Page 47 of Cold Carnage

Barrett leaned back, crossing his arms. He was quiet for a moment, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he thought. "Crowder’s got some baggage, no doubt," he began, voice steady. "He’s had a few run-ins with coaches and teammates in the past. And yeah, the incident with Cole isn’t something we can just brush off."

I watched Barrett’s face closely, seeing the gears turning in his head as he weighed the pros and cons.

"But," Barrett continued, "he’s also one hell of a player. His faceoff percentage is one of the best in the league. He’s solid on the penalty kill and can hold his own in scrums despite his size."

Gideon nodded slowly, taking in Barrett's assessment.

"Do you think he'd fit?" Gideon asked, his eyes sharp.

Barrett sighed, running a hand through his graying hair. "If he can keep that damned silver tongue in check in the locker room, yeah," he said finally. "We need someone with his skill set. It could work, but it's a risk."

I felt a flicker of hope at Barrett's words. Maybe this was our chance to turn things around, to prove that we could rise above the chaos that had plagued us.

Gideon remained thoughtful, tapping his pen against the table as he mulled over Barrett's input. The room fell silent once more, each of us waiting for Gideon's final decision.

Ryker shifted, his frustration still palpable, but I refused to look at him. Instead, I focused on Gideon, hoping that my suggestion had planted a seed of possibility in his mind.

Gideon’s eyes finally met mine again. There was a spark of consideration there that hadn’t been before. He leaned back in his chair and exhaled slowly.

"All right," he said at last. "We’ll look into it further. But if we bring Crowder on board, I expect everyone—" His gaze flicked to Ryker for emphasis—"to make sure this team stays united."

Ryker’s jaw tightened, but he gave a short nod. The tension still hung between us like an unspoken challenge.

Gideon stood, smoothing out his suit jacket. His eyes locked onto me, and I felt the weight of his expectations.

"Paige," he began, his voice firm, "I want you to secure the charity event at the Moonshade Astoria. They’ve got the facilities we need, and it's a good central location."

I nodded, already making mental notes. "Understood."

"And for catering," he continued, "reach out to Leona’s Bistro. They’ve handled large events for us before, and their menu has always been a hit."

"Got it," I replied, jotting down the details.

Gideon's gaze shifted to Ryker. "You and Paige will meet in her office to finalize the back-to-school event. We need that on the books by tomorrow so we have something concrete for the press. This has to shift attention away from the incident. We cannot afford any more negative coverage. Am I clear?"

Ryker’s jaw tightened, but he nodded. "Crystal."

Gideon turned to Barrett next. "Make sure you relay this message to the team. We have a lot of rookies trying out, and we need to set the tone early. We will not tolerate any more clowns or distractions."

Barrett nodded, his expression serious. "Understood."

“We have our plan,” he said, standing up. “Let’s make it happen. Paige, Ryker—coordinate immediately. Barrett, get the team in line. Lena, start drafting the social media strategy.”

Everyone nodded, the gravity of his words sinking in. We couldn’t afford any more missteps.

“Meeting adjourned,” Gideon said, gathering his papers and heading out of the room.

I stood up, feeling the weight of my responsibilities settle on my shoulders like a heavy cloak. I grabbed my notebook andpen, shoving them into my bag. The last thing I wanted was to be around Ryker, but I had no choice.

As I moved to leave the conference room, Ryker was already standing by the door, his posture tense. He didn’t look at me as we exited into the hallway together.

“We need to get this done,” I said, breaking the uncomfortable silence that stretched between us.

“Yeah,” he replied tersely.

I walked quickly to my office, my heels clicking against the polished floor. Ryker’s presence beside me felt like a storm cloud ready to burst.

Inside my office, I dropped my bag onto the desk. Ryker moved inside, his eyes scanning the room but avoiding mine.

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