Then they’re both removing their gloves, and the crowd goes nuts when they drop them to the ice. Jagger swings first, connecting with Levi’s shoulder. Levi counters with a punch that grazes Jagger’s helmet. Jagger lands a solid hit to Levi’s jaw. Levi drags Jagger’s jersey over his head, getting in several more shots before Jagger breaks free.
“Shit,” I mutter, skating toward them as fast as I can. There is no way they are stopping this without someone intervening.
Jagger removes his helmet, and that is never a good sign, especially when Levi does the same.
The refs are moving in, but I get there first, grabbing Jagger’s jersey and trying to pull him back. “Jagger, stop!”
But Jagger’s not listening. He’s got Levi’s jersey twisted in his fist and lands another punch to his ribs. Levi gets an arm free and catches Jagger in the side of his head. They’re both bleeding, Jagger from a cut above his eye, Levi from his lip.
“I hate your fucking face, Holt!” Levi spits out, blood dripping from his mouth.
Jagger laughs—actually laughs—even as he’s being pulled back by the refs. “Yeah? Well, my face isn’t what your sister likes about me!”
Everything stops. The refs freeze for half a second as Levi’s face morphs from red to purple.
“YOU’RE DEAD!” Levi roars, lunging forward again, but Landon appears out of nowhere and wraps both arms around him, practically lifting him off his skates.
“Not helping, Jagger!” I yell at him.
“I won’t believe my sister is stupid enough to be a puck bunny!” Levi shouts, still struggling against Landon.
The word hangs in the air for a split second before Jagger breaks free from the refs and lands a brutal punch right on Levi’s jaw.
Levi’s head snaps back, and Landon loses his grip.
All hell breaks loose as both benches empty onto the ice.
“Don’t be mad, you’ll be seeing a lot more of me,” Jagger taunts.
“You fucking piece of shit!” Levi roars, but Jagger just smirks at him. Then he breaks free of his brother and skates toward the section where his sister is sitting. “Leila! Are you fucking Holt?!”
The crowd goes quiet as everyone watches Levi slam his hand against the glass, screaming at his sister. I can see Leila’s face from here, and something inside me snaps.
As I skate over to where Levi is, pure rage races through my veins. I catch him with a body check that sends him crashing into the boards, his head cracking against the glass as he goes down hard. The crowd gasps, and I’m already ripping off my own helmet, tossing it aside as I lean over him.
“Don’t you ever speak to her like that again,” I say. “Do you hear me? Ever.”
Levi stares up at me, blood trickling from his lip. “Who the fuck...”
“Knox, come on.” Riven’s voice cuts through the blood swooshing through my ears, and he skates over and grabs my shoulder. “That’s enough. You made your point.”
He pulls me back, but I don’t take my eyes off Levi. “I mean it,” I spit. “You disrespect her again, and this won’t end with you on your ass.”
I look over to where Leila stands pressed against the glass, tears streaming down her face. Her hand is over her mouth, and her eyes are wide with shock and confusion.
She doesn’t know who I am beyond her classmate. She doesn’t understand why a Gravepoint player defended heragainst her own brother. Yet she’s looking at me like everything has clicked into place.
The refs are blowing their whistles, and I’m getting a five-minute major penalty for that hit, maybe more. I don’t care. All I care about is the way Leila is looking at me.
“Penalty box, Mercer,” the ref says, grabbing my arm. “Now.”
He leads me away, but I don’t break eye contact with Leila. Not until I’m seated and Jagger skates up to the penalty box and joins me.
“Well,” he says, “that was one way to tell her who we are.”
“Shut up,” I mutter. “She is going to fucking hate us now.”
From where I’m sitting, I can see Leila has gone back to her seat in the stands, and I hate the look on her face.
