The club was packed, a furnace of bass and bodies, and I could already feel the tension crackling in the air.
“Easy for you to say,” I said, stuffing my hands in the pockets of my jeans. “You don’t have to deal with her when she finds out.”
She, being Holly. But I knew Coach wouldn’t be too pleased with the team sneaking out the night before a big game.
“Perfect,” Mason muttered, nudging me. “Friendly rivalry in our favorite environment.”
We all came to a stop. Avalanche forwards leaned against the bar like they owned the place, scanning the crowd for something that smelled a lot like trouble. My fists itched, but it was Holly’s voice in the back of my mind.
“Just move to the back,” I said, and pointed out an empty booth.
The first collision was almost cinematic. One Avalanche guy shoved Mason as he passed, pretending he didn’t see him. I was already moving, shoulder coiling to shove back. But then the air shifted, the faint scent of a familiar perfume cutting through the smoke and sweat.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I hissed.
“I could ask you the same thing,” she shot back, grabbing my sleeve and pulling hard.
“What’s the matter, number one? Did Mommy catch you out past your bedtime?” one of the Avalanche guys sang in our direction.
His crew laughed, and the biggest one stepped out of the crowd, greedy, beady eyes raking over Holly’s body. Fire burned in my gut.
“If you’d like, I won’t mind keeping Mommy occupied while you and your kindergarten class finish your field trip.” His voice dripped with innuendo that made my skin crawl.
“Shut the fuck up.” Her icy delivery drew gasps from Surge and Avalanche players alike. Then she turned to me, hand still gripping my arm. “Hunter. Now.”
I resisted. No way was I gonna let her lead me out of here after all this. “We just got here. I’m not leaving.”
“Don’t make me say it again.” Her tone left no room for argument.
I bristled. “Not happening. My night’s not over.”
“You’re not a kid, Hunter. But your night is over,” she said, firm and precise. The words were so controlled, so perfectly executed, that my entire body wanted to push back, to argue, to test her limits.
And then the first shove happened. Avalanche guy closing in, smirk stretched wide, Mason’s arm on my chest trying to hold me back. My muscles wanted to move, my brain screamed, and Holly’s grip tightened—not painfully, but enough to make me acutely aware of her proximity.
She didn’t even blink. “Move,” she ordered.
I swore under my breath, my eyes flicking to her. I wanted to kick something, yet the mix of frustration and… something else made me clench my jaw.Infuriating.
Another shove from the Avalanche guy, and my fists clenched instinctively. Mason and Theo were shouting something behind me, but I only caught fragments. Tucker and Shawn threw themselves head first into a bunch of guys asking for it. Holly tugged again, and for a second I felt like a toddler being yanked out of trouble.
“Walk with me,” she said, voice low but carrying over the chaos. “I mean it.”
I stopped, planted my feet. “I said I’m not done. I’m not leaving.”
“Yes, you are,” she said, stepping right in front of me, blocking my path with precision. “Because if you don’t, someone’s going to get hurt. And I don’t mean you.”
I stared at her, caught between pride and reason. She was small, but in this moment, she had the power of a hurricane. I tried to resist, really tried, but the push from the crowd, the Avalanche guys taunting us, the sharp certainty in her eyes—it was too much.
The rest of the club slowed as they noticed the fight gaining momentum, and her hand gripped my arm again. I stumbled after her, letting my irritation flare.
“You’re insane,” I muttered.
“And you’re reckless,” she shot back without missing a step,dragging me through the pressing crowd.
My friends were already moving on, laughing and waving as the club swallowed them up.
“Fine,” I said finally, teeth clenched, letting her pull me out into the street. Neon lights smeared across the wet asphalt, bass thumping faintly behind us, and I let out a long, frustrated breath. “Happy now?”
