Page 82 of Hunter
“You,” she points her finger, as her eyes scan me over from head to fucking toe.
“Carajo,Payton, heliteralmentehas nothing to do with this. Your beef is with me, leave him out of this shit,” Ed says, her hands moving a mile a fucking minute as she speaks.
“On Saturday,” Payton continues, ignoring my girl, “when you play your next game, you’re gonna lose and eliminate your team from moving on,” she announces like she’s the fucking one in charge or some shit. “No one's gonna expect the top-seeded Devils to lose to a team that you’ve usually won against.”
“Except you,” Alv states the obvious, and it all makes sense. They want to bet on us losing and have me throw the game. A game that determines if we go on to the Frozen Four, and that a lot of our guys are banking on. Especially our senior guys who want a leg up for the June draft.Fuck, what the hell?!
“And to show that there’s no bad blood between us, especially because I meant it earlier when I said that we weren’t leaving, we’re gonna place all bets through you, Alvino,” the guy in the blue suit says from the corner.Why is he talking?“We see it as a win-win.”Bro, no one gives a fuck what you think.
“Don’t call me Alvino. The only two people who call me that are my Nonna and Tommy over here. You call me Mr. Rossi, until I tell you differently, and also, no deal.”
“We’re not making it with you, Alvino, but okay,” Payton sings-songs in a manic, mocking tone. It makes me literally cringe when I hear her call Alv by the name that he just told the blue suit guy not to call him. Ever feel fucking embarrassed for someone when you watch them make a fool out of themselves? Yeah, this is like that.
“Why the fuck would I do any of that shit?” And what the fuck does any of this have to do with Ed? What the fuck kinda drugs are these three on? Must be fucking good shit, because Payton looks like she’s flying fucking high.
”BECAUSE SHE FUCKING OWES US FOR WHAT SHE DID! SHE RUINED EVERYTHING!!” I step back and take Ed with me when she starts screaming her fucking head off. This girl is unraveling by the fucking second, and we’ve reached the point of no return when she starts jumping up and down, stomping her pink sneakered feet.
“SHE RIPPED APART MY LIFE AND I WAS LEFT ALL ALONE WHEN SHE SENT HIM TO PRISON!” Tears stream down her red-cheeked face, and she’s fucking hysterical to the point that she can’t get herself in control.
“YOU TOOK HIM FROM ME, VALENTINE!! WHY? FOR WHAT?” Gabe grabs Payton’s head and pushes her blonde hair away from her sad-looking face, before crushing her to his chest and holding her there.
“¡PORQUE TENÍA QUE SOBREVIVIR!BECAUSE I HAD TO SURVIVE! I DESERVED A FUCKING CHANCE TO LIVE! OTHERWISE, I WOULD’VE NEVER GOTTEN OUT OF NEW YORK ALIVE!¡NO ME QUEDÓ DE OTRA, WEY!!!I HAD NO FUCKING CHOICE!¡¡¡LO SABÍAS, COÑO!!!AND YOUFUCKING KNEW THAT, PAYTON!” Ed screams out, and it breaks my fucking heart hearing her defend herself like this.
“TOO BAD! I DON’T FUCKING CARE!! THIS IS THE PRICE YOU PAY AND YOU’RE GONNA FUCKING DOOOO ITTTTTT!!” She wails to the point that Tommy plugs his ears. This girl needs help; she’s gonna fucking hurt someone or herself. And by the way that her man’s trying to keep her in check, I can tell that he’s on high alert, too. My eyes dart to Alv, and he’s calm and cool as he watches Payton lose her shit.
Her screaming is not only loud but painful. It’s full of her own torment, and she’s fucking convinced that Ed’s to blame for all of it. My girl’s the villain in her story. And they made me the fall guy. I don’t give a fuck, I’ll agree to this shit if it means that Ed gets to walk away free and clear. Retribution comes in many forms, and if this is one of the ways I can make shit right for her, then I fucking will.
Payton’s fast as fuck when she jerks herself away from her man before she reaches inside her fucking pink purse, and pulls out a tiny silver gun. I’ve never been so fucking scared in my entire life as I am right now when she points that shit right at Ed and me at the same exact time that Alvi’s guys aim their weapons at her.WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS HAPPENING?!
“Put the gun down, Payton, I’m not going to ask you again,” Alvi warns, and I push Ed behind my back. Over my dead fucking body is she going to hurt her.
“Come on,mi amor, put it down,” Gabe pleads after catching Alvi’s tone. His guys will put her down if he gives the word, and he knows it.
'NO, I NEED IT!’ She wails, and the gun trembles with her shaky hands. “I NEED THEM TO KNOW THAT IF THEY DON’T DO THIS, IF THEY DON’T DO AS I FUCKING SAY, THEN THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES!”
“Cuidado, mi amor, (Careful, my love). Come on,”Gabe encourages with this gentle fucking tone that he must only use with her.
“I want you to put it down on the floor and kick it to me,” Alvi demands with a stern tone, but she’s not hearing fucking anyone except for herself. “Your grandmother wouldn’t want you to get hurt, Payton.”
“SHE DOESN’T CARE!” She turns the gun on Alvi. He takes a step toward her with his hands in his pockets like this is no big deal, meanwhile, I’m ready to piss myself.
“ALL SHE CARES ABOUT IS KEEPING ME IN HER FUCKING SHADOW AND MAKING ME PROVE THAT I’M WORTHY OF HER NAME!” She swerves the pistol back to me as she screams at the top of her lungs. “ON SATURDAY I WANT YOU TO LOSE YOUR STUPID DUMB GAME AND IF YOU DON'T, THEN I’LL FUCKING SHOOT HER!!!! DON’T TEST ME!!”
“Ed, stay behind me,” I calmly tell her and try to keep my shit in check. I feel her hand fist the back of my hoodie as she holds on. “It’s okay, baby, I’m gonna fix this. Don’t worry.”I’m not gonna let anything fucking happen to my girl.
“And if I do this shit, you’ll leave her alone?”
“¿Estás loco? Hunter, are you crazy?She wants you to lose your game on purpose. Don’t you dare fucking agree to that.”
“And whatever it is that you think she owes you goes away? You bet on me throwing the game and make your fucking cash and move the fuck on? This is a one and fucking done deal. I’m gonna want whatever fucking body-cam video that there is from the other night. Your guys said there was tape. I fucking want it. Every fucking copy. And then you leave her the fuck alone. This is fucking it. Deal?” I tell them and catch Alvie lifting his chin to let me know he’s got my back.
“Hunter, don’t,” Ed begs, but I don’t listen. Not with this. Not when she gets to walk away free. “You could lose everything that you’ve worked for with the hockey stuff.”Hockey stuff.I love that she doesn’t know jack shit about the sport and that she doesn’t give a shit how good I am at it. Even if this shit goes sideways and I never play again, at this level or the next, or even in a fucking beer league, it would’ve been worth it because she’ll be safe. With me. No matter what. Hockey or not. I’d still have my Ed.
“Deal.” Done.
FIFTY
“If you could go anywhere again,where would you go?” I ask Ed while gathering her wet hair at the base of her skull. I lift it off her back and watch the droplets of water disappear on the edge of the towel that she’s got wrapped around her body like a strapless dress.
