Bode Adams.
Dax Fletcher.
All good guys. Except Fisher.
With one hit, he changed my entire playing career. I didn’t miss the way he looked at me when I went down. I couldn’t get a read on his face, but I hated the look there. Like he wished he hit me harder.
Asshole.
Dark brown eyes are staring at me under the shield of his helmet. Assessing me. Probably wondering why the hell I’m here and not their defenseman they traded for me.
I’ve known Graham Fisher as long as he’s been alive. Being the son of one of my dad’s closest friends, we were always together growing up.
Family barbeques.
Sporting games of any kind.
Holidays.
I don’t know when things changed between the two of us, but we’re going to have to get along just enough to make this whole team thing work.
“Fields.” Graham skates up to me, stopping a good foot away from me.
“Fisher,” I clip back at him.
He’s the same height as me, but stockier. Graham has a scar that dissects his hard jaw—from an errant stick that caught him in college.
Why do I know these things about the man who hates me?
“Good to have you here,” he tells me. “Think you’re up to the task?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I fire back at his jab. “Think I’m too old to be playing?”
Fisher rolls his eyes at me. “Are you always like this?”
“You’re the one calling me old.”
“I asked if you’re up to the task. Not because you’re old.” Graham shakes his head at me. “We’re not the best team in the league. It’d be stupid to pretend otherwise. You can’t just skate out here like you own the place and expect everyone to fall at your feet because you’ve won a few cups.”
Anger flashes through me. “Did I come in here acting like I own the place?”
“I know guys like you.” Fisher skates a hair closer to me.
“Guys like me, huh?” I rest my gloved hands on my stick. “You don’t know shit about me, Fisher.”
“Oh, but I do.”
A whistle blows, ending our standoff.
Fucking asshole. He doesn’t know anything about me.
“Let’s run some drills. See how we all work together,” Coach Andrews bellows. “We’ve got a hard game tonight against San Jose, so let’s focus on cleaning up our mistakes from the game against Arizona.”
A few people groan and mutter under their breath. The game against Arizona had more than a few mistakes. Puck control. Defense. Power plays.
Nothing went right for the Knights and they lost 7-2.
It was ugly.
