Page 18 of Dumping the Puck (Men of Havoc #4)

Walking through the doors of the rink I’m hit with the familiar scent of ice and sweaty grown men. My stomach rolls at the thought of seeing my teammates and Coach.

I trudge toward the locker room, hoping I’m the first one here. I need a minute to see Coach before anyone else. I’m sure the rumor mill is flying. Charley filled me in on a few of them but I’m sure there’s more between the guys in the locker room.

“Where the actual fuck have you been?” Viktor calls out before I even see him.

“It’s a long fucking story. One that we might need beer to get through.” I drop my bag next to him to unpack into my locker before heading out to find Coach.

“Yea well, give me the short version. You have about five minutes before someone else walks in.”

Running my hand through my hair, I sit next to him on the bench. “Wren left Cam at the altar. Actually, she never even made it down the aisle. He cheated. I punched him out cold. And I ran away with Wren. To Italy.”

“You’ve really been in fucking Italy on vacation?” He doesn’t look sympathetic to me. In fact he looks fucking pissed.

“What was I supposed to do?”

He stands, pacing back and forth. “I don’t know, send her to Italy with Charley, bring her back to your house, anything that didn’t put you or us in a shitty position with the owners or Coach. Hamlin swore I was lying the first four days that I didn’t know where you were. I showed him my fucking phone to get him off my back. We’ve been dealing with his shit in warm-ups and workouts all week because of you.”

“What the fuck, man? Really? You honestly think that you wouldn’t have done the same for Calliope? You expect me to believe that you would just leave her and go on like nothing happened, work as usual?”

We both stare at each other. We both know what his answer is.

“Bicknelle. My office. Now.” Coach stands at the entrance to the locker room, waiting for me.

I look between him and Viktor. They have the same expression, flared nostrils, and red face. I know I fucked up, but damn, I can’t even have my best friend on my side? Viktor steps out of my way as I pass by him.

I follow Cade silently back to his office with my head down, like a kid getting in trouble with the principal.

He opens the office door, and steps to the side for me to go in ahead of him. I take a seat on the couch by the windows that overlook the ice. I’ve been in here a time or two to hang out, talk strategy, but I’ve never been afraid to be here, to hear what he has to say when he chews my ass out like he’s done to so many others before me.

He silently takes the seat across from me. Staring at me the whole time, but not speaking.

He leans forward on his knees. The staring is making me fidget. I can’t stand the silence stretching between us.

“Coach—”

He holds his hands up, stopping me from speaking.

My heart is racing, and my palms are getting sweaty. More than a few beats pass before he finally speaks.

“You screwed me. You screwed your team.” His even tone is terrifying. I was expecting screaming. “You have a lot of making up to do to the people of this organization. After a lot of anger at you, I was kindly reminded by a wise woman, that if it were her, I’d have burnt the whole world to the ground instead of just taking off for a week. So. You have a pass. A small pass. And only from me. You owe those guys a lot more than you owe me. You left your team high and dry in the pre-season and now the beginning of the season.”

“I know. I do. I owe everyone a huge apology. But, Coach, you gotta understand. I couldn’t just leave her. She just had his mistress show up with a thumb drive full of videos, photos, and conversations that just blew up her whole life.” I shake my downed head, “I couldn’t do that to her. I couldn’t be like everyone else in her life and abandon her.”

“I get it. I do. But, the owners, they don’t. And they want heads to roll. The only, and I mean only saving grace for you, is that no videos went viral of you knocking your brother on his ass. I had to put my own neck out for you here. You’re lucky as fuck to have the ten game suspension instead of being released.”

He’s still staring at me. This conversation is so reminiscent of when I got in trouble with Dad. The disappointment stings more than the anger. Cade is closer to our age than normal coaches, but he’s well respected among the guys and it burns to be the one pissing him off.

“I’m really fucking sorry, Cade. I hate it. But I understand it.”

“The guys are pissed. They’re going to freeze you out. But I think you know that based on Viktor’s reaction.” I nod my head. “Okay, go. I have work to do and you have workouts. Be prepared to have your ass handed to you.”

I stand and silently leave his office.

Walking back into the locker room a hushed silence falls. All eyes are on me, and quite a few pissed off stances greet me.

“I get it. And I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you all. I promise.”

Grunts fill the space. Some push past me to go to the training rooms. Some stand and stare to see if I have more in me. But Viktor and Joaquin shake their heads and walk out without a word. The reception is chilly at best.

I take a deep breath and grab my shit to change for workouts. At least I already know the trainers have the memo to kill me in training today.