Page 108 of Pucking the Team

Dylan reacted like an enraged cobra and snapped a fast punch at Theo’s cheek.

I wasn’t sure if it was because Dylan was crazy mad or wanted to shut Theo up before he mentioned condoms in front of everyone who was listening.

Theo staggered backward, but only for a second, and then he hurled his bulk at Dylan. “Think you’re so fucking hard.”

His punch landed in Dylan’s abdomen.

Dylan hunched forward, and Theo grabbed his sweater, dragging it up his back. Eduardo yanked at it, too, trying to get Theo off because Dylan had grabbed Theo’s pants and was wrestling to get him to the ice. Their skates were slipping and sliding as they grunted and huffed and fists flew.

“Jesus.” Ben whizzed into the fray, chips of ice flying from his blades. He didn’t wait to find out what was going on, just piled into the struggle, shoving at Dylan to get him off Theo.

Dylan aimed another punch at Theo but hit Eduardo.

“Asshole,” Eduardo said, cupping his hand over his nose.

“Yeah, you deserved that, you got papped with her, too.” Dylan snarled. “Fucking clueless Frenchman.”

“You motherfucker.” Eduardo sent his own punch forward, and it got Dylan on the chin.

Dylan grunted and went to the left, came back with a right hook that caught Ben.

Ben’s lip split, and rage thundered over his face. He pummeled into Dylan, blood dripping and fists pounding.

Eduardo fisted Ben’s sweater, dragging him back, but Theo was adding to the fight and doubling Ben’s attack.

And then a bunch of other players appeared. Rick, Raven, Wolf, Brick, Dustin in his goal pads, and a couple of coaches. They swarmed around the fighting men then lunged in, heaving and shoving at them.

“Break this up!” Gina shouted and hung over the boards. “For fuck’s sake, you’re on the same damn team. Break this up! Now!”

The four players were dragged apart. Bloody, sweaty, and angry.

I released a breath. My heart was trip trapping along, and I was suddenly hot and clammy in my warm coat.

“Can someone tell me what in the devil’s name is going on?” Gina demanded. “Start talking, fast…” She circled her hand in the air. “Come on. One of you. Quickly.”

Mike, one of the coaches, passed Ben a tissue. He wiped absently at his lip and smeared blood onto his chin.

“Yeah, who fucked whose girlfriend?” Rick asked. “’Cause I’m guessing that’s what this shit is about.”

“Usually is,” Wolf grunted.

Dylan shook Rick off with a rough shrug of his shoulders. He glared at Theo.

Theo’s lips tightened, and he glared back.

My stomach did a flip. This was a disaster, and it was my fault. If I hadn’t been screwing around with all of them there wouldn’t be blood dripping onto the ice right now and four beefy blokes wouldn’t all be looking like they wanted to kill each other.

“I reckon it’s her, the runaway bride,” Brick said and nodded at me.

A sudden need to shrink came over me. Become invisible.

“It’s no one’s goddamn business,” Ben said gruffly.

“Oui,no one’s business.” Eduardo’s face was like stone; he was angry. I’d never seen him like that. “We do not pry on you. On what is happening in your lives.” He pointed at Brick.

“We’re not trying to kill each other,” Rick said, his deep, rumbling voice seeming to rattle over the ice and up the stands.

“We should go,” Theo said, glancing at first Ben and then me.