Hard Checked (Ice Kings #4) - Stacey Lynn Page 0,16

in my chest it’s amazing I don’t self-combust.

Movement behind him catches my attention.

Shit. Jason and Jude and Sawyer and Byron are all standing there, arms crossed over their chests. Slow growing beards taking shape and hiding their pursed lips. They’re scowling at me, all but Jason who looks more worried.

“I said I’m fine.” I shake off his grip and go to grab my phone and when I get back, Jason has my bag.

“You’re coming. Not kidding around. And you’re not fine.”

“Playing fine, aren’t I?”

In reality, my game is better than ever. All the frustration and anger I’ve had the last month is getting taken out on the ice, in my speed, and abusing my body working out. I’ve scored more goals in the last away stretch than I did the first two months of the season. I’m also spending more time than ever in the sin bin but even Coach can’t get too pissed when I helped the team to four wins out of the last five games. We’re still up in the league by three games. I could not show up for a week and we’d still be in first.

“For now. You keep going balls to the wall like you’ve been doing though and you’re setting yourself up for an injury, and that pisses me off. Hell, you even eating?”

My hands curl into fists. I might not be able to take Jason, but we could go a few rounds before we wear ourselves out. Although that would risk the injury he’s pissed about. I’m also not sure I care much about that, either.

“Back down, Taylor.” He might be one of my best friends. He also might be the only guy on the team who has a hint of why I’m in such a shitty mood off the ice.

Doesn’t mean I won’t take a swing at him, though.

He leans in and lowers his voice. “Come with us. Have a few beers. We’re worried about you, Hendrix, because we give a shit.”

“This whole night out planned for me?”

“Wouldn’t be the first time we’ve done it. I seem to remember you hauling my ass out, too.”

“Yeah, because you were a dick on the ice.”

“And that swing you took at Thomas today wasn’t you being a dick?”

He has a point. The winger for St. Louis probably didn’t deserve that, but he’d been playing almost as physically as me.

“I show up for a drink, will it get you off my back?”

“Only if you stay for at least two.”

“Seriously not in the mood for this,” I warn him.

Jason grins. Now that he’s happy with Tessa and they’re shacking up together and he’s getting laid on the regular with a woman he loves, he wants that goodness for everyone.

Problem is, when my personal life is imploding around me, I don’t exactly want to be around happy people.

At least Gigi will be there. She’ll let me drink whatever I want at the bar and help me ignore the guys if I want. I’m sure of it.

“Fine. I’ll go.”

The bigger problem is now I’m not sure if I’m agreeing to go to get the guys off my back…

Or if it’s to see Gigi again.

By the time I get to George’s, I’m of half a mind to turn back on Providence Road and keep heading south to my own home. It’s only the reminder that the house is empty and my live-in housekeeper has already taken care of Bruiser for the night that has me triple-guessing myself in the parking lot of George’s, hands wrapped around the steering wheel of my Maserati, glaring at the wooden sign with the faded paint of George’s Bar in bright red.

My team is a great group of guys. After years of most of us playing together, our team is successful in part because there’s been very few changes with trades, only welcoming new players during drafts and time to prove themselves. They’re more like brothers. Their wives and girlfriends immediately welcomed as sisters. All except Madison, even though she was in the beginning.

Unfortunately, the sadder she became, the more upset about our lack of starting our own family, she withdrew when she needed support. And since she refused to allow me to help, allow me to tell anyone what we were going through because she was so embarrassed and upset about it, she continued to withdraw, began refusing to go to team functions with me. I’d had to practically beg her to allow us to throw a New Year’s Party at our home

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