57. Zander
CHAPTER 57
ZANDER
Practice was intense, but it was exactly what I needed.
Sweat is pouring off me as I jog down the ramp to the locker room. I ran so many fucking drills today, but I was focused and on form. Knowing things are right with Sienna again was the energy injection I needed.
The Cougars are going to see out this season and win our conference. I can feel it.
Stripping off my damp gear, I stow my pads away and throw my practice jersey at the hamper. The fact that our football laundry gets done for us is fucking epic. I feel sorry for the guy who washes that stink pile each day, but I’m grateful.
I must thank him the next time I spot him. If only I could remember his name.
Shit. I hate that I suck so bad with names.
“Good job out there.” Grady puffs, stripping off his clothes while walking over to me. “You were on fire, man.”
“Yeah, I’m feeling it today. ”
“I wonder why.” He wriggles his eyebrows, and we laugh together, pounding fists before Wily muscles in on our conversation.
“What’s the haps tonight? We going to Offside?”
“I’m out.” Carson, who has the ability to get changed like the fucking Flash, is already heading for the door.
“What, you not gonna shower, you disgusting douchenozzle?” Grady calls after him.
He turns with a smirk and raises both middle fingers. “Chicks like me sweaty.”
I roll my eyes while Wily shouts after him, “You smell like ass!”
“Shower in a can, dickheads!” he calls over his shoulder before disappearing from view.
Tyrell laughs, grabbing a towel and heading for the showers.
I’m about to do the same when my phone starts ringing. Pulling it out of my bag, I check the screen and grin.
Wily notices and nudges me with a laugh while Grady lightly punches my shoulder, obviously happy for me. The guy has always been a romantic.
“Hey, Sparks.”
“Zander! He’s taken Zoey. Shit! I don’t know where she is or what he’s doing with her. Shit, shit, shit!” Words punch out of her like sobs, and I’m struggling to register what she’s saying.
I blink and press the phone closer to my ear. “Sienna, what? Who’s got Zoey?”
“Russell! He picked her up from Mrs. Ward’s place before I got there. I tried calling him to ask where she is, and he says he won’t give her back to me unless I dump you and be with him. He’s fucking psycho!” Sienna lets out another sob while I gape at the wall, trying to comprehend this shit.
A raging hot fury swirls through me like a tornado, and the first thing to pop out is a low growl. I am going to kill that fucker. If he’s scared my daughter…
My guts start to boil.
He’s fucking scaring my woman, and that’s enough for me to issue a “Your Life is Over” warrant.
“I don’t know how to find him,” Sienna whimpers. “And he said if I call the police, he’ll take Zoey away and I’ll never see her again.”
“Dude, is everything okay?” Grady leans in, catching my eye.
I clench my jaw, shaking my head and gritting out a soft. “Sienna, where are you, baby?”
“Ummm… I’m on, um… the road with the pet store on the corner and that diner that makes the amazing milkshakes. You know the one?”
“Yeah, yeah. Okay. I’m gonna come and get you, and we’ll figure this out together. We’ll find her, okay? I promise you. We’re getting her back.”
“He’s lost his mind,” Sienna’s whispering on repeat. “He’s lost his fucking mind.”
“It’s gonna be okay.”
Fuck, those words feel so useless and empty.
What I really mean is it better be okay, or I’m the one who’ll be losing his fucking mind!
“Zander?” Grady’s right in my grill as I hang up and snatch my bag off the hook. “What the fuck, man?”
“Russell’s taken Zoey. Sienna’s freaking out, and I’ve got to go be with her. ”
“What do you mean, he’s taken her?” Wily barks, snatching my arm before I can leave.
I shake him off and growl, “It means he’s taken her without Sienna’s permission, and he won’t fucking tell her where she is!”
My voice cuts across the conversations in the locker room, and soon every head is turned my direction. I don’t know if everybody heard me, but I figure, what the fuck… I could use the help.
“My daughter’s missing!” I flick my hands up. “She’s been taken by Russell Fisher. He’s the assistant coach for the hockey team, and I need to find her. Fast.”
“Start at the arena,” someone suggests.
“We’ll start canvassing the campus,” someone else shouts. “Have you got a picture?”
I pull out my phone, my hands shaking and making it nearly impossible to upload my latest picture of Zoey to the team group chat.
“We should be calling the cops!”
“No!” I shout. “He said if we do that, he’ll disappear with her for good. I’m not taking any chances. Just… help me find my girl, okay!”
There’s a rush of activity as football players move into action, and I grab Wily’s shirt while Grady moves in to hear me. “The arena’s a good idea. I’m gonna go get Sen, then meet you there, okay?”
“Got it.”
“I’m gonna let Coach know.” Tyrell rushes past me with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. He’s still dripping from his shower.
I nod and bolt out the door after him, running to my car .
I call Sienna on the way, and she tells me she’s okay to drive and will meet me at the arena.
That’s my girl.
Squealing away from the stadium, I haul ass to the arena and pull in just before Sienna gets there. I’m opening her door for her as soon as she’s parked and pulling her into a fierce hug.
She clings to me, shuddering against my chest.
“It’s gonna be okay.” I rub her back. “The whole team is out looking for her. We’ll find our girl, okay?” Pulling back, I hold her face and make sure she’s looking at me. “We’ll get her back.”
“Yeah.” Her head bobs erratically, and I take her hand, pulling her toward the arena and starting to shout when I see two guys walking out with hockey bags slung over their shoulders.