Page 297 of Wrong Pucking Player

“Concussion?” Armani is fuming. “What did that bastard do to you?”

“Just fought me silly after I kicked his balls when he asked if we could get back together,” I answer without much thought, making me realize he did mention something about that.

Fernandez and his horny cock always want me when he sees me, but he never wants to stick to the ‘being a loyal boyfriend’ part of a typical relationship.

“That son of a bi—”

“Oscar. We’re going to need an ambulance for Katherine.” I change the subject from myself because I’m not important right now. “Frankie slit her wrists.”

“He did what?” I’m surprised to hear Leo in the background, which means he has to be with them. I’m hoping Wyatt is with them as well.

Fuck, my head hurts so bad.

“The moment you get into the house, head to the living room where the fireplace is. I left her there but bandaged her wrists. I’m going… um…” I lose my train of thought because I notice the monitor at the side of the bed is on and reflecting something odd. “What the…”

Walking over to it, I pick up the white monitor that reminds me of a typical baby monitor you’d use to watch an infant in their crib. It’s not an odd device to use for the elderly, especially those who wander at night, but it’s the image on the screen that’s leaving me utterly confused.

“Why is the frozen lake on the screen?” I mutter while pressing a few buttons to see how I can change the screen saver. No way could this be in real-time, but despite changing the settings, the LIVE view continues to show a vast display of the large lake that freezes over during the winter months.

Despite it being frozen over, it’s not solid enough to be safe to skate on, which is why none of us had taken advantage of the early season to go skate there.

“What’s happening, Xandra?” I hear Wyatt shout. It snaps me out of my detective moment.

“The monitor on the screen is showing the lake. You know the Strattonville Lake near 15th. It hasn’t frozen over fully yet, but why would it be…” The way I trail off is followed by my phone slipping out of my hand.

“Kenzie? Kenzie?”

“Xandra?”

“Hey, Mack? Are you okay? Talk to us!”

I’m hearing Oscar’s, Wyatt’s, and Leo’s panicked pleas, but my eyes are glued to the monitor that I grip with both hands.

“Shit. Shit. Shit,” I curse louder and louder before I toss the monitor. “CALL AN AMBULANCE AND THE POLICE TO THE LAKE!”

I leave my phone behind because there’s no fucking time.

Racing down the stairs, two at a time, I rush through the house, back out of the glass door I came from, only I leave it open, knowing that may be the only way for the guys to assist Katherine. I want to check on her, but if I don’t get to the lake on time, Katherine may face more than a potential negligence charge.

Negligence and the Death of an Elder on the Job.

“That was his ploy,” I hiss as I’m sprinting as fast as my legs will carry me. The forest around me is almost a blur as I run and fight for breath while I put the piece together of what Frankie’s intentions were for Katherine.

Slit her wrists to make it seem like she wanted to commit suicide.

The glass door was left open, probably an exit Grandma Harvey had gone out of in the past to wander outside.

Probably let her out before I got here so she could make it to the lake.

She’d go there for a reason. Why does he want her at the lake, aside from the obvious risk of drowning?

The moment I’m racing out of the forest and onto the rocky ground before the ice oasis, my eyes widen dramatically to take in the elderly woman who’s not only on the ice with bare feet but is spinning around as though she’s attempting to skate.

“GRANDMA HARVEY!” I scream as I use my momentum to help me skid onto the ice, my body sliding onto the slippery surface until I’m only a few short movements from Grandma Harvey.

Taking advantage of her stillness as she looks my way, I take the wobble glide forward with my running shoes until I’m before the woman.

She beams at my arrival as if she knows me.

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