Page 65 of Shot Through the Heart

“Mom lied and hid my child from me. She made me miss four and a half years of my daughter’s life by telling Stella that I didn’t want her or my baby.” He turns his glare back on his mom. “I told you to give me space. Showing up here and thinking this would go any other way is delusional.”

Kelly narrows her gaze at Grey. “You aren’t even supposed to be up here. Don’t warm-ups start soon?”

Greyson steps closer, Dom hot on his heels. Whether that’s to back him up or restrain him, I don’t know.

“So you planned on ambushing Stella then?” Greyson shakes his head in disgust. “Dad, get Mom out of here.”

“I’m not leaving. We came all this way. You don’t get to?—”

“Enough,” Eric interrupts. The shock on Kelly’s face shows she’s not used to him raising his voice. His dad looks at Greyson.

“Can you call me tomorrow?”

Grey’s shoulders relax slightly, so I reach out to take his hand in mine. I don’t miss the scowl on Kelly’s face as she tracks the movement.

“As long as Mom’s not around, then yes. I’ll tell you what really happened, since I doubt she will.” Grey nods in Kelly’s direction.

Eric nods before ushering Mrs. Moreno out. She puts up a fuss the whole time, yelling about how no one has the right to kick her out and everyone’s being too sensitive.

“Dude,” Dominik says once her voice disappears. “Your mom’s kinda…”

“Insane?” Greyson finishes for him. “Yeah.”

He scrubs a free hand over his face before turning to me. “Are you okay?”

I nod, reaching up to cup his cheek. “Are you?”

“No clue.” Grey huffs out a sarcastic laugh. “I just assumed my dad was in on her lies. But the fact that he was in the dark too?”

I wrap my arms around his waist. “You okay to play?”

He hugs me back before kissing my forehead.

“I’m good. Gotta give Harper a good game.” He tries to smile, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “You gonna be okay up here?”

I smile, hoping to ease his worry just a bit.

“I’ll be good. I got the girls.”

Lilly steps up beside me, looping her arm through mine. “We have wine and cheesesteaks on the way up. We’ll be fine. You guys go beat the Nighthawks.”

Greyson nods and I slip out of Lilly’s hold to press a kiss to his lips.

“Don’t fall down,” I whisper and this time, I don’t scurry away.

I let his shocked eyes search mine, hoping he sees the sincerity behind those words.

ChapterTwenty-Three

GREYSON

“You good?”Dominik bumps my shoulder after sitting on the bench beside me.

“Yeah,” I grunt and grab my water bottle.

“I call bullshit,” he mumbles back before shouting out a response to the call that’s made on the ice. We’re halfway through the second period, the game tied with two points each that I’ve done very little to contribute to.

I glance around, taking in my teammates all waiting for their next shift on the ice or talking with the training coach. Fans beat on the glass behind me, begging for just a second of attention from any of us, but we’re all focused on the game.

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