Looking up, my eyes are locked on number twelve from the other team as he keeps throwing off at Puck. The game is in play down the other end of the ice, but something else is going on. The other guy keeps shoving at Puck, and Puck is doing his hardest to ignore him to get back into the game. Racing off, I think Puck handles it like a pro, but then I’m surging to my feet along with every other person in the stadium when his opponent openly attacks him. Not game play.
I’d put money on this being Sharlene’s threat of what she’s capable of. It has dodgy bitch written all over it.
The rest of the team are caught up down the other end of the game, until they swing around and realise what’s going on. Then it’s like an eruption of aggression that sweeps through the stadium as a wave of orange and black rushes to their teammate. He’s doing okay, meeting blow for blow except when the guy shakes off his gloves and goes at Puck with his bare fist. Although bare is a lie, even from here you can see the outline of the knuckle dusters that grace his fist.
Puck does well, until he doesn’t. And it goes from bad to worse when he cops a fist to the side of his helmet. He drops. The crack of his head is nearly as loud as the echo of my scream.
ChapterThirty-One
RANEY
“Lolli…”
I close my eyes and take a full breath in after what feels like such a long time. And definitely since I raced through the tunnels searching for Puck.
Talon wraps his arms around me from behind while he showers me in his scent. “I came as soon as I heard,” he says, resting his chin on my shoulder, giving me the chance to let go of the pressure that’s been building up inside.
“Is he okay?” he asks without moving an inch.
“They won’t let me in yet. They’ve been really good and someone’s keeping me updated but…”
“It will be Puck telling them not to let you in. He won’t want to worry you, that’s all, Lolli.”
“I’ll ring his bloody neck,” I say, leaning into everything that Talon offers. “It was Sharlene.”
“I heard. You’re lucky she didn’t hurt or take you, Lolli.”
“I know. Koz’s training kicked into gear, and I reacted without thinking. So, there is that.”
“There is that. Still not great, Lolli, she knows you’re an omega, and she knows where Puck is now.”
“Well, the good guys let her out, so it’s kind of your fault, Tal.” I huff a strained laugh.
“I’m sure King and Koz will have some choice words for you regarding you staying when you should have been anywhere but here.”
“Probably true. What about you? You find anything good at the compound?”
“Hmm, I mean I can take you in for questioning if you like. I definitely want to know why Puck got to spend the day hiding in your room and we got shown the door.”
“In light of what I know now, you would have made some excuse to leave instead of telling the truth, so let’s not go there.”
“Seems fair. For now. It kind of makes me feel all important telling you where Sharlene is though.”
“Really? Where is that?”
“She’s hiding in a suite at the Waldorf. Supposedly a rather large team of agents have been called in after the Senator reported they’re being harassed.”
This time I do laugh at their cowardice.
“And there’s an APB out on Andrea, but I also heard through the grapevine there’s an extremely lucrative contract on offer for those that the people I work with like to call, clean-up crews.”
“How do you know?” I ask, my scepticism nice and obvious.
“You didn’t notice the badge I was wearing at all, Lolli?” He leans past so he can pop his eyebrow up at me.
“Yeah, well we had other things to occupy our time than talking about careers.”
“And that conversation is going to get lost again. Come on, I’ll take you to the hospital, see if my badge can open up some doors for you.”
