Page 24 of Devil on Skates

XAVIER

DURING WARM-UPS, I look around and then I spot her.

Irina.

She’s sitting right next to Keith in the VIP area. I bet they’re not here to support the team. No, they’re here for me. Only for me.

I grind my teeth together. This is straight-up provocation, and maybe they somehow know I have scouts watching me today. Keith’s showing off like he’s won or something, and Irina’s right there with him after she just walked away from everything we shared.

Fine. If they want a reaction, I’m going to give them one they won’t see coming. Not a meltdown or a distracted mess, but straight-up excellence. I’m going to show her exactly what she gave up on. It’s payback time. My success will hurt them both.

I turn my anger and pain into laser focus and determination, and each drill earns me nods of approval. I’ll prove to Irina and to myself that she can’t destroy me just like that.

From the first drop of the puck, the game’s intense. The opponent comes at me fast, clearly making me their target. It’s a smart strategy. They’re trying to get under my skin, throw me off my game, and draw a penalty to tip the momentum in their favor.

But ever since Irina disappeared on me, my mindset’s totally different. The old vulnerability is gone and locked behind a wall of focus. No more emotional chaos, just cold, calculated play.

When their center gets in my face during a face-off, trying the same crap that got under my skin before, I just smile, not feeling anything at all.

“Still playing for Coach’s daughter?” one of the guys says. “Heard she traded up for someone better.”

“Focus on the puck. You’ll need it,” I say.

His brows knit and his mouth twitches, as if he’s bracing for a blow-up that never comes. He watches me, waiting, but I just hold his gaze, perfectly calm.

Midway through the first period, we get a break. A perfect outlet pass from our defenseman catches them off guard. It’s a quick decision: pass or shoot? I see an opening over the goalie’s blocker and take the shot. The puck slides in, the red light flashes, and the crowd goes wild.

I search for Irina in the stands. This time, I’m not dedicating a goal to her, but I want her to see what she’s left behind. Her face seems expressionless, but then she briefly grimaces. Keith doesn’t look happy next to her, his eyes narrowed.

By the third period, my team’s comfortably ahead. I’m killing it. Two goals and an assist, and I’m sure the scouts finally have the right image of me.

Still, I can’t stop thinking about Irina. Every break, my eyes drift back to her and Keith. At one point, I think I see him hold his hand over her arm, and it makes my jaw clench. Whatever happened, her sitting there with him feels like a betrayal, like she’s part of the whole show.

When the final buzzer sounds, we celebrate the win, but I don’t move right away. Irina and Keith stay put in their seats, as if they’re waiting for something more than just the game to end. Maybe Irina’s here to see her dad, or they just don’t want to mingle with the crowd.

As the crowd clears, they finally get up and head out, but there’s a weird tension between them. Irina’s shoulders are definitely tense, but she doesn’t look my way.

I rush to the locker room, and after getting a quick shower and changing, I look around the arena, just in case they stayed to talk to Coach. Hiding behind a wall, I see Irina heading toward the restrooms alone.

Without really thinking about it, I follow her. She slips into the women’s room, and I enter after her.

When she looks up at the mirror in front of her and sees me behind her, her eyes go wide.

“Xavier,” she whispers, spinning around. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Apparently not,” I say, clenching my jaw. “Congrats on getting back with Keith. You two make quite the power couple.”

There are darkish circles under her eyes, something like fear flashing in them. She glances over my shoulder at the hallway as if she wants to run.

“Please, just go,” she says, her voice tight. “This isn’t—”

She shifts, tugging at her sleeve, and I catch sight of bruises. There are fingerprint-shaped marks on her wrist where Keith was touching her during the game. My blood boils.

“Who did this to you?” I ask, even though I already know the answer.

“It’s nothing,” she says too fast, trying to cover her arm. “I bumped into—”

“Don’t lie to me.” I step closer. “Who?”

She won’t meet my eyes, her hands trembling slightly.

“It was him, wasn’t it?” I say, even more sure than before. “Keith.”

She doesn’t say anything, but she doesn’t have to. One look into her glassy eyes, and I know the answer.

I start to turn away, but her hand grabs my arm.

“Don’t,” she says, her eyes desperate. “If you confront him, it’ll ruin everything.”

“I don’t care,” I say. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

“You don’t get it,” she whispers, looking at the door as if she’s afraid someone might overhear us. “It’ll ruin your career. That’s why I made a deal with Keith’s dad. Neither you nor Keith is supposed to know anything about it! Just leave.”

My jaw goes slack. “Deal with his dad?”

Tears fill her eyes. “Noel Costello came to me after your fight with that guy on the ice. He offered money for me and a pro contract for you. All I had to do was stay away from you and go back to Keith and never tell anyone, especially you. If I refused, he said he would make sure you never played hockey again.”

Suddenly, everything makes sense. Her disappearance and her silence weren’t a rejection meant to rip my heart out, or well, it wasn’t her idea but Noel’s. She gave up everything to protect my dream. I stare at her in shock, because this changes everything.

“His dad blackmailed you into dating his son?” I say, anger already coursing through my veins.

She nods, and I pull her close, careful not to hurt her anymore and holding her like I never want to let go as she trembles in my arms.

“I’ll fix this,” I promise, wiping away her tears. “It all ends now.”

“But your career,” she says, worry creasing her forehead. “The Costellos can actually take away hockey from you. They’re that powerful, trust me.”

Irina trying to protect my dream at her own expense... It’s more than I ever expected from anyone.

“I don’t want anything from them,” I say firmly. “Not if it costs you this much.”

“But if your career is over—”

“We’ll see about that.” I grit my teeth and step away from her. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

“Xavier, wait!”

But I don’t listen.

Before she can try to talk me out of it, I rush out, looking for Keith. I finally find him by the entrance, his eyes glued to his phone. His dad’s security guys are nearby, but I don’t give a fuck, because they’re not close enough to stop me.

I grab Keith by the shirt and shove him against the wall so hard that he cries out, and I punch him in the face hard enough to make his nose bleed.

“Ow!” he cries, his guards already rushing toward us.

“You disgusting, weak little prick,” I say, my voice low and deadly calm. “Leave Irina alone. She’s not your toy or a trophy. Tell your dad the deal he forced her into is over.”

“What are you talking ab—?”

I punch him again. “You and your family will leave both Irina and me alone. Or I’ll find you and break every bone in your body, and no one will stop me. I should’ve already done it because of the bruises on her arm.”

Security reaches us, ripping me away from him.

“You care that much about her?” Keith frowns as he wipes at the blood on his face. “Enough to ruin your whole life?”

“Yeah,” I say. “I do.”

I sense someone’s presence and glance over my shoulder as the guards hold me. It’s Irina. She’s looking at us with wide eyes.

Keith laughs. “Really? Wow. I guess you’re dumber than I thought. She’s not worth the trouble. You can have her.”

It’s annoying how easily he’s given up on her, even if it’s exactly what I want. To him and his dad, she’s just a puppet and not a person, and Keith’s obviously never cared about her. He just wanted a pretty girl on his arm like some kind of trophy.

“She’s worth it,” I say. “But you’re not worthy of her and never were.”

His eyebrows arch as if I’m talking about something insignificant. “But you are?”

“That’s for her to decide,” I say, glancing at Irina. “Not you, not your dad, and not me. Her choice.”

He looks at me as if I’m crazy, and maybe I am. Crazy for Irina.

I rip myself out of the guards’ grip, and Keith nods at them, so they step away.

“We’re done here,” I say.