Page 200 of Play Dirty

“That’s why he was off.”

Ares exhaled slowly. Sebastian twisted in his seat.

Grayson finally turned his attention my way. His eyes were sharp, but not accusatory. Almost like he was searching.

The others noticed, right away. They followed his gaze.

“You saw something,” Zack said.

My heartbeat picked up a little.

This was it. The moment I’d been holding off.

The one I knew was coming.

“I didn’t just see it,” I said quietly.

The room stilled. Even Zack.

“I put it together,” I went on. “The patterns. The games. The timing.”

I looked to Grayson. He didn’t interrupt.

“And then?” Ares asked.

I swallowed. Then told the truth.

“I sent it to him.”

Silence swept over the kitchen. Complete and total.

“You what?” Zack breathed.

“I sent him a compilation,” I said. “All of it. Every missed save that didn’t make sense. Every game where it didn’t add up.”

Sebastian blinked.

“Before the game?”

I nodded.

“That’s why,” I said. “That’s why he fell apart.”

No one spoke. No one even moved.

Then—

Ares let out a low whistle.

“Jesus, Maxwell…”

“That’s…” Sebastian started, then stopped. “That’s actually insane.”

Zack looked between all of us. “Wait— so you basically broke their goalie before puck drop?”

“I didn’t break him,” I said quietly. “He broke himself.”

Grayson was still looking at me, but now there was something else in his eyes. Not anger. Not even surprise.