“We going to break that up?” Zee asked.
“Give him a second.” Mikah breathed in the icy air, nodded, and he and Zee skated forward to pull the fighters apart.
The buzzer sounded, ending the period.
* * *
Some guys showered between each period. Mikah usually didn’t, but tonight was killing him. Sweat soaked his uniform. His muscles were screaming, and he needed out of his own head. The hot stream of water helped. He rushed to get his gear back on and was one of the last to join the team in the tunnel for the final period.
“Usually, I’m revving you up at this point,” Coach said. “Pushing you to dig and find more stamina, more fight, more grit. Not this time. Your intensity is right where it needs to be. Take them down, own that leaderboard.”
Sticks tapped on the tunnel floor, and then the gate opened.
Kiernan started in the penalty box. Captain tasked Mikah with the face-off.
Mikah skated forward across from Zee. He was breathing better this period. Although they were only up by one goal, his guys were outplaying the Geels. The Snowers were playing as a team, communicating on the ice, having each other’s backs. Their synced power had rattled the Geels. The Geels wouldn’t be the same team third period. They had this.
Mikah was clearheaded. Ready. This time, they’d win. He reached across and tapped Zee’s fist. Not with anger or years of one-upmanship. But with a good competitive feeling. He was playing professional ice hockey with his brother. Who got to say that?
He looked past his family. He didn’t need Dad picking this apart, but he wanted to convey his feelings to Piper.
Two men stood by her aisle. Warren and Dodo Applebaum. What the fuck?
CHAPTER 36
“What are you staring at?” Zee turned his head, following Mikah’s gaze. “Oh, shit.”
The referee got between them, holding out the black puck to drop. Game clock poised to start the final period.
“What the hell is that?” Mikah asked. “What do those two think they’re doing?”
Warren and Dodo Applebaum stood over Piper’s row, where she sat with Calista and Dahlia. Dodo had his index finger pointed in Dahlia’s face. They were arguing, but he couldn’t discern the words from here.
Piper was right there, too close to their rage. Owner or not, that shit wasn’t happening. Adrenaline shot through him. Mikah skated out of position, staring at the stands, trying to get a better understanding of the situation. What was Dodo Applebaum so pissed at? He was the one in the wrong. Was this how Dodo and Dahlia worked out their problems? What did it matter? They were too close to Piper. He was shutting this down.
The referee blew his whistle.
Coach screamed, “Czerski, position.”
Captain Ronan skated into his path, blocking him. “You take the center.” Captain shoved his shoulder, pointing to center ice. “Let security handle whatever’s going on.”
Zee got beside them.
Dodo bent and stuck his fat index finger into Calista’s face. Calista shrank back. Some guy did that shit to Lily? Hell no. Mikah’s muscles tensed and his fingers went to his gloves. He had them off faster than he used to pull them off as a rookie.
Piper rose and got between Dodo and Calista. Red-faced Dodo was now raging at Piper.
Scarlet hazed Mikah’s vision. He was moving. At the gate, up, over, climbing the steps.
* * *
Piper stood in the stands, one among thousands for the big showdown of the Snowers versus the Geels. And of all those people, her row was bringing the drama. Nervous tension shoved through her as she tried to end the scene. She held up her palms and shoved herself further between Calista and Dodo.
Dodo straightened and pivoted to Dahlia. “What did you do? What did you think you were doing?” He demanded from his former fiancée. “This is the puck’s fault.”
Dahlia started crying. “What are you talking about?”
Security guards were headed down from the promenade. The crowd was staring at them instead of the ice.