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That makes him turn. He stalks toward me, eyes on fire. “Yes, actually, you are. Until we know you’re safe, we might as well be Siamese.”
I shake my head. “I’m not going to sit at all your practices and your meetings and your… everything. I have a life.”
“A life that got you kidnapped.” But even as he says it, his face flickers and I don’t know why. Maybe because he’s so worried about it happening again. I can’t ease his worry without telling him everything and I don’t want to do that. “I’m not leaving you here. Period.”
I scrunch up my nose in frustration, but I’ve heard that tone of voice before and I know there’s no budging him.
“Fine.” I’ll just have to figure out some other way to get around it. Until I do, I’ll let him order me around and watch me like I’m going to vanish if he breaks eye contact. Because as much as I protest, I like that he cares this much.
Lord knows no one else does.
7
BECK
Protect the puck. Protect what matters.Coach has been screaming it at the top of his lungs for the last hour while we go over power play strategy.
But I can’t protect what I can’t see.
And right now, I can’t see Sloan.
So in the middle of the drill, I abandon what I’m supposed to be doing and skate to the other side of the ice toward the section where she’s supposed to be sitting.
She comes down from the upper bowl tunnel right as I approach. “Where the hell were you?” I growl up at her. Behind me, I can hear the grunts and thuds of practice continuing without me.
“Pardon?” she says, blinking.
“You can’t keep getting up and walking out of the arena, Sloan. I need to know where you’re at.”
She plants her fists on her hips and glares down at me. “Well, pardon me, Flintstone. Do I need to send up a flare every time I have to pee?”
“Flintstone?”
“It’s what I call you behind your back when you’re acting like a caveman. Like Fred Flintstone.”
“I—”
“Daniels! Locker room! Now!”
I grimace, but some calls can’t be ignored. “Just don’t leave this goddamn arena. Don’t go out to the car. Don’t phone a taxi or send for an Uber. Wait for me. Do you understand?”
I don’t bother waiting for her to answer.
Flintstone.She might be onto something there, because I’m about ready to grab her by the ponytail and drag her into my cave for good.
But that’ll have to wait. With a sigh, I turn to glide toward Coach, who’s standing at the door off the ice with a murderous look in his eyes.
When I get close, he stomps off down the concrete tunnel. I follow along and step inside his office.
“Door. Shut it.”
I close the door and drop into the seat in front of his desk. “What’s all the fuss about?” I say, going for something light and airy in my voice.
“Cut the shit, Daniels. You know goddamn well what all the fuss is about. I’m just waiting for you to tell me.”
It takes all my willpower to keep my face neutral. “There’s no fuss, Coach. Boy Scout’s Honor.”
He shakes his head in disgust. “I don’t know what your problem is or what’s going on with you, but if you need to scratch a few games to get your head straight, then?—”
