Page 137 of Released from the Sin Bin

As the guy comes into the light and pulls his jersey over his head, Braydon’s face is revealed.

Carter’s little brother comes out on the ice, then steps off again, forgetting his stick. He comes back, shakes his head and leaves to get the glove he dropped on the way in. His usual smug, over confident grin is gone.

Coming to join a few guys, he touches the top of his head, realizing he forgot his helmet.

Something’s wrong.

“Where’s Carter?” I look out at the faces of every guy to make sure I didn’t miss him.

“I guess he didn’t show.” Coach Greardon shakes his head and blows his whistle to round up the defensive players.

I skate over to Coach Renan. Carter wouldn’t have not shown up. I know he wouldn’t.

“Have you heard from Carter?” I skate right in front of him, not caring who hears me.

“No.” He looks out over the guys and curses under his breath.

I look to the hall again, hoping he’s just late, but Braydon catches my eye and quickly looks away, ignoring me to put his helmet on.

“Where is he?” I don’t wait for Coach to skate over to Braydon, he knows something, and won’t make eye contact with me. I know he knows. “Braydon, where is he?”

I grab his arm to keep him from leaving as Coach Renan joins us.

“I don’t know,” he lies.

“Tell me where he is.” I clutch onto his jersey and pull him back. He may be almost a foot taller than me, but I can take him.

“Baby Pierce is in trouble,” the guys closest to us coo, before getting a warning from Coach.

“I tried to stop them.” Braydon ignores them and throws his hands up.

Coach Renan steers us to the bench. “What do you know?”

“It was bad, and they said they had to take him in.” Braydon looks at me, hoping I understand what he can’t say. “He fought back. They had to arrest him.”

“Arrest who?” Coach Renan questions for more information, but I’m already throwing my skates off and running for the exit.

I haven’t driven since the mountain, but I’m not thinking about that when I run all the way home, hop in my car and drive off to the police station.

I’m thinking about being behind a wheel again. Getting stuck in the snow is far behind me, and my only thought is to save Carter.

Briar Creek only has one station for this quiet small town, and it isn’t far from the school. When I get there, they aren’t very helpful.

“You can’t just come in here and demand to see someone who’s been detained.” The officer behind the desk glares down at me.

“I’m here to get him out.” I slam my hand on the raised desk. Asking nicely was not helping at all.

“You need to bail him out.” The officer laughs. “It’s six thousand dollars to get him out.”

Six thousand dollars? I don’t have that kind of money.

He sees the shock on my face and stops laughing.

“Look,” he leans down to be at eye level, “this isn’t Carter’s first detainment, but the man that bails him out is currently lying in a hospital bed. He screwed up this time, and the six thousand is the least he could get.”

“He doesn’t belong in there.” Whatever happened, it was self-defense. It had to be.

“The bail bondsman opens in an hour. Do you have any collateral?”

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