Page 75 of Ice Cold Heart

Unlike the others, I wasn’t dressed out for practice, and I could feel Coach’s gaze on me as I bypassed my team to stand near the exit door. Kane smirked as he saw me and stepped to the side so the others could go past him.

“Finally come to ask me how I know about her birthmark?”

The rage was instant and all-consuming. I grabbed two handfuls of Kane’s top and shoved him back against the glass.

“Where the hell is she?”

Scrambling came from the seats behind me as my guys reacted, and the Easton team stopped filing into the locker room to head our direction. Kane waved them off, but they didn’t stop coming until I let go.

Kane adjusted his shirt, and his eyes flicked to the group of guys standing behind me before shrugging. “If you lost track of your girl, it’s not my fault.”

“She went to the same party you crashed last night,” I growled.

“Probably left with her ex, Scott,” Marco added.

He held his hands up, laughing. “He said they were old friends. She looked willing to me.”

Coach flanked me on the left, glaring daggers at Kane. “Who?”

Kane had the foresight to drop some of his attitude. “Your daughter. I knew she’d get tired of slumming it with this one, but I thought she’d stick with hockey players at least…” He trailed off, and the murderous expression on Coach’s face must have convinced him to get to the point. “Scott asked if he could borrow my dad’s place in town.”

Kane rattled off an address, and I didn’t wait. He’d confirmed Scott had Avery, and she still hadn’t responded. I sprinted for my car with my heart in my throat. Maybe Coach had missed Kane’s reference to me and Avery, but I doubted it.

I was definitely missing morning skate, and I’d have a lot of explaining to do when I got back.

To my surprise, when I reached my car, Coach, Marco, and Gavin were right behind me. Marco jumped in the passenger seat as if someone would steal it from him, but Coach shoved my door closed when I tried to open it.

“You have ten seconds to explain what’s happening.” His voice was calm, but I could see the violence lurking in his stance.

“We think Avery’s in trouble, and I’m going to make sure her asshole ex doesn’t ever touch her again.”

His teeth ground together, and he turned to Gavin. “You’re running morning skate. Make sure Dombrowski is ready to take Cole’s place in first line if necessary.”

Gavin glanced between the two of us as Coach folded himself into the backseat. “Do you need me with you?”

I knew he was asking if I needed him to call in the guys, but with Marco, and now Coach, in my car, I wanted him to focus on getting the team ready to kick Kane’s smug ass.

“We’ve got this, but thanks. I’ll keep you updated.”

Gavin clapped my shoulder, then jogged back to the arena.

Coach opened his door a crack when I didn’t move fast enough. “Get your ass in gear or I’m hotwiring this bitch.”

If I hadn’t been panicked at the thought of Avery with her manipulative, abusive ex, I would have laughed. Instead, I peeled out of the parking spot and ignored the stop sign on my way across town to make sure Avery was safe.

I didn’t care how scared she was of commitment—I was never letting her go again after this.

30

What the fuck did I drink? I tried to open my eyes and groaned when the pounding at my temples rose to a crescendo. Carpet cushioned my cheek, and I realized I was splayed out on my belly. I rubbed my fingers back and forth across the soft expanse trying to get my bearings, but nothing felt familiar. Despite the headache, I needed to open my eyes.

I was laying on the floor of a fancy gray and white living room, similar to my mom’s impersonal style. Nothing looked familiar. When I tried to recall how I’d gotten there, all I remembered was a black leather backseat. My whole body hurt, my stomach was pissed, and something jabbed me in the hip when I finally lifted my head.

Hockey sticks were scattered around the coffee table like someone had swept their arms across it and left them wherever they ended up. One was underneath me, so I didn’t think I’d been the one to do it, but I couldn’t be sure.

I carefully turned to survey the other half of the room and jolted when I noticed Scott watching me from the couch. Right. I’d gone to the Kappa party last night to meet him. The wall behind him wiggled like a heat wave, and I clamped my eyes shut again.

“Don’t worry. It’ll wear off in a few hours. I’ll be done with you by then, but you’ll remember.”