Page 94 of ICED
“Clear.”
“And Jackson?”
I stop with my hand on the door.
“If this thing turns real,” he says quietly, “don’t be proud. Come to me. I’ve seen what this league does to players who try to carry everything on their own.”
I nod once and leave before he can say anything else. Because I know myself.
And I know if somethingiscoming, if this wasn’t just a glitch or a windblown branch or a fucking cat, then I won’t just carry it. I’ll burn it down before I let it touch them. They’re mine now.
And I’m not letting anyone take them back.
The locker room’s gone still. Skates off. Jerseys hung. Voices faded.
I sit on the bench in my base layer, elbows on knees, staring at the scuffed floor between my feet. My body’s cooled but my blood’s still running hot.
Behind me, a locker door slams. I glance up to find Ollie lingering by his stall, hair wet, shirt half on, that classic shit-eating grin dialled down to something gentler. He tilts his head. “You alright, mate?”
“Fine,” I say. Too fast. Too flat.
Ollie snorts. “Yeah, that’s convincing.”
I drag a hand over my face. “Just tired.”
He doesn’t buy it. Of course he doesn’t. Ollie sees more than people give him credit for. He might be younger than me but he’s a good mate.
He takes a seat across from me, arms resting on his thighs. “You know I’ve got cousins, right? One of ’em’s in security. Runs a legit business. Alarm systems, CCTVs, panic buttons. That sort of thing.”
That makes me sit up straighter. “You serious?”
“Deadly.” He eyes me. “You want me to give him a ring? He owes me a favour.”
I nod before he’s even finished speaking. “Yeah. I want him to look at Maya’s system. Today, if he can.”
“Thought you might say that.”
He grabs his phone from his bag and scrolls, muttering under his breath as he dials. While it rings, he says to me, “He’s fast. Works quiet. Doesn’t ask questions he doesn’t need answered.”
The call connects. “Hey, Daz. Need a rush job for a mate. Residential alarm check. Possible tamper. Can you do today?” A pause. “Yeah. I’ll text you the address. You’re a legend.”
He hangs up and looks at me. “He’ll be there by four.”
I exhale, relief hitting me like a wave. “Thanks, mate.”
Ollie shrugs like it’s no big deal, but he gives me a look. One of those rare, serious ones. “Just keep your head. You go off the rails, you’re no good to her or the kid.”
“I know.” And I do. Doesn’t mean I’m not close.
I grab my phone and step into the hallway outside the room, pressing Maya’s name. She answers on the third ring, her voice soft.
“Hey, you okay?”
“Yeah,” I say. “You at the bakery?”
“Just finishing up.”
“Good. I’ve got someone coming by the flat. Security guy. Trusted. He’s going to check the alarm system, maybe upgrade it.”
