Page 154 of The Forever Play

“Uh… nope.” He raises his hands as two white flags while the guy beside him starts snickering.

“Ash-Man’s scared of the little blondie.”

“She’s yelling in my face, dude. What the fuck is going on!”

“Hey, don’t yell at her!” Zander thunders at him. “And don’t you fucking touch her.”

“I’m not touching her! She’s touching me!” Ash-man yells back. “Everybody just needs to calm the fuck down and tell me what’s going on!”

“Okay!” The guy who let me into Athletes Hall earlier today steps between me and his teammate, lightly nudging me back. His voice is calm and easy as he looks around us. “We’re not accomplishing anything right now.” Looking at me with his kind brown eyes, he softly asks, “Is your daughter missing? How can we help?”

Covering my mouth, I nod and fight an onslaught oftears while Zander steps up and wraps his arm around my shoulders. “Your assistant coach.”

“Oh, you mean Fish Sticks?” Mr. Tats crosses his arm and snorts. “That twat didn’t even show up to practice today.”

“That’s because he was busy taking my daughter!” I scream. “He picked her up from the babysitter when I was with Zander, and now he’s threatening to disappear with her unless I meet his ridiculous demands!”

Four shocked gazes stare back at me, one of the guys mumbling, “What the actual shit?”

“I know!” My voice cracks before I manage to bring it down an octave and ask, “Do you know where he might be?”

“Uh, no… but”—Ethan points back to the arena—“I’m gonna check in with the coaching staff.” He runs toward the glass doors, and I hold my breath while he swipes his card. I then just have to stand there for what feels like an eternity, avoiding gazes from the hockey guys and irate pacing from Wily while he checks with the other coaches.

When the arena doors pop back open and I see two worried staff members running out of there, I let out a shuddering breath.

One of them walks straight toward me, pulling out his phone as he talks. “I’m Coach Bergeron. Ethan’s told me the problem. Are you Zoey’s mother?”

“Yes.” I take his hand and give it a weak shake.

“Russell won’t shut up about you guys. I was looking forward to meeting you, but not under these circumstances.” He frowns down at his phone. “He came back from lunch and was really off. I mean, he’s been off for afew weeks now, but today was next-level. He asked to borrow my truck. He said it was for a personal appointment. He seemed kind of hedgy and anxious, so I passed on my keys without thinking, assuming he was going to see a doctor or specialist. I was waiting for him to come back with news that he had cancer or something. That would explain his slightly erratic behavior, but…” The man shakes his head, muttering a string of curse words under his breath. “He’s not answering.”

“How are we going to find him?” I look at Zander.

“Does your truck have any kind of tracking device?” Grady steps forward.

The coach shrugs. “I don’t know. I’m not a tech guy.”

Grady quickly asks for the specs, and Coach Bergeron does at least remember the make and model.

“Those trucks will definitely have something. Is there an app on your phone?”

“Uh… yeah, I think so, but I never use it.” Coach Bergeron shrugs and hands his phone to Grady.

I step up beside him, watching his thumbs race across the screen as he quickly finds the app and gets to work hunting down the coach’s truck.

“There it is.” Tapping the screen, he shows Zander, who nods.

“I know where that is.”

Snatching my hand, he starts pulling me toward his car, and we run over together, ignoring the shouts behind us.

We have one focus right now, and it’s to get to our girl.

I just pray she’s okay.

What the hell has Russell done to her?

I try to remind myself how much he loves her andthat he wouldn’t hurt her, but my mind is in chaos, my body convulsing as I try to deal with my worst fear. The one thing I thought I’d never be able to handle as a parent is now happening to me.

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