Page 135 of The Goalie in Room 1

“Hey, big brother. I heard you needed someone to launch missiles at your head and, well, I couldn’t pass that shit up.”

I hugged him back. Hard. “Fucking Mercy.”

He laughed against my shoulder. “Missed you too, Money.”

Thwack!

The puck hitting my glove was the sweetest fucking sound in the world. Add in the sound of my stick hitting the pipes behind me, the creak of my gear, my blades cutting the ice, and I found myself in the midst of a beautiful symphony. The only thing missing was ten other guys on the ice with me.

Aiden curled around the top of the circle with the puck.

“Is that all you got, Mercy? I thought you were some big-shot NHL star?” I taunted

I knocked my mask back and sucked down some water. His face twitched with a smirk. He’d been launching pucks at me for a good hour.

“Fuck off, old man.”

“Old man?” I yelled after him as he turned and skated away. “Who the fuck taught you to respect your elders?”

“You did.”

“Fair.”

Thad skated over and stopped beside the crease. Actually stopped. Not crashed into the boards. I was a little disappointed.

“How’re you doing?” he asked.

“Your skating has gone to shit.”

“Brat.”

I laughed, eyes squinted and face stretched wide. Fucking hell, this felt good. Aiden Mercer, one of the best young players in the show, skating at me. My pads strapped around my legs. My mask on my head. My glove on my hand. Standing in the fucking net again. All of it felt so fucking good.

“I’m good.”

Thad’s gaze stayed on mine for another second before he nodded. That was it. No questions about swelling. No checking my knee. No telling me I’d had enough.

Just Thad.

I dropped my mask. “Again, Mercy.”

Aiden obliged. The puck came off his stick fast.

Blocked.

It bounced off my blocker and sailed it over the ice toward the corner.

He collected the rebound and came around again. Puck bounced on and off his blade. He smacked it.

Low glove.

Caught it.

“Getting predictable. Thought the Nighthawks would have trained you up better, little brother.”

“And you’re getting cocky.”

“Getting old waiting on you to score.”