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Colton's also a Northmen fan, so this job is somewhat of a thrill for him. Travelling with the team to Boston and scoring an all-access ticket to games certainly isn't a hardship for him. He was a little star-struck meeting all the guys when we got on the charter this morning.
We're in the visitor's box again at the Boston Garden. The WAGs are already a little in love with Colton. No one knows about the Randy situation and that Colton is a bodyguard. So, we're saying he's a new hire at SASS as our cover story. The only people who know what's really going on are Holly, Luke, Ryan, Coach McCall, and the Starlings.
"So, Colton," April Owens preens, giving his bicep a light squeeze. "Are you single?"
"April, does your husband know you're a flagrant flirt?" I laugh. April is acting awfully spunky for a woman who gave birth less than a week ago, now has two kids under three, and is probably still wearing postpartum diapers and leaking breast milk.
"Of course, he does! I flirt with him all day long. It's part of our pre-game mating ritual. And I'm not asking for me. I'm more than satisfied with Jake. You don't pop out two kids without enjoying the process of making them."
Colton blushes, causing the women to laugh even more.
"So, are you single?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Don't ma'am me! But you do have charming manners! Sunny Sunshine, come meet your future husband and let me play matchmaker."
Everyone in the box laughs as both Sunny and Colton go beet red. Poor girl.
Colton blends in with the group, chatting and joking with everyone. He weaves seamlessly with the team's merry band of sarcastic siblings and spouses.
The teams skate out onto the ice before puck drop. Toronto looks loose and smooth, but hungry. They want this badly. After last year's upset, this is the perfect storyline for revenge, vindication, and the chance to move on to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in over fifteen years. The chance to upset Boston in the first round, in their own building, in front of all their fans is almost too perfect.
The first period goes by in a flash. Toronto is running hot, taking shot after shot, but the Boston goalie shuts the door. LaRoux is equal to the task, too, stopping every puck that comes his way. He's in his zone and dialled in, looking as if nothing will get by him tonight.
The icebreaker goal comes in the second. After a lights-out save by LaRoux, Zingle scoops up the puck and delivers a tape-to-tape pass up the ice to Wilder. He skates into the Boston zone like a man possessed and pings one off the post. Luckily, Ryan is right there with him, crashing the net to clean up the garbage, putting Toronto up one-nothing.
The Toronto goal sucks the energy out of the home crowd, and we finish the period up by a goal.
The third starts fast and furious with Boston throwing everything they have at LaRoux, who continues to shut the door. Everyone in the box is wound-tight, on the edge of their seats, fingers and toes crossed, holding their breath with every shot taken at both ends of the ice.
The Boston goalie skates to the bench for the extra attacker when the clock ticks down to the last ninety seconds of the game. March hustles onto the ice, skating directly to the front of our net to create a screen. The Grizzlies have possession, passing the puck back and forth, looking for the perfect shot to tie the game.
Luke struggles to push March out of LaRoux's line of vision while Ryan, Wilder, and Stryker try to steal the puck and dump it out of the zone. With twelve seconds left, Wilder goes down to block not one, but two shots. Ryan scoops up the loose puck and lobs it up in the air and down the ice. The Boston players try to stop the puck, but it's too far ahead and slides into the empty net.
Our box goes ballistic as Toronto takes the game two-nothing and wins the series four games to three. The players flood onto the ice in celebration. Even Colton, who's supposed to remain impassive, is high-fiving everyone in the box.
After the teams line up for handshakes and disappear into their respective locker rooms, my phone buzzes. Thinking it's Ryan, I grab it, using my thumb to unlock it. Colton must see the blood drain from my face because he's beside me instantly, back to being the strong, emotionless bodyguard.
I feel sick as I hand my phone over to Colton.
He stares at a text from an unknown number—a number I know will be untraceable.
The text has no words. It's only one image.
My bedroom looks dark, except for the city lights glittering from the windows. Everything is just how I left it; bed made, pillows arranged the way I like them. The only thing out of place is the itemonthe bed.
A single black rose with a few of its petals pulled back. It's lying on the bed as if left by a lover, but the snapped stem, makes bile rise in my throat.
He was in my apartment.My bedroom.
The new locks and security cameras didn't keep Randy out. He's not going away, and I don't know what he wants from me. At this point, there is nothing I can give him that will save his career or reputation, which makes me sickeningly certain the only thing Randy could possibly want from me is some form of twisted revenge.
16?
Little Italy
Avery
