Chapter Seven

The rink was booming with the sound of AC/DC hammering it out on the loud speakers, and the air was heavy with the scent of meaty burgers and sweet cola. A squat blue vehicle was driving over the ice and appeared to be polishing the surface.

"Come sit over here," Gina said, indicating for me to follow her down some steps.

I did as she'd suggested and pulled the hoodie sleeves over my hands; the temperature was several degrees lower than outside.

The rink was lined with Plexiglass, much taller than I would have expected, and the seats were filling up quickly. A fizz of anticipation sizzled through the air.

"These are for us," Gina said, indicating to a cordoned-off box of seats just behind where the Viper players had gathered. "Make yourself comfortable, I'll be back in a minute."

"Okay, thanks." I took a seat on the hard red plastic chair and folded my arms. The players were right in front of me—even bigger now they were padded up and wearing helmets. They each had their names written over their backs. I spotted the two Evans brothers standing next to each other. Lewis, I remembered was the captain, Rick Ramrod Lewis, but the others I didn't recognize.

Until Eduardo turned around and saw me. He held up his gloved hand in a wave.

I waved back.

He then nudged the player next to him who turned to face him.

Through the cage of his helmet I saw dark stubble. It was Dylan. His attention settled on me, and for a moment I wasn't sure if he was pleased or not that I was at the game. Then he nodded, once, and turned back around to face the ice. SANDERS was stamped on the back of his jersey. He said something to Eduardo who nodded, then they high-fived.

Was that about me?

I had no idea.

"Hey, are you Pippa? Gina told me to hunt you out."

I spun to my right. A pretty girl with wild red hair sticking out from under a Vipers cap had plonked herself next to me.

"Er, yes, I am."

"Oh good. I'm Fiona. He's mine." She pointed to a player with STARR on his jersey. "I'm glad it hasn't started. When Raven talks about it endlessly later I need to have seen every move." She laughed, a lovely bright sound, and her eyes sparkled.

"You're married to him?" I asked.

"Yes, he can be a grumpy bugger, but I knew what I was taking on when I said ‘I do'." Again she laughed.

"You're not American. Welsh, right?"

"Yes, I met him when they did their last UK tour. He did his shoulder in during their final game, here at this rink, in fact, and I was his physiotherapist."

"Nice story." I paused. "So is he nervous about playing here again, if he was injured last time?"

"Nah." She wafted her hand. "Getting injured is part of their job, he's not worried. Not to say he likes it, but he's all about keeping the opponents' puck out of the Vipers' net."

Raven Starr suddenly turned, seeming to sense his wife nearby. His helmet cage was down, but his face softened slightly.

She blew him a kiss.

"I haven't seen him for weeks. I've been with my family here in South Wales while The Vipers have been touring." She giggled and nudged me. "I'll be clock-watching for this game to be over so I can have some alone time with him."

"Sounds good." I managed a smile.

"So who are you with?" She gestured at the row of huge guys on the other side of the panel. "Which one is yours?"

"What? Oh no, nothing like that…I…"

She laughed again and passed me a pair of gloves out of her bag. "Don't sweat it, it took me a while to settle on Raven. Oh, and you'll need these."

"What do you mean?" I turned my attention back to her and pulled on the gloves.

"To start with I dated Todd Carty, you heard of him?"

I shook my head.

"He was The Vipers' star striker for a few seasons, a real charmer, and a pretty boy at that."

I'd met more than a few of them over the years. "Go on…"

"We dated for a while and…"

"And?" Fiona was intriguing me.

"Let's just say there was a bit of an overlap, but the guys didn't seem to mind, not one bit, and besides, Todd is with Matthew now." She shrugged. "I guess I was never going to cut it as the love of his life." Again she shrugged, but with a grin. "Being female."

"Oh, now I do know who you're talking about." I nodded enthusiastically, the cogs of my mind working. "Matthew Foster, right?"

"Yes, did you see it in the media?" She raised her eyebrows. "Was a big deal at the time."

"No, no, I'm actually friends, or rather colleagues with Matthew, I haven't seen him for a while, but yes, I remember hearing on the grapevine that he was dating a hockey player. It's falling into place now. They're still together, aren't they?"

"Yes." She tipped her head, examining my features. "And very happy. I hear they're planning on adopting."

"That would be nice. Matthew is a great guy, great photographer, too."

"He is." Fiona nodded slowly. "So what do you—?"

"So why am I here?" I blew out a sigh, not ready to talk about how I knew a world-famous, award-winning fashion photographer. "It's a long story. Maybe I'll tell you afterwards, because right now the game is starting."

"Oh yes, it is." She stood and clapped. "Come on, Vipers!"

I did the same, banging my gloved hands together.

A drum bellowed from the speakers, and the players shot out onto the ice like arrows fired from a bow.

For some reason my heart rate picked up. The crowds' excitement was infectious, and the guys were so big and fierce and went so fast, sticks at the ready. I swear they were all more comfortable on blades than in shoes.

"Raven's not starting," Fiona said, leaning closer so she could be heard over the noise. "But the Evans brothers are, they're awesome. And so is Eduardo Dubois; he's a bit of a star, especially now Todd's gone. The ladies love him."

"So he has lots of…?"

"Rink bunnies?" She offered me a piece of gum.

"No thanks."

"He certainly gets the ladies' attention," she went on, "and seems to enjoy it. How many he takes to bed, I have no idea." She popped in her gum and chewed.

I watched Eduardo skate a lap, waving at the crowd, punching the air with his stick and generating wild cheers and roars of passion. Seeing him now, he was a long way removed from the thoughtful, gentle man who had brought me breakfast and talked about beauty being only skin deep.

"There's Mike," Fiona said. She nodded to the edge of our box.

A guy in a Vipers jacket and cap stood with Gina. They appeared deep in conversation.

"He's head coach, has been for ages, and bloody good at his job."

"He must be, they won the league last season, right?"

She laughed. "You're right. Well done."

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to the jungle!" a commentator roared.

An ear-splitting cheer went up.

"Tonight, prepare to feast your eyes, mop your brows, and cheer on your team, because when Devils and Vipers clash, you know it's going to be a brutal, heart-wrenching battle for victory. These two teams have iced up their best guys, and this final tour game is set to be one with bite."

The players took up their positions. I managed to read all the jerseys. Two Evans, Dubois which I now knew was Eduardo, Lewis, Arefyev, and Reed. Three of my four guys.

What was I doing? They were not my four guys. They were just four men who had been kind to me. I needed to get a grip.

"Face-off." Gina pointed to the center of the rink. "It's time." She held her gloved hands up and crossed her fingers.

Lewis, in his red jersey, stood with a Devils player in white along with the ref. Suddenly, the puck was dropped and an explosion of energy burst into all the players and they scattered wildly.

Reed, who was minding the net, swayed and jigged as he watched the movement of the small black puck. How he could see it amazed me, it went so fast, almost at bullet speed.

The Vipers' captain, Rick Lewis, had the puck, and he raced along the right side of the rink, tapping it in front of him.

"Go, Rick!" Gina clapped and sat on the edge of her seat. "Get it in."

I held my breath. Two Devils players gained on him, then one shoulder-barged him against the side.

"What? Are they allowed to…?"

"Yeah," Gina said. "They are…"

"Wow."

Both Ben and Theo were there to help Rick, and they spun with their sticks hooking into the foray.

"And they're really head to head in a checking role…oh, and here's Dubois, circling it back," the commentator boomed with excitement. "And yes, he's got it and he's…oh, and that was fast."

A Devils' player had stolen it from Eduardo in the blink of an eye. Eduardo did not seem pleased, and he chased down the player.

The crowd went wild, many on their feet as they clapped and whooped.

"And there goes Jones, and he's set up for a shot. Will this be…oh, and he just wasn't fast enough for Dubois, and he's lost it, and look at him go…no wonder he's the highest-paid French player in history, the man is a machine."

"Go, Eduardo!" Fiona yelled.

"Go. Go. Go," I added, falling into the excitement of the game.

Morgan, a Devils' player, suddenly appeared in Eduardo's path, stick at the ready, shoulders hunched and his body a brick wall.

Eduardo shot a glance to his right, passed the puck to Vadmir Arefyev, then performed a spin toward the center circle.

Arefyev passed the puck straight back to Eduardo who chased it forward several meters and then took a shot into the Devils' net.

It went in, the net punching backward and the goal defender falling to his padded knees.

"Yes!" Gina leapt up. "Yes!"

Fiona sprang to her feet, and the two women high-fived.

The other players, in their box down by the ice, were going wild, punching the air and slapping each other on the shoulders.

"And Dubois has started the game off with an incredible shot, the Devils just didn't see it coming, and there was nobody there."

Gina nodded at Mike and held her hand up.

There was a flurry of activity in the players' boxes. Arefyev came off, and Dylan took his place.

A lump caught in my throat. I was going to see all the guys in action. Perhaps I'd get some understanding of their passion for this sport that was so alien to me.

"And there's been a few changes, fresh legs, the first of many," the commentator announced. "Say hello to Dylan Sanders, one of the most expensive players in the entire NHL. He's got to be the new golden boy of The Vipers."

Dylan swung his attention my way. His cage was down over his face, but still I could feel his eyes on mine.

A small shiver went up my spine. The guy was sexy and alluring in a way I had never seen before in a man. There was nothing vain or humble about him, he was fierce and strong and now he was going to show me what he could do.

He was going to show everyone what he could do.

The game started up again, fast, and almost straight away the puck seemed to be stuck in a corner. Sticks sliced and hooked and battled in a clatter for possession. Shoulders and elbows jostled amongst the shouts and grunts.

And then the puck appeared, racing down the right flank.

Dylan was chasing it, Eduardo close behind.

Ben and Theo were following, so were all the Devils.

Gina and Fiona were on their feet. A group of Viper fans to the right were shaking their banners and flags wildly as they shouted encouragement.

"And it didn't take Sanders long to dominate this game. The guy might be big, but he's a bullet on the ice and he's…he's set up…yes…"

Dylan had passed the puck to Theo to avoid having it stolen. Theo caught it, and in a smooth, practiced movement, he dodged a Devil and skidded it into the net.

Again the Vipers' fans went crazy, jumping up and down.

"Yes." Gina gave a thumbs-up sign to Mike. ‘We Will Rock You' blasted out of the rink speakers.

Another jostle of players; Theo was brought off and replaced.

"Who is that?" I asked Fiona.

"Ah, that's Brick, you've met him, right?"

I nodded. "Yes, I have."

"He's a nightmare for the opposition. The guy just doesn't budge if he gets in their way."

Within seconds, the game was in full flow again. The puck was getting knocked back and forth, zigzagging over the lines painted into the ice.

"Oh and it's just got into the hands of McKenzie, the new hot shot of the Devils, and what's he going to do with it? Can he make this a real chance? Make it count?" The excitement of the commentator was palpable. "And Reed can't afford to leave an inch open in that net or The Vipers are going to find themselves in trouble. And he's going for the shot…Ben Evans is there, his brother coming from another angle but…oh my goodness, he's got it, it's in, a dream goal for McKenzie."

The Welsh fans went wild, their cheers deafening and raucous. There was much celebration on the ice. Sticks were waved, chests were pounded, and the Plexi was rattled by players high-fiving the crowd.

"That guy is too damn quick," Gina muttered with a frown.

"Maybe you should buy him." I shrugged. "You got space for one more?"

"It's a good idea, and I did make an offer last transfer window but I was too close to the deadline to get a good conversation going. It fell by the wayside."

"So can you try again?"

"Mmm." She tapped her chin. "I should probably try. Trouble is, it takes a ton of money to get Welsh guys to leave Wales, know what I mean?"

"Everyone has a price."

"True, true." She set her attention back on the game.

It was in full swing.

"Now this is a power-play unit," the commentator boomed. "We have The Vipers throwing out some serious muscle here to stay ahead on the scoreboard."

I watched, breath held, as the puck shot along the right flank, all players in hot pursuit. It bounced off the side and was hooked by Brick. He spun around only to come face to face with a Devil. He rounded his way past him, but just when I thought he'd made an escape, the Devil railroaded into him. Both hit the ice, Brick sliding into the Plexi as another Devil landed on top of him with his stick outstretched.

Eduardo piled in, stick at the ready, but another Devil player collided with him and they both sprawled onto the ice.

"Oh fuck," Gina said, standing.

All the players on the bench also stood.

A deep rumbling horn bellowed. The players piled up. There were sticks and helmets and shoulder pads and skates all over the place.

"Get them off," Gina yelled.

Mike was on the ice, so were the other coaches. The ref was shouting and pointing.

I had no idea what was going on but was relieved when the players began to come out of their tangle.

All except one, that was.

Brick.

He stayed down.

"Oh no." Fiona clasped her hands under her chin.

"What's going on? Is he hurt?" I asked.

No one answered me.

The ref signaled to a medic.

"And it looks like Brick gave the wall a good headbutt. The medics are on him, there's always drama. The guy is a wall but he's met his match."

I frowned. Were hockey commentators always so flippant about injuries?

The other Viper players were hovering around their teammate, sticks hanging loose, cages up.

"Is he unconscious?" I asked. It certainly looked like it.

But then he was helped to sitting. His helmet was removed, and he rubbed his head.

"He's okay," Gina said.

"Yes," Fiona said, "but I think he was out of it for a while, not good. Thank goodness they wear helmets."

I let out a sigh of relief. I hadn't come here to watch anyone get hurt.

Brick was helped to his feet by Ben and Dylan, and then he skated off. As he left the ice, he held up his hand and waved at the Viper fans.

A cheer went up, but he didn't respond, just ducked out of view.

"They'll want to check him out at the hospital," Fiona said. "I'll call a friend there and ask her to keep us updated on his arrival."

"Good, yes, thank you." Gina nodded and rubbed her brow. "Damn it, I'd better call Carly."

"Want me to do that for you?" Fiona asked.

"Would you?"

"Yeah, course. I'll go do that now and perhaps I'll get to speak to Brick, too. I'll report right back." She rested her hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry, it's not always so bloodthirsty and violent."

I smiled but I wasn't sure I believed her.

Brick was quickly replaced with Logan Taylor, otherwise known by the nickname Phoenix. He was a speed demon and skilled with it. He seemed to make the opposition anxious whenever he was close. I guessed his reputation preceded him.

The game continued its frenetic pace with the puck flying near both goals. The crowd were giddy with the chase, and so was I, trying to keep up.

The final minutes approached in the final period, and the score was equal. Reed, the goal defender, had been replaced with Jackson, and he was earning his money; the Devils weren't letting up their onslaught of goal attempts.

But then, just as the final whistle was about to go, Raven shot the puck to Wolf, and between one heart beat and the next, he'd done a catch and release and speed-slid it between the Devils' goal defender's skates.

Gina jumped to her feet.

So did I.

She grabbed me in a frantic, excited hug. "We've done it!"

The commentator was going wild, shouting and blabbering, recapping the goal and singing Wolf's praises.

"You enjoy it?" Gina asked me.

I laughed. "It was wild."

"Always is with these guys. Hopefully, you'll be well and truly hooked now."