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He nods at me, then holds his fist out for me to bump. I hit it then turn around again and head to my net.

No distractions now. Head in the game. It’s the Blizzards against the world. We are going to make the Mules pay. I don’t care that my brother is on that team right now. I don’t care that his boyfriend is either. I don’t care that as far as I can tell, the Mules are a bunch of really nice guys, or that their coach is the same man who is responsible for the Olympic gold medal I earned that’s hanging on my wall.

I definitely don’t care that Nikolai Ivanov is staring me down from his net like he doesn’t have a care in the world. Like my team doesn’t have Connor fucking Kennedy on its first line, and Alexander Tavish on its second. They have Danton Foley as their leader. We have Gavin fuck you Marshall as ours.

Nikolai has no idea what’s coming for him down there. He has no idea the fire that has been lit under us. We are not losing this game.

Nikolai

It’s cute they think they can still win this.

Ander

I watch as the ref holds the puck, waiting for the perfect moment to drop it to start this period. Connor is poised and ready with his stick. Ryan is staring right at him. I know that Ryan is one of the best faceoff men in the league, but Connor isn’t going to let us down. Not now. It’s not in his nature.

The puck drops and I let out a breath in relief when I see Connor win the faceoff, knocking it out of the circle and sending it right to Gavin on his wing.

Gavin doesn’t hold onto it for very long though. As soon as Connor has the space, he passes it directly to him then goes off to do what he does best, clearing a path for Connor to skate it across the blue line into the Mules zone. Finally. The puck didn’t spend nearly enough time in there during the last period. It’s nice to have the ice tilt slightly in our favor.

When Connor gets close to the net, he lines up his shot and flicks the puck with his stick, releasing it like it’s a whip, sending the puck right towards Ivanov at top speed.

Ivanov’s glove is quicker. He plucks the puck out of thin air, bringing a stoppage to play.

That’s alright. He’s still not out of the woods yet. The ref readies the next faceoff in the circle to the left of his net.

This time when the puck drops, we’re not as lucky. Ryan wins and sends the puck to Brandon.

Gavin is on him quick and sends him into next week with a massive shoulder check to his side. The crowd explodes, just like I think my brother might have.

He’s back on his feet, but he’s lost all his speed. His trip to the bench is arduous, leaving the Mules short-handed as they wait for him to get there so Roysy can climb over the boards to replace him.

Connor has the puck again, and this time he passes it to Tavish who is waiting in the right circle. When the puck hits his stick, Tavish takes his shot. And again, Ivanov is right there to deflect it. He sends it away from the net with the pad on his left leg. The rebound goes right to Roysy who skates the puck out of their zone and into neutral ice so the rest of the Mules can do a line change for some fresh legs.

Our team does the same with the exception of Gavin who chases Roysy and the puck down the ice. Before he can reach him, Roysy sends the puck back into their zone, then chases after it again, attempting to beat Gavin to the puck.

Ivanov comes out of his net and beats them both to it, then passes it to Roysy who then skates it to hold behind his net while he waits for everyone to finish their line change.

Gavin is waiting on the other side of the net, facing both Ivanov and Roysy. I can’t hear him from here, but I know he’s taunting them as he waits for Roysy to make his move. As soon as he tries to move that puck, either himself or one of his teammates is going to be in a world of hurt.

Nikolai

“Come on, asshole,” Gavin says to Roysy. “Let’s see how far you can get that puck.”

“If you want a break in the penalty box so bad, Marshal,” Roysy says, “let me know now and we can drop the gloves right here. Right now.”

I hope Gavin doesn’t take Roysy up on that offer. Roysy is tough and all, but Gavin is a lot tougher. Bigger. Meaner. I don’t want to see Roysy carried off down the tunnel. Plus, we’re comfortably in the lead. There’s no need for him to fight.

Gavin’s lips curl up into a maniacal grin, baring all his teeth. I get it. I now know why he’s sometimes compared to a captive angry bear on the ice. He’s huge. Menacing. Imposing. My heart beats a little faster underneath my jersey and chest protector.

“You’re not worth it,” Gavin says. “But you will be seeing me.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Roysy says.

Behind Gavin I can see Gauthier and Reinhold charging towards us. I know Roysy can see them too. This quick little pause in play is over, and Roysy is going to need to decide who to send that puck to. Who is it that he is going to doom? Which of my teammates is about to get laid out by Gavin as soon as that puck hits their stick?

Reinhold. That was the answer. He hits the ice like a felled tree. But Gauthier recovers the puck and starts to skate it down the ice with Gavin hot on his heels as he heads past the Blizzards bench.

Gavin isn’t Gauthier’s only problem. He has the Blizzards’ third line to contend with, now that Gavin is making his way off the ice for a change out, and their two best defensemen. They’re squaring up, ready to block his path.