. For some reason when I’d left Russia I’d felt compelled to bring it with me. It did look oddly out of place in my masculine home, but seeing it reminded me of Russia, and my family. Right now, the urge to return home was strong. Putting half a world between myself and my newest teammate would be good. Pity the new season was just about to begin…

Chapter Three

Tate

“I was talking to Henry and he’s vanished?”

Thirty minutes to warmups in this our first pre-season game and I needed to find him because I’d already spoken to Sam, my other winger, and when I’d begun chatting to Henry he’d walked off mid-sentence. Chatting to my wingmen was something that worked for me in Dallas, and just a couple of minutes talking casually with your wingmen set the tone for the way the line worked.

Ryker looked up from lacing his skates.

“What did you do or say to him?” he snapped.

“Nothing, I didn’t do anything. We were just talking about… never mind what we were talking about.” Jeez, why was I on the defensive there? “I was just looking for him.”

Ryker went back to lacing but I could see the tension in his shoulders, and then he stalked toward me and inclined his head to indicate that I should follow.

“This is Henry’s first full game back on the ice,” Ryker said, as soon as we were out of hearing of the rest of the team.

“I know.” I’d followed the story that had been Henry’s life the last year and had gravitated toward him on my first day with the Raptors. I called him a friend, and I thought Ryker was one as well, but the way he was staring at me, waiting for me to do something he didn’t approve of made me feel a hundred kinds of shit.

“Don’t mess with his head.” He crossed his hands over his chest.

I winced. “I’m not, I wouldn’t, I just want to do my usual chat, it’s like my… when I was in Dallas—”

“This isn’t Dallas,” Ryker murmured and drew himself to his full height, and given he was in his skates that made him a little taller than me. I could see his dad in him, that stubborn tilt of his chin, that stony-eyed warning that he would stand his ground, particularly when it concerned his best friend.

“I know it’s not Dallas,” I said, as patiently as I could. This was better than Dallas, this was a chance for a new start, but I wasn’t telling Ryker that.

“If all you’re here for is to look fancy ass on the ice and order him around—”

“Now, hang on—”

“He’s a good guy—”

“I just want to check in with him, don’t you guys check in on each other before games? We did in Dallas—”

“Wassup, Ry, is something wrong with Henry?” Alex came up behind him. Jeez, Alex the back-up was here as well?

What did they think I was going to do with him? Warn him that if he fucked up I’d hire a hitman? Stab him with a skate blade? What?

“He’s my wingman, this is just a welfare check.” I crossed my arms over my chest, and wondered how it had gone from me and Ryker rolling on the floor laughing at Colorado yesterday to this brick wall today.

“‘Just like in Dallas’,” Ryker mimicked, and that hurt, because Ryker was one of the good guys, not a man who would lash out at someone and put them down. I could see the temper flash in his eyes and vanish. “I was out of order, sorry,” he murmured. “We’re just worried about him, is all.”

“He had a bad night,” Alex murmured.

“You did?” I peered at Ryker, he seemed fine.

Ryker huffed. “Not me, Henry. His partner, Apollo, talked to Adler who told Ten who texted me this morning, to say that Henry wasn’t in a good place.”

Did I wince when he mentioned Ten’s name? Was my unrequited lust for Tennant freaking Rowe written on my face?

Ryker’s expression didn’t change, so I think I got away with it, and Alex sighed, “I tried to talk to Henry, but he was real quiet, and said he was okay. We just think… look, Coach putting him with you, is it too much?”

“What?” That was what they worried about? “No! I want him on my wing, he’s… wait, I don’t want to be saying this to you, I want to say this to him. So will you help me and tell me