Page 74 of Ice Mechanic

“You think this is funny, McLanely?” Watson clips through gritted teeth.

“Youthought it was funny. When you did it to me.”

A harsh, self-reflective silence falls on the room.

There’s a reason ‘do unto others as you want done unto you’ is a golden rule. It’s because it’s true.

I lift my phone higher.

“Ah!”

“Don’t!”

But instead of taking a picture, I call Bobby.

Thankfully, he answers.

“Can you bring the clothes I left in the security room?” I say into the phone.

“I’ll be right there,” Bobby answers.

Gunner straightens his shoulders, his glare thick enough to melt paint. “Was this all a set up? Even those girls?”

“The girls were part of the ruse, yes,” I say calmly.

Renthrow’s bushy eyebrows tighten over his eyes. “We were never supposed to retake photos for the website, were we?”

“Nope. That was sent from a fake email account.”

Watson scoffs. “This is where your prank ends? Nice try, McLanely, but you didn’t go as far as we did.”

I say nothing.

Gunner inhales sharply. With a dark frown, he looks at Watson. “He could have if he wanted to.”

Awareness rolls over Watson’s face.

Renthrow narrows his eyes.

“I don’t want a war.” I step forward with my eyes on the lockers behind them. It’s difficult to have a serious conversation when my opponents are wearing ridiculous, bedazzled pieces of fabric.

“You asked for one the moment you took over the team without earning it,” Theilan says.

“Maybe. Maybe not. But fighting each other won’t get any of us what we want.”

Someone snorts. Could be Renthrow. It came from his direction.

“You think hating my guts will win you any games? It won’t. Our real enemies are the players who come on that ice thinking they can keep us from the trophy.”

Bobby hustles into the room then. I nod to the players and he instantly gets the message.

“Get dressed.” I tell them as Bobby dishes out their clothes. “You look silly in those speedos.”

That comment earns me dark looks across the board.

Gunner shrugs the shirt over his head and flings a heated stare at Bobby.

“Bobby, how could you betray us like this?” Theilan says.

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