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"No," she states flatly. "We don't know where he is, but we're hoping we can get some information off the video that your guy may have missed. He's somewhere in the city, and if I had to guess, he's somewhere close."
Randy Johnson is somewhere in the city plotting his next move. Colton said desperate people make mistakes, but desperate people also take desperate measures to get what they want.
And, I honestly don't know what Randy wants. What's his endgame? Does he just want money? I can't imagine any possible way this ends well for him, and that thought terrifies me. If Randy has nothing to lose, what's stopping him from escalating his crazy to a new, dangerous level?
??????
Ryan
The first games of a series are always a dance of two teams feeling each other out. Columbus is riding high after beating Tampa in four straight, and we are still running on the adrenaline from winning game seven against Boston.
We're zoned in, but so are the Comets. We both want to draw first blood. Columbus has a Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender who can play lights-out hockey. LaRoux is a great goalie, but Bobbington is an acrobat for Columbus. When a goalie is on his game, he can mess with your head.
And my head is already a little messed up.
The whole fiasco with the dashcam is terrible timing. The last thing the team needs is drama, and the last thing Em needs is more stress. She's already dealing with this Randy bullshit. The video is just the icing on the cake. Although, as far as sex tapes go, this one is pretty mild. It's not even HBO-level scandalous. There's no nudity, but there is no mistaking what we're doing.
Em seems resigned to the fact a piece of our sex life has been revealed to the public, but she's definitely not devastated. She's taking it like a champ, like she always does. I just wish she'd realize she can share the good, the bad and the ugly with me. I won't break down and go AWOL just because it's playoffs. It's thenottelling me stuff that’s bothering me.
Randy's weird stalking is freaking her out, but she won't talk about it. I'm hoping he's just going to disappear and fuck off. I'm glad Tyra hired the Ginger Giant to watch out for Em. It puts my mind at ease to know someone is there if that fucker tries anything sneaky.
As the first period ends, we are still tied nothing-nothing. I send a glance up to the WAG box where Em usually sits. I know it's stupid, and there is no way I can see that far, but I feel better knowing she's up there watching me. When my eyes lock on the box, I don't know how or why, but my gut tells me she's not in it.
I scrunch my brows together, shaking off the irrational feeling.
I walk down the hallway towards the locker room in my skates and see Holly round the corner with Em. Colton follows closely behind them, and when my eyes catch sight of Payton, I snap to action.
"Hey," I shout, trying to catch their attention. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," Em fakes a smile, and I know she's lying. Her smile to too big, too strained and unnatural. "Everything is fine. We can talk about it after the game."
"It's not fine. Just tell me." God, I hate when women say they'refineand mean the opposite.
"Ryan, we have everything under control," Holly says calmly, placing her hand on my glove. "I promise we will explain everything after the game. Right now, Em is fine. We're all fine and headed back up to the box."
"Fine," I growl mockingly, using the word that these women seem to love so much. "But I want answers." I turn abruptly and walk further down the tunnel to Em, not caring that I probably stink of hockey equipment and am covered in sweat. I tilt her chin up to look into her eyes.
She's been crying. Rage fills me. I want to break something but hold it together for her sake. I can be patient for a couple hours if it makes whatever's going on easier for her. I can be strong for us both. I lean down and kiss her lips lightly.
"I love you," I whisper for her only. "Whatever it is, I'll make it right."
"Gunner!" Coach McCall barks down the hall from the locker room. "What the fuck are you doing down there? We have a game to win! Get your ass in here."
Em shoos me away, pasting on a watery smile.
I walk into the dressing room and go directly to my stall. I grab a blue Gatorade and start hydrating. Wilder is in the corner getting taped up by the trainer. A Comet defenseman hit him hard in the first, and he went awkwardly into the boards. Pebbles and Bam-Bam are laughing in the corner about causing a ruckus in front of the Columbus net and trash-talking a few players. Those two love getting under the opponent's skin by any means necessary. Apparently, Pebbles revels in the use of a good "your mom" joke.
I try to focus on hockey, but I just can't. Coach is talking and drawing plays on his whiteboard, but my mind is elsewhere. Luke nudges me and leans in.
"What's up, dude?"
"Something's wrong with Em. She was crying in the hall with Holly. Payton's here too."
Luke's brows raise. He's thinking the same thing I am. Randy Johnson has struck again. If I ever find that piece of shit, I will end him. He should have fucked off after Tyra fired him. He's only making things worse for himself.
The second period starts and finishes much the same as the first. Finally, early in the third, Columbus takes a retaliatory penalty and we go on the power-play. I skate onto the ice with Luke and Ziggy manning the point, and Wilder and Stryker on the wings. Coach sent out four forwards and one D-man to try and stir up some offence. We set up and cycle the puck around the net. The Comets are playing aggressively on the kill, trying to dump the puck out of their zone, but Luke stops it at the blue line.
He passes the puck down to me, and I circle the net looking for the open man and a perfect pass. Wilder moves to the front of the net, planting himself in front of Bobbington, screening everything in front. I saucer a pass pack to Luke, who one-times it. The crowd erupts when the puck blows past the goalie and the red-light flashes.
