47. Grayson
Grayson
Ihate to admit that being down a teammate has made us better, but it really has. Collins got suspended and I don’t think we’ve played better than we are right now. We’re off the ice before the third period, up two points and feeling good about going into the final twenty minutes of the game.
The one distraction I have is that when I look at my phone, I don’t see any texts from Rae.
No commentary on the game, no wishing me luck, nothing.
While I want to believe it’s because she’s just having a good time up in the suite with everyone, there’s the smallest feeling in the back of my mind that something isn’t right.
When I text her and it stays on delivered, the feeling intensifies.
I resort to reaching out to Asher, hoping that he’s heard from her. Or that he’s with her.
Grayson
Are you with Rae?
He doesn’t respond right away either, and I’m about to call them, or reach out to my mom to see if Rae is with her. Then a message comes through, but when I see it’s Asher and not Rae my panic intensifies.
Asher
No. I just got done at the gym and she texted me about an hour ago, but she’s not responding now.
That’s not right.
She can disappear when she’s deep into working and puts her phone on do not disturb, but she doesn’t miss a game. Ever.
“Wheeler, what’s wrong?” my Captain asks, and I realize I probably look crazed.
“Uh, I don’t—” I run my hand through my sweat-soaked hair. “I don’t know, but I think there might be something wrong with my girlfriend.”
I try to call her, but her phone just rings then goes to voicemail. I know something is wrong. I look around at the locker room, and I know I can’t be here. There’s no way I can play the last period not knowing where she is.
My phone goes off with another text, and I hope it’s her, but it’s just Asher again.
Asher
I’m heading to her house.
While I feel better knowing he’s going to her, I need to do the same.
“What’s wrong?” Cap asks, clearly concerned as well. I’ve garnered the attention of the rest of my team and Coach Mitchell as well.
“I don’t know, but I have to go,” I announce, already pulling my jersey off.
“You can’t leave in the middle of the game, Wheeler,” Coach Mitchell scolds, but I’m already stripping the rest of my gear off.
“Family emergency. Sub someone in for me,” I grumble; I have tunnel vision as I try to change in record time.
“You’re going to get fined by the league, maybe suspended,” he threatens.
I could get kicked off the team forever right now and not even care, as long as I can make sure Rae is okay.
“Do what you need to do, I have to go,” I insist.
None of my teammates argue with my need to leave, and I’m sure it’s because they can see how frantic I am. Coach Mitchell doesn’t question me further, and I’m grabbing my keys, racing out of the locker room before the next period starts.
I don’t pay attention to anything on my way out to the parking garage. I keep trying to call Rae, hoping she’ll answer and tell me everything is fine. Each time her phone goes to voicemail I feel worse and worse.
I get to my car, never more grateful for my decision to get something fast. I’m buckling my seatbelt while pulling out of the parking spot and already starting to race out of here.
Luckily, there’s no traffic since the game is still going on.
I’m ignoring all speed laws as I race through the downtown streets and toward Rae’s house.
My phone rings, and I reach for it, answering without looking, just hoping I’ll hear her voice on the other end, but it’s my dad.
“Where are you? Did you get injured?”
“I left.” I press the gas even harder, pushing my car to go faster.
“Left? Gray, you know a game is three periods, right?”
He chuckles like he’s joking, but I can also hear the tenseness in his voice. Hockey was always my dad’s main focus, at least before Easton and I were born. But he always had a third child, and that was the sport. He’s not mad, but I can tell he’s not happy either.
“Yeah, there’s something going on with Rae.” I turn the wheel without slowing down, hardly even caring if my car skids on the fresh snow that’s hitting the ground.
Suddenly, his concern shifts. “What about Rae?”
I hear my mom in the background, I think she says Rae’s name, and there’s shuffling, but I’m too focused on the road and getting to her to listen closely.
“I don’t know, I’m heading to her right now, so is Asher. I’ll call you back later.”
“Asher? Why—”
I hang up the phone before he can finish whatever he’s going to say because right now is definitely not the time to get into any of that. Not when the love of my life could be in danger.
I remember what she told me about her potential stalker, and I’m driving even faster. Nothing has happened lately that I know about, but I didn’t even know about what was going on for a while either.
I’m sure I break a new record with how quickly I get to Rae’s house. When I pull up, the gate’s already open which is not helping my urgency. Asher’s car is parked in the circular driveway, but so is another one that I don’t immediately recognize.
The front door is open, and I hardly even turn my car off before I’m rushing out toward it.
As soon as I’m inside, I call out but already see the image of my nightmares.
Asher’s back is to me, and he sees the same thing I do, while I wonder why he hasn’t completely lost his shit on Collins.
I notice the knife he’s twirling around and recognize why.
Asher may be a professional fighter, but he’s outmatched when there’s a weapon involved.
Even worse, Rae is restrained, her hands behind her, feet bound, mouth gagged, and she has a cut on her head that’s bleeding and it makes me see red.
“Wheeler, so nice of you to join us. I thought we were going to have fun without you.” Collins sounds way too happy right now.
“Collins, what in the actual fuck is going on?”
“You know this psycho?” Asher questions.
“Yeah, he’s a teammate. At least he was.
” I glare at him, wondering the best way we could get to him without risking Rae.
He’s sitting right next to her. I feel like if we move even an inch, he wouldn’t hesitate to use the blade on her.
Clearly, he’s not opposed to hurting her.
My eyes go back to the wound on her forehead, and I want to take her into my arms and make sure she’s okay.
Tears stain her cheeks and she’s looking at us with so much fear. I’m not normally violent, but I’m going to kill Collins.
Rae says something, but it’s muffled by the gag in her mouth. Collins reaches his arm around her shoulder, running the blade along her cheek, and Asher starts to storm forward.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Collins threatens, moving the knife to Rae’s throat. I tense, and she starts to cry harder.
Asher’s shoulders move with his heavy breaths. His fists clench and I can only imagine he’s seconds away from completely losing it. If he does, I won’t stop him. My priority is getting Rae safe. There’s two of us, and one of him; I’m sure if we’re smart about this, we can get her out of here.
“What do you want?” I spit at him.
“She’s right here.” He smiles, and it’s the scariest smile I’ve ever seen someone have. His eyes are empty, soulless.
Rae closes her eyes, more tears spilling out and I want to go to her, hold her, make everything okay and have her forget about everything that’s happened.
“Well, she clearly doesn’t want you so let her go and no one has to get hurt,” Asher snaps, clearly losing the minimal patience he’s had up until this point.
Collins laughs, and Rae flinches, which has me about to lose my shit too.
“Nah, I wanted her when she was perfect and innocent but then I find out she’s a whore fucking both of you. I didn’t want her anymore.”
“Great. Then let her go,” I grind out.
“Why? So you can continue to show off your perfect fucking life? Fuck that. You took everything from me, so I’m going to do the same to you.”
“I didn’t take anything, you did that,” I insist.
“You don’t fucking know anything, Wheeler,” he snaps, tightening his grip on Rae, including the way the blade presses into her skin. Both Asher and I don’t hesitate anymore.
We act on pure instinct lunging forward; Asher sends his fist flying toward Collins while I carefully and quickly grab Rae from his grip.
Luckily the hit knocked him off guard enough to loosen his grip the smallest bit, so she doesn’t get cut.
She collapses in my arms as I pick her up, pulling the gag from her mouth as she sobs.
“We have you,” I tell her as Asher and Collins continue to fight. Asher is able to get the weapon out of his hands and from there Asher is more experienced in fighting than Collins and is able to easily overtake him.
As soon as I get Rae’s hands free, I drop my phone into them. “Call the cops, baby.”
I don’t want to leave her side, but I also don’t want Asher to get himself killed. He seems to have it, but as he holds Collins down in some move that I’m sure is from his training, I see him wince in pain when Collins bucks up and it puts pressure on his shoulder that’s still healing.
“I got it,” I tell Asher, wrestling Collin’s arms from Asher’s grip so he doesn’t do any more damage to his shoulder than I’m sure he already did. Asher stays holding Collin’s legs down with his own.
I hear Rae on the phone with the cops, and I’m so proud of how calm she’s sounding.
“Where the fuck is her security?” I ask.
Asher shakes his head, wincing again as he moves his left arm. “I never saw anyone when I got here.”
I slam Collins’ arms down on the ground. “What did you do?”
“Does it even fucking matter?” he spits, licking some of the blood from his lip Asher split during their scuffle.
“It’ll matter when I fucking kill you.” Asher punches him again and I want to stop him, but I also want him to shut the fuck up.
I look over at Rae who’s still on the phone; the blood on her face, tears on her cheeks, bruises already forming on her soft skin have me conflicted.
I want to go back to holding her, but I also want to murder the man we’re holding down that’s still spewing threats and insults to all of us, but I tune him out, keeping all my focus on Rae.
When her lips quirk up in the smallest reassuring smile, I know everything is going to be okay. It may take some time, but we have all the time in the world. Anything for her.