16. Nikoli

I skatepast where my parents sit for the game. Mom gets up and roars with the rest of the crowd. My eyes search for Willow. Where is she? I turn around and head back that way. I still don"t see her. Mom frowns when she notices me looking around. She looks behind her, too. Her frown deepens. I didn"t tell my mom that my girlfriend would be here tonight, so she has no idea who I"m looking for. I"m worried. Dario skates up and nudges me. "I"m not the only one who gets distracted, huh?" he laughs, which is soon wiped off his face when he realizes something is wrong.

"Willow promised to be here. She"s not." I look up into the executive suite. My heart pounds as I see Marcus Carter staring out over the ice. No, that"s not right. He"s staring right at me. "Something"s going on," I say.

The warning for the players to get into position fills the arena. I curse. With a last look back, Mom holds my gaze for a moment. My heart isn"t in the game anymore. I so wanted Willow to be in the crowd. She could have chosen to stay back at Evergreen and watch the game with Gran.

My focus shifts back to the ice, where I feel Marcus Carter staring at me. The game is about to start, and I can"t shake the feeling that something is very wrong.

Rhodes comes into view and says in a hurry, "She"s looking into something with Dodge. He has her back."

I grab the back of his jersey as he moves away. "Where is she?"

He throws a wince over his shoulder. "On her way to Baton Rouge."

What the fuck!

Baton fucking Rouge!

Why the hell didn"t she tell me where she was going? She could have warned me instead of running off with another guy. I feel a surge of anger and betrayal. Rhodes looks back at me with a sympathetic expression before getting into position. My mind races with questions and doubts as I try to make sense of it all.

Then the game starts, and I race across the ice. The puck flies past me as I focus on channeling my emotions into the game, determined to prove that I can still perform at my best despite the distraction. My heart pounds in my chest as I skate faster, pushing myself to block out the thoughts of her and the other guy and focus solely on the game at hand. It turns out I"m not as focused as I should be when I miss a chance to put the puck in the net, costing my team a crucial goal. The disappointment is palpable as I realize the impact my distracted state has on the outcome of the game.

Rhodes gets in my face. "Fucking concentrate! Willow is fine. Dodge is just with her for security. Get your head out of your ass."

I take a deep breath and shake off the negative thoughts and focus on the game. With Rhodes words echoing in my head, I vow to push the distractions aside and win this damn game. Then I"ll follow my girl to Baton Rouge.

* * *

"Before you go offand fuck shit up, you need to calm down and listen to me." Rhodes stands in my way, a hand on my chest. "Dodge has a lead on her brother. She was going anyway, so they took Ellison"s jet. She"s safe. You know she"s only with him because of his experience, right?"

I close my eyes and breathe. I hold Rhodes gaze. "I know. I should be with her." I force the words out through my teeth. Rhodes nods, understanding in his eyes. "You"ll get your chance, but for now you have to trust Dodge. He"ll bring her back safely." I take a deep breath, trying to suppress my fear and frustration.

"I"m going down there, Rhodes. No way am I staying here."

He opens his mouth to say something, but snaps it shut. "I"d do the same thing if it was Rosie." Pause. "I have an idea." He says nothing more.

"Well? We haven"t got all night."

"Get changed and meet me at my truck." Rhodes dashes off.

Cursing under my breath, I go to my cubby and throw off my clothes. I grab a towel and take a very quick shower. I"m still partially wet when I put on clean clothes.

"What"s wrong with you?" Lake asks.

I jump, feeling bad. He"s my best friend and has been since we were kids. He recently married Juniper and they spend all their time together. I don"t mind, really. I have an open invitation to their apartment. I"ve just been busy. "When I get back, how about a double date?" I grab his shoulder. "We need to catch up."

"I'd like that."

"Good. I have to go." I shove my wallet and phone into my back pockets, toss the rest of my stuff into my cubby, and turn to my concerned friend. "Long story short, my girl is in trouble. Rhodes is helping me get her out of it. I"ll explain soon." Over my shoulder as I leave the locker room, I yell back, "Love you, man!"

The rest of the guys start making obscene noises. I ignore them and go to find Rhodes.