Hard Checked (Ice Kings #4) - Stacey Lynn Page 0,87

than regular season, and we’ll play a full-length period until the first team scores.

Vegas has scored first in the five of the nine periods we’ve now played so far in three games, so the odds are in their favor.

“Fuck ‘em,” I mutter and plop down on my bench. Water bottles are passed out and I rip off my helmet to cool down.

“That’s right.” Klaus holds out his now ungloved hand in a fist. “Fuck ‘em.”

“I didn’t actually mean to say that out loud.”

“Does not matter. We’ve got this.”

“All right, Kings!” Coach enters the locker room, smacking his hands together. The assistant coaches fan out behind him along with the medical team and therapists. One goes straight over to Pierre, one of our second string wingers, and begins removing his skate.

Shit. The last thing we need are injuries, even minor ones. I yank my gaze off that and focus on Coach, who’s giving all the same pep talk stuff he normally does, barking out commands for the line.

I lift my water bottle in the air when he tells me to shake that off. Of course he hadn’t missed it.

We just lost and it was my fault.

Damn it.

I stand and head to the bathrooms, stripping out of my gear enough so I can take a piss and get a minute of privacy.

I can do this. My life, which turned to utter shit almost half a year ago is now so vastly different I almost hate getting on the plane to leave Gigi.

I’ve had the shittiest personal year of my life and the best is on the horizon.

Sawyer, who’s now a dad because Debbie gave birth, managed to squeeze in the delivery on our short break two weeks ago. The entire team has gone ballistic with excitement for them. We almost had to drug him to get on the plane to get his ass here. He didn’t want to leave Debbie and their new son, Abram.

I haven’t had a baby yet, but the pull to stay with Gigi is strong enough I know this shit isn’t going to end. Not anytime soon, anyway.

I’m pretty sure I love the woman and what I want, besides her and our baby to be healthy and happy, is to come back knowing we’re about ready to win a championship. Then I can help my team get the cup, before we have an awesome off-season together, growing closer, making love morning and night and some days in between. Where we can plan our future and enjoy ourselves.

Mostly, I’m feeling pretty damn good about where we’re at in life, so when I stomp back on my skates into the locker room and the team is getting all fired up about kicking Vegas’s ass, I join in.

Happily.

Because for the first time in a long time, I actually feel happy.

We lose. Fifteen minutes into overtime and Joey Taylor of all the fucking players to score slides one past Maddox right between his legs.

Shameful. All of us.

By the time we’re off the bus on the short trip up the strip to the hotel where we’re staying, it’s safe to say we’re all exhausted. It’s after eleven o’clock but between the game and the time change, it’s surprising none of us crash on the short bus ride to the hotel.

As we trudge off the bus, heading into the private entrance of the hotel, I’m shocked as hell when Tessa, Jason’s girlfriend, rushes to me with her cheeks flushed, iPad hugged close to her chest, and her eyes wild like she’s seen a ghost.

“I’m so sorry, Sebastian. I tried to—”

“What happened? Is Gigi okay? The baby?”

Holy shit, my heart might explode.

Tessa swears and apologizes again, gripping my forearm tight. “No. It’s not Gigi or the baby.”

Jason has come to us, getting off the bus after me. “What’s going on?”

“It’s Madison,” Tessa whispers in a harsh tone.

The hell?

“What’s Madison?”

“She’s here.” Tessa keeps whispering, pulling me away from the guys. At my back, I can feel Jason, probably Klaus and maybe a few others figuring out something’s wrong. “I tried telling her you wouldn’t want to see her, but she insists. So, she’s here. Upstairs at the Lavalier Restaurant.”

What in the hell? There is nothing, nothing that could prepare me for this. Has she heard about Gigi? That’s not even possible. No one on the team would share anything about us to her or anyone else we might know. They certainly wouldn’t rub it in her face. And honestly, she has no reason to be pissed