26. Storm Is Coming
Chapter Twenty-Six
STORM IS COMING
The trade deadline has come and gone. The Icehawks failed to find a taker for an underperforming and overpaid Drakos Lenkov. Brian Werkle chose to keep his team together for the playoff push. If tonight’s game is a reflection of that decision, this might be a short season for the Icehawks. They barely squeaked out a win. This lackluster performance is curious considering the confidence the GM has placed in this particular set of players.
Goalie Roman Daniels is out of sync with his defense, and team sources claim that they’ve lost confidence in him. A goalie needs to be at the top of his game if a team has a chance in the playoffs. This team might do well to reconsider the current starting goalie situation. Better to cut your losses and start the talented young backup, Lane Koehler. —Aria at All Hockey News
~~Camden~~
Trade deadline is over, and the team has returned to normal—a new normal.
The relief in the room before tonight’s game was palpable. No one likes to see a guy they’ve gone to battle with all season traded away. I haven’t had a chance alone with Inez since Shelby caught us last night, but I’m certain I was one of the possible trade options. I’d be na?ve to think I wasn’t. I know she didn’t dare warn me, but part of me feels betrayed, which is all kinds of wrong.
This is exactly why a player shouldn’t be dating someone in the front office. Too many things can go badly sideways in this situation.
So far nothing has become of Shelby. Maybe she didn’t really see us. I’m relieved our subterfuge hasn’t been discovered, but there’s new trouble brewing in the locker room.
Regardless of the relief after the deadline, I think we have a new normal. Our mojo is off. We won, but barely, and our mojo is off. Aria continues to report information about the team that’s not available to outsiders, which means we have a leak. The team is starting to point fingers. Everyone is looking over their shoulder and being careful what they say. It’s not good, but no one has a valid solution.
Aria-gate, as the guys are calling it, is taking the attention off anything else that might be going on, including any possible suspicions pertaining to Inez and me.
I’m lying low and doing my job. I played an okay game tonight. No points, no goals, a block, but I did what I had to do as we painfully ground out that win over an inferior team.
I sit down in front of my stall after my shower and check my phone. There’s a text from Inez. We’re meeting up at her place in an hour. I’m taking my time as I’d rather wait here than in front of her place.
“Hey, tough one tonight,” says Drakos as he sits across from me. He towels his wet hair and checks the mirror app on his phone. I roll my eyes.
“Hot date or dates tonight?”
“Always.” Drakos grins. His phone beeps, and he glances down, scowling. “Shit.”
“What? Or do I want to know?”
He hands me the phone, and I skim through Aria’s latest post. She didn’t waste any time getting that up. She insults Drakos as usual and then goes after our goalie Roman. “Wonderful. Just what Roman needs. Another blow to his confidence.”
“Yeah, what about the shit she said about me?” Drakos is indignant.
“She always says shit about you. Aren’t you immune to it by now?” I have to laugh. I’m a bad friend.
Drakos opens his mouth to answer when shouting from across the room gets our attention.
“What the fuck is this?” growls Roman.
“Looks like he saw her article,” Drakos whispers, never taking his eyes off Roman.
“I saw you talking to Aria yesterday after practice.” Roman stomps over to Koko. He’s still in full goalie gear as he did a photo op with kids after the game. He’s furious, and I watch helplessly. A couple other guys tense up, too, waiting for the explosion.
“Yeah, so. She interviewed me,” Koko sneers. He’s an arrogant prick but oddly likable.
“I read your bullshit about me. You’re undermining my position with the team with her assistance.”
“What bullshit?” Koko sounds genuinely confused.
“This.” Roman shoves his phone in Koko’s face. Koko glances at the screen, and his eyes grow wide. “I never said anything about you in that interview. This is all her.” He points at the screen animatedly.
“You hinted to her. You’ve been angling for my job for months.”
“Of course I am, or I wouldn’t be a competitive hockey player, but that doesn’t mean I’d undermine you. I want to earn the starting job because I’m the best.”
“That’s a bunch of crap, and you know it. You’ll take any shortcut possible. You’re lazy.”
“I’m what?” Koko stands toe-to-toe with Roman. I glance at Drakos. He reads my mind and nods briefly. As one, we stand and stride across the room. There won’t be a locker room fight on our watch.
“You’re fucking lazy.” Roman isn’t backing down, but neither is Koko.
“That’s enough, boys.” Drakos steps up and pushes them both apart with my help. “We’re a team. No one is trying to undermine you, Roman. Back off.”
Koko smirks and snorts as if to say, “See, I’m right.”
Drakos turns on Koko. “And you need to apply yourself more rather than whining about not getting enough playing time.”
Dash hurries through the door. I’m guessing one of the guys grabbed him from outside the locker room. The entire space goes quiet. Dash commands respect, and we give it to him, except Koko. He’s too ignorant to understand.
“Are you calling me lazy also?” Koko ignores Dash and rounds on Drakos. Our captain doesn’t appreciate being snubbed. He grabs the kid’s arm and yanks him hard. “What the fuck, Cap. What was that for?”
“For being a douche. Drakos and Roman are right. You are lazy. You lean on your talent but aren’t interested in putting in the work.”
Koko’s arrogance fades, and he stares at his feet. “Sorry.”
Dash nods curtly before surveying the room. “Are we okay in here, boys? Roman?”
“Yeah, we’re good,” says Roman as he avoids looking directly at Koko. “Sorry I accused you, Koko.”
Dash waits to make sure we’re not going to erupt into another scene, then exits. One by one, guys turn back to what they were doing. Drakos cranks up the music and the tension lifts. I glance at my watch. Time to leave for Inez’s. Excitement courses through my veins as I imagine what we’ll be doing later tonight.
I leave the arena, grab some Chinese takeout, and drive to Inez’s building. I park in the back so my car won’t be seen from the street and take the steps to her apartment two at a time. I rap on the door and wait expectantly. I’m wired from the game tonight as usual, but I’m even more wired to see Inez.
Inez flings open the door and throws her arms around me, planting a big kiss on my lips. I could stand here all night and kiss her back, but wisdom, which I rarely practice, dictates we go inside before someone sees us.
We continue our make-out session even while I pick her up and carry her into the bedroom. We’re on the bed, tearing at each other’s clothes in no time. This time she climbs on top and fucks me hard. I’m a goner. After we both have epic orgasms, I lie on my back with my eyes closed. Inez snuggles next to me. We don’t speak for a long while, enjoying the silence and just being in the moment.
I want her every day like this. There are so many things I’d love to do with her, not just sex, but going for walks along the Columbia, hiking in the nearby woods, attending fancy galas. Most of these activities we don’t dare do together, which frustrates me. Yet I have no solution.
“Tough game tonight,” Inez says finally.
“Yeah, it was one of those nights where we were lucky to squeak out a win. We felt off, and nothing brought us back together.”
“Why do you think that is?”
“Lots of reasons, but I’d point to Aria sowing unrest. Did you see tonight’s article?”
“I did.” Inez sits up and sighs. I do the same, and we lean against the pillows.
“Roman saw Koko interviewing with Aria yesterday and accused him of undermining. It blew up.”
“Oh, shit. Are they okay now?”
“As good as they’re going to be for the near future. Drakos and I had to intervene before punches were thrown. Dash appeared and let them both have it. There’s a truce, but things are still tense.”
“That sucks.” Inez runs her fingers across my stubbled jaw. Brian lets the captains handle issues within the locker room, and I’m guessing Inez is taking the same approach.
“The team thinks someone on the inside is leaking intel to Aria. Everyone’s watching their back and looking over their shoulder, suspicious it’s one of us.”
Inez groaned and buried her head briefly in my neck. Finally, she lifts her face to mine. “It could very well be a staff member, too. Do you have any suspects?”
I laugh at her use of suspects . “This isn’t a murder investigation.”
“I know, but you know what I mean.”
“Not really. I’ve thought it over and over, and I’m drawing a blank. I don’t think it’s any of the guys.”
“I don’t either.”
Our eyes meet. Inez is troubled, and I don’t blame her. The playoff spot is so close I can taste it, but unrest in the locker room might destroy our chances.
“Dash is on it,” I assure her.
“I hope so, Camden. I really hope so.”
“On a happier note, I’m fucking glad I’m still here.” I rain little kisses on her face and neck. She throws back her head to allow me better access.
“Why? Were you going somewhere?” Her voice is far away, as if she’s not really hearing what I’m saying, probably because my tongue is now in her ear.
“No, and I didn’t get traded.”
She laughs. “Of course, you’re distracting me, or that’d be the first thing that came to mind.”
“What’s the next thing that comes to mind?”
“I want you to bang my brains out.” Her lips fall into an exaggerated pout, and her eyes flame with desire.
“I wouldn’t want to disappoint.”
“You never disappoint.”
“Neither do you.”
I give her what she wants and what I want. In our little bubble, our affair can last forever, and I’m wallowing in the illusion it will.
Yet, through the after-sex haze, a shadow forms on the horizon, and I can’t help but feel the storm is coming.