“You’ve got this, baby,” Jovian encourages sweetly. By the time I get to the entrance to the ice I took that night, I am sobbing. The team goes out to the ice and spreads out. Jovian, Elijah, Kip, Connor, Hunter, and Mateo kiss me before going out to the center where Tate is standing.
Tate comes over and takes my hands as Beckett and Jaxon hold my shoulders. Logan has his hands on my waist, and I step onto the ice.
Each step I take, a memory stabs through me. I am hysterical, but I don’t stop. Ray and Mom are standing with the guys at the center, where I was found bleeding, naked, and unconscious several hours after the attack. By the time I get there, I can hardly breathe. Ray takes me from my friends, and we stand in the spot where I was found as my friends, family, team, and partners surround us. Mom rubs my back as Ray presses his forehead to mine while holding my face as I desperately try to calm down.
“Arianna, you are so damn strong,” Ray says softly. “You survived, you fought, and you never gave up. They may have stolen something from you that day, but you have gained so much since then. You built yourself back up, and I am so damn proud of you for standing here today. I wish every day that your father could be here to see the beautiful woman you have become.”
“Ray, you are my dad,” I say tearfully. “You never left my side while I was in a coma… You and Mom fed me, brushed my hair, bathed me… I woke up and was angry to be alive. Angry that I survived just to feel so fucking useless… but seeing you smile when you saw me awake. Watching you stay positive no matter how mean I got… I fought because you gave me the strength to fight. I didn’t do that, Ray. You did. No matter how many times I fell, it was you who told me to get up and try again. Most importantly… You let me feel every fucking second of what happened to me. You held me up while I cried, but you still made me get out of that fucking chair and walk. Ray, you might not be my biological father, but you are my dad, and you always will be. Dads take care of their little girls, and you took care of me when I didn’t even want to be alive.”
“I love you so much, Ari,” Ray says tearfully as he squeezes me in a tight hug.
“Goddamn it. Now I’m crying,” Dom says, wiping his face. I can’t help but laugh, dragging Ray into laughter with me.
“Watching you go from mostly dead to standing here in this rink to face your trauma… I am so proud of you, Ari,” Ray says.
“Dom, thank you for this,” I say.
“It’s not a problem,” Dom says, stepping over to hug me. “Ari, I know the team hasn’t known you for long, but I’ve known you for most of your life. You have always been independent and spiteful. When Ray told me they said there was a chance you’d never be able to walk or feed yourself, I didn’t believe it for a second. No one did. We all knew you’d be tired of people helping you, and you’d find a way through it. Ray may have been the support you needed, but you did the work. You stood up, and you taught yourself how to walk in a fraction of the time they expected, Ari. Don’t take credit away from yourself.”
“You’re almost making me sound stubborn, Dom,” I say, and everyone chuckles.
“Like mother, like daughter. Trust me,” Ray says with a cheesy grin. “You’re a brat, just like your mom.”
“It’s hard to believe it’s been six months,” I say. I look down at the ice for a moment before bringing myself down to my knees to sit back on my heels. Ray squats down, but I ignore him and lay my palms flat on the ice. The chill brings a memory to the forefront of my mind, so I close my eyes and let myself feel it.
“What the fuck did you two do?” Sutter booms. I crack my eyes open, and the world is blurry for a moment before Sutter,Landry, Conrad, and Ethan come into view. Masks in hand, they stand in front of their coach covered in my blood.
“Taught her a goddamn lesson,” Conrad snaps.
“She’s dead, you ignorant fuck. Look at her,” Landry yells at him. I don’t move a muscle and hold my breath, keeping my eyes open slightly.
“Dad will fix it,” Conrad says. “He’s fixed it every other time there’s been a body.”
“You can’t keep doing this. I could have handled her.” Sutter sighs.
“Well, we handled her for you,” Ethan laughs. “Just leave her and let someone else find her. We will let Arthur know to expect a call about it, and he will handle it.”
“How is he going to explain two bodies in one day?” Sutter asks. “I know you dumped that girl’s body. The one she saw you two with.”
“Yeah, and it was handled,” Conrad says. “If you want to continue breathing, you’ll do as you are told.”
“You’re sick,” Sutter says through gritted teeth. “I didn’t sign up for this.”
“No, you got in Dad’s way, and now this is the price you pay. If you wanted to save her, you should have gotten rid of her when we told you to,” Conrad snaps.
“The only reason you didn’t want her here was that you didn’t want her finding out about her dad,” Landy says. “All of that could have been controlled, but then you had to go and do this. What the fuck do you think her father will say?”
“That’s not our problem,” Conrad laughs. “You are the one who will have to explain how you didn’t protect his daughter like you promised you would.”
“I was trying to!” Sutter screams at him. “I was trying to get her to leave and go to the Reapers with her stepdad. You didn’t even use a goddamn condom, Conrad. Is your dad going to fix that, too?”
“Oh… If we are at risk,” Ethan says. “Then so are you.”
“What? I wasn’t the one who raped her,” Sutter says.
“It’s never too late, Sutter. Get down there and fuck her,” Conrad says.
“She’s dead, though,” Sutter argues.
