Page 9 of Hat Trick

Maverick is standing in a corner with his head in his hands while Hudson whispers to him. Grant stares at the wall, a glazed-over look on his face. Ethan is walking in circles, his hands in fists at his side and his cheeks stained with tears. Liam and Coach are crowding the check-in desk, and I make my way over to Emmy and Piper.

“Hi,” I say.

“You’re here.” Piper wraps me in a hug. “I’m so glad to see you.”

“What—” I swallow. I’m not sure I want to ask this question, but I need to know. “What happened?”

“He was in an Uber and their car was T-boned by someone running a red light. The police estimate the driver was going at least seventy miles an hour based on the impact.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I seethe.

“The police also said the driver was impaired and hit the back of the car where Riley was sitting head-on then kept on driving. His Uber driver miraculously walked away unharmed.” Emmy points to a man pacing around the lobby looking dazed. He glances up every few seconds to check the doors that lead to the ER hallway, then puts his head in his hands. “He called 911, found Riley’s phone, then got a hold of Maverick because he was at the top of Riley’s call log. By the time we got here, Riley was already with surgeons. None of us had a chance to see him.”

“Thank you for bringing me up to speed. Has anyone checked on his driver?” I ask.

“No. I think he’s in a state of shock,” Emmy says. “I tried to go up to him, but he ignored me.”

“Okay. I’ll give it a try. I’m a new face.” I squeeze Piper’s hand and kiss the top of Emmy’s head, making my way over to the man. “Hi,” I start. It’s the only word that seems easy to find right now. “Were you?—”

His chin jerks up. He doesn’t look much older than some of the guys, and that makes me even sadder. “I didn’t mean to do it. It happened so fast. My light was green and I?—”

“Hey.” I wipe away my tears. “Of course you didn’t. It’s not your fault.”

“He was a nice guy. He gave me a wad of cash and—” He shakes his head. There’s dried blood on his hands. A dark red stain on his shirt. “I should’ve checked both ways. Ialwayscheck both ways.”

“He’s a nice guy, isn’t he? His name is Riley. Riley Mitchell.”

“Mitchell. Why does that—” He frowns and looks around the room. Understanding dawns when he spots Maverick, one of the most recognizable guys in the city, then the Stanley Cup sitting on the ground next to an artificial plant. “No. No. No. No.No.He didn’t mention he was?—”

“I’m not surprised. Riley is humble. He doesn’t like attention. Sometimes when I hang out with him, I forget he’s a hockey player.” I laugh like saying these things is going to make everything right in the world. “What’s your name?”

“Lamar. I watched the game before I started driving tonight. Saw the game-winning goal and everything.”

“You don’t have to stay,” I say gently.

“I don’t want to leave. Not until I know…” Lamar trails off. He pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs. “I’m so sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” I give his shoulder a gentle pat. “You’re not responsible for anything, and Riley would tell you the same thing.”

I’ve seen hundreds of injuries over the course of my career, everything from gashes to the head and dislocated shoulders to missing teeth that required emergency dental work.

None of them were ever this severe.

None of them ended with?—

I refuse to finish that thought.

The shock of what’s happened is catching up to me. The rush of adrenaline that helped me sprint my way here is starting to fade, and I’m suddenly left feeling so fucking exhausted. So scared, and the tears start to fall again before I have a chance to stop them.

“Hey.” I’m not surprised Hudson is the one who stands by my side and hands over a hoodie. He has the softest soul of anyone on the team. Kindhearted and always looking out for other people, he’s a natural helper. Someone who soothes and protects, and that’s what we all need right now. “Are you all right?”

“You know the answer to that.” I sniff. “It’sRiley.”

“I know.” He tips his head back and glares at the ceiling. “I should’ve forced him to come back to my place. I shouldn’t have let him leave. Fuck. I should’ve gone with him.”

“If you hadn’t let him leave, maybe this would’ve happened to both of you. You have Lucy and Madeline, Huddy. Can you imagine what that would’ve done to them if something happened to you? You’re their safe space now.”

“It’s not fair.”

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