Page 90 of Hunter
Even the tourney game when we faced my sister’s rapists felt different than tonight. I don’t know how else to describe it; it’s like it's coming from a different part of my heart or some shit.
I think that’s why Jake’s words are still echoing in my head.I am doing fucking better. I am fucking trying.
My brother knows that something’s up, and he’s drilling holes in the back of my head like he’s digging for clues. I can’tdeal with him right now, though. It’s time to take the ice, and I step out on the sheet of glass and skate off toward Ed.
Max and him skate up and stand beside me. It's the first time that all three of us are on the ice playing for more than just each other. It’s really fucking wild to think we’re the same assholes we once were.
“I promised your sister two goals tonight,” Max says while waving at Evie with a stupid grin on his face. They’ve been acting even more sappy than they usually do, ever since they came back from their weekend away in the mountains.
“I got one for Sloane, already,” my brother brags.
“Well, I don’t plan on letting her down, so let’s make it happen,” Maxy boy demands as the clock runs down on warmups. “Plus, I’m already thinking about all the ways she and I are gonna be celebrating later.”
Chase taps his nuts with the end of his stick, and I shake my head while skating back toward the bench.
“You ready, man?” Monroe asks. Yeah, I’m ready to lose this fucking game so that my girl can win her life back.
Out on the ice, Coventry puts up a fucking nasty fight. At one point, I had to fucking remind myself to keep it together. I nearly lost my shit and wanted to keep burying these fuckers. I dumped two in the net for my boys after feeling like I had to give them something.
Plus, I wanted to see my girl jump up and down for me. She looked hot as fuck doing it. I liked seeing my chain bounce while she had my gold three in her mouth. It woke my cock up, and Ihad to restrain myself from scoring one more time just to see her do that shit again.
There are ten seconds left, and we’re down by one. I set up for the face-off and quickly eye Ed. She looks shook, like she’s fucking terrified.
I battle for the puck just as Coventry pulls their goalie. I know that I could tie up this game, but that’s not the plan. I shoot, and the swoosh of the black rubber disk gliding across the sheet of ice quiets the arena. Every single person in the building is watching that puck, while I stare at her.
I thought I’d done it. I was fucking certain that I’d missed the shot and tanked the game. I expected to hear the echo of disappointment through the arena; instead, the building erupted in celebration. I snapped my head to the net and couldn’t fucking believe it… in the middle of a fucking team pile up, was my brother.
He tied the score, and I didn’t play for another second. Coach sent my ass to warm the bench, and there wasn’t a fucking thing that I could do, except smash my helmet-covered head into the board that I was leaning up against when Max made the game-winning goal in overtime.
They won.Instead of jumping up and down, I’m trying to melt into the seat. As soon as Evie’s man hit the puck thing into the goal-net, Payton looked at me like she wanted to fucking kill me. All I could think about was her pointing herpistolain my man’s face and threatening to do just that twenty-four hours ago.
It was so fucking loud in there. Everyone was standing and screaming around me, and I was trying to slink down as lowas I could go in my chair. It didn’t matter, though; Payton still managed to find me through the fucking crowd. I felt the hate in her eyes, but energy directed from somewhere else caused a chill to race down my spine. Someone else was staring at me, other than her. Hers were fucking angry; these felt creepy.
“We should go,” tattoo guy says with this strain in his voice as he looks around at the fucking chaos. I lift my chin in agreement. I don’t want to be here anymore; my patience is nonexistent at this point, and all I want to do is try to get to Hunter before my fucking cousin does. I pat my chest, making sure that his chain is safe and secure between the layers of cotton, pull down my beanie, and flip up my hoodie.
When I turn around, the rest of them look like they're ready to go. I catch Drew giving a head nod to Avi, who leads us out of the row and into one of my worst nightmares. If something were to pop off in here, I’d be dead. Trampled. Too many fucking people, not enough exits, so many lines.
I’m flushed and my stomach feels like it’s plummeting to the bottom of the ocean as I try to weave through the sea of people on the stairs. I’m trying to stay with the group, but I lose sight of them. All these motherfuckers look the same from behind. Except for that blonde ponytail, I’d recognize Payton anywhere.
I freeze and amliteralmenteswallowed up by the crowd. Everyone walks around me, and I watch the back of her head start to move away before turning to try to swim upstream. That’s how I feel and fight to put as much distance between us as possible.
I look around to see if I spot Alvi or Drew, since they’re the biggest, but I can’t spot them. I look for Sloane and her brother with their red hair, but I have zero fucking luck.¿Dónde están los pelirrojos? Where are those redheads?
No one’s moving, and I feel fucking landlocked. I instinctively stuff my hand in my pocket and reach for thehandle of my girl, but she’s not there. I had to leave her back in Hunter’s room to get through the ticket entrance. I don’t dare take out my phone; if I drop that shit, I’ll never get it back.
I need to get to him, but I know that’s not a fucking option right now. We need to figure out what to do next, but I think I need to handle something first.
I take a deep breath; I’m not going down without a fight. I’m a badass bitch from the fucking Bronx. I’m a fuckingbrujita. You want to fuck with me? Then your ass is gonna find out.
Payton’s not the only bitch on the block with a piece. That’s the one other thing that I stole from the X and brought all the way down from New York. I figured if shit got bad and the bag of percs didn’t work, I could always just shoot myself. No lie.
At one point during my freshman year, I was too tempted to go through with it. I knew that I had to do something to protect myself from my own worst thoughts. I lifted a lock box from the hardware store and the basement keys from Amy’s desk, then buried that shit underneath the shelter.
If I ever had to run or get revenge, it would be there for me to grab, and it’s a good fucking thing too, because right now I need it.¡Ay, mis diosas! Please let it still be there,I think to myself, and lean against a door with an Emergency Exit sign.
As far as I’m concerned, wanting to locate a gun to protect yourself and your man against a fucking psycho counts as an emergency, and I ask HecateyLilith to help me get out unscathed. When I press my weight up against the bar and feel it give, I whisper, “gracias” to the big, bright full moon, and walk away as the alarm starts to blare.
FIFTY-SEVEN
