Page 7 of Cold Carnage

No one got under my skin like this.

And yet here she was again, threatening to unravel the tight control I held over everything in my life.

I skated harder, muscles burning with every movement. The familiar ache in my legs was a welcome distraction from the frustration boiling inside me. I could hear my father’s voice in my head:You don’t get distracted, Ryker. You don’t let people get in your head. If you do, you lose.

The puck flew off my stick and into the net with a satisfying thud. But even that small victory felt hollow tonight. No matter how many times I scored or how hard I pushed myself, Paige’s face kept intruding on my thoughts.

Why had she rattled me? Why couldn’t I just dismiss her like any other challenge?

I shook my head and took another shot, this one harder than before. The puck ricocheted off the post and skidded across the ice. My frustration grew with each failed attempt to clear her from my mind.

This rink was supposed to be where I found clarity, where everything else fell away and only the game mattered. But tonight, it felt like even this sanctuary couldn’t shield me from the turmoil Paige had stirred up.

I circled back for another puck, determined to keep going until exhaustion took over. Maybe then, I’d find some peace from the thoughts that wouldn’t leave me alone.

Maybe then, I’d remember why I fought so hard to keep everyone at arm’s length.

I lined up another shot and let it fly with all the force I could muster.

Last season had been the worst. The kind of year that eats at you, gnaws at your insides like a disease. Scandals piled up, one after another, until we were a joke in the league. The media had a field day, of course. Every game, every practice, there they were,shoving mics in my face, hurling questions about everything except the game.

“Kane, how do you feel about the latest allegations?”

“Can you comment on the team’s response to the Mathers scandal?”

“What do you think about the coach’s involvement?”

It never ended. And it took away from what mattered—winning. I’d worked my ass off to keep my focus on the ice, to push the team harder, but those questions followed me everywhere. They chipped away at our morale, our unity. Each time I faced those cameras, I felt like I was standing on thin ice.

And now, we had Paige. A young girl who probably never played hockey in her life was supposed to fix everything? She couldn't even fix her relationship with Brendan. And when Brendan needed her, she left. It felt like some sick joke. Three other people had tried before her in the last year, and nothing had changed. Each one came in with promises and plans but left without making a dent in our problems.

I doubted she’d be any different.

I pushed harder against the ice, muscles screaming in protest. Paige might’ve had that calm exterior during our meeting, but it wouldn’t last. This world chewed people up and spit them out if they didn’t know how to handle it.

A slapshot echoed through the rink as I sent another puck flying into the net. The sound was a hollow comfort against the weight pressing on my chest.

What did she know about our struggles? About what it meant to carry this team through hell and back? It wasn’t just about tactics or strategy; it was about heart and grit. Something you couldn’t learn from books or degrees. It was sticking it out when things got hard.

I skated faster, trying to outrun my thoughts.

Paige might think she could waltz in here and change things overnight, but reality would hit her soon enough. This wasn’t some corporate boardroom where you could throw money at problems until they disappeared.

I grabbed another puck and lined up my shot.

If she thought she could make a difference, she was in for a rude awakening.

I finished another hard lap around the rink, my breath coming in short, controlled bursts. The cold air stung my lungs, but I welcomed the pain. It was a reminder that I was alive, that I was still in control. But Paige’s face kept flashing in my mind, her calm, unflinching gaze unsettling me in ways I didn’t want to admit.

I had to focus. Winning was all that mattered. Paige was just another distraction, one I needed to shove aside. She was already complicating things, and Ryker Kane didn’t do complicated.

I skated to the bench and took a swig of water, trying to clear my head. Her words from the meeting echoed in my mind.

“Get a grip,” I muttered to myself, wiping sweat from my brow. “She’s just another suit.”

But deep down, I knew it wasn’t that simple. There was something about her that unsettled me, something I couldn’t shake. The way she carried herself, the determination in her eyes—it reminded me of that night, of how she told me that vulnerability wasn’t a weakness.

I shook my head and laced up my skates tighter. No time for distractions.

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