Page 139 of Released from the Sin Bin

“It was a fight with his father,” I give her a piece of the information. “They said it was bad. It’s six thousand to bail him out.”

I may have left off that detail when I called her.

She sucks in a sharp gasp. “Daddy’s not going to like this.”

Her father was a professional hockey player and is an announcer for a national sportscaster. Jocelyn is his little princess. Her mom left them and Jocelyn has had her father’s open wallet at her disposal. She’s responsible, but has never shied away from dropping cash on something.

She pays the bail without batting an eye, and I wait patiently for Carter to be released.

Jocelyn asked if I wanted her to stay, but I could tell she was uncomfortable. Eventually, we’ll be ok, but Jocelyn still has her doubts if I’m going to be ok with Carter.

It’s not like Vic, and this time I know. And Carter needs me.

They bring him out with his hands battered with cuts. His eyes are red, a bright raw red around his dark russet irises. He’s broken and beaten.

His hair is unusually flat and matted to his head, and his shirt is torn at the collar.

The officer rubs his shoulder in a friendly gesture as he brings him out. They all know him. Growing up in this small town, it’s hard not to be known, but they’re treating him with an empathy they haven’t shown me.

“Carter.”

They’re handing over his personal belongings when I call his name. He looks up at my voice, but his eyes are vacant and void of any emotion.

Being pulled to him, I lift onto my toes and wrap my arms around his neck. Squeezing him as tightly as I can to give him life.

It takes a few moments before his arms wrap around me. His body melts into me and shakes from his silent sobs.

I take Carter back to the Hockey House and lead him down to the basement.

Helping him into the shower, he stays under the warm water for a while, washing away any blood and dirt from the night before, but he’s not able to wipe the bruises from his chest and torso. He moves in a daze, and hasn’t said a word since I picked him up.

Once dressed, I help him lie down on his bed and curl up beside him, letting him sleep it off and knowing he’ll talk when he’s ready. With our legs and arms wrapped and tangled amongst each other, he falls asleep within seconds.

It doesn’t take long before feet stomp on the floor above us. Practice is over and the guys are just coming in. A pair of feet make it down the basement steps.

“Shit,” Gentry curses as he gets to the landing. He drops his bag on his bed and sits down, seeing me awake. “Is he ok?”

As much as Carter pushes people away, he still has some friends here.

“He will be.” I hope.

I won’t know anything until he wakes up, but he’ll be ok. I’ll stay here as long as it takes.

“It’s his dad, isn’t it?”

I stare at him, waiting to see how much he knows. Carter wouldn’t have told him everything.

“There was a news report that Mayor Pierce was taken to the hospital, but the police aren’t releasing much information.” He holds his phone up with his eyebrow raised. “I was roommates with him before, and he didn’t hide the bruises as well as he does now.”

Looking at Shawn Gentry, you’d see just a pretty face. A chiseled clean jaw with clear golden eyes and dirty blonde hair. They used to call him Preppy because of the prep school he came from. A high society private school for the rich and famous, but it seems he’s not just the rich kid that squeaked by with his good looks.

He’s proven himself to be a tough player with a speed that hasn’t been matched, and quietly observes the people around him. There wasn’t any surprise or question of why I’m in bed with Carter. His first question was about Carter’s wellbeing.

I nod silently, still afraid to give anything up. I have my guesses of what happened, but I don’t know all the details.

“Do you think he’ll be good to play tonight?” He takes clothes out of his bag, tossing the dirty ones aside and cleaning it out.

“No.” Coach Renan wouldn’t likely let him play for missing practice, but Carter wouldn’t be in the right headspace to be there, anyway.

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