Epilogue
Daemon
There are four fucking minutes left on the clock in the third period of this game, and my body is fighting against me.
The scoreboard reflects the joint effort of both teams leaving us tied after battling for this last win for fifty-six minutes. This is game seven in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Hudson Huskies versus the Boston Bears.
This is it.. Everything I've worked for over the last twenty years in the NHL comes down to these last four minutes. The countless injuries I’ve endured. The sacrifices I’ve made. This is my last season with my team. This is my last chance to bring home another Stanley Cup.
Something about the ice feels different tonight.
The chemistry I feel with my team is more powerful.
The electric charge is evident by the roar coming from the fans in the arena.
Every breath burns in my lungs. My muscles are screaming, but I push through it because that's what you do. It’s how we become champions again.
Three minutes left in regulation time. I don’t know if my body will last if the game goes into overtime. I’m already nearly dead on my skates.
Holden wins the faceoff and the puck shoots back to our defense.
I'm already moving, reading the play three steps ahead like I've always done. Maxton has the puck now, and he’s skating fast down the left wing.
I cut toward the net, the sound of my skates carving up the ice beneath my feet is a sound I'll never grow tired of.
The roar of the crowd in the enclosed arena is deafening. That wall of sound, drowning out everything outside of the rink used to be my entire reason for breathing.
Now, my very reason for living is my girl.
I know she's up there somewhere in the stands with Angelina, Sage, and Britt. My girl has been cheering for me all night. She's been waving around a sign I caught a glimpse of during warm-ups.
My chest tightens the same way it did earlier tonight when those three words registered a moment before her face peered from behind the poster board.
I LOVE YOU, DAEMON!
We haven't said those words to each other yet. I've wanted to, but I've been too afraid of how quickly I’ve fallen in love with this twenty-two year old psycho.
She’s wild, spontaneous, and incredibly reckless. She’s the opposite of me in so many ways. I’m afraid that one day, she'll get bored of me. One day, she'll realize that she wants someone younger. She’ll want someone who could give her a normal life. Someone who isn't me.
Then, she showed up tonight at the last game of my professional career with that sign. The cameras caught the sign, which means that not only does the entire stadium know she’s in love with me, but everyone watching at home knows too.
I thought I’d be terrified when news of our relationship got to the public, but I’m just happy that everyone knows that chaos gremlin is mine.
Two minutes until the end.
Maxton passes the puck to Kai. Kai hands it off to Holden. The Bears' defense is collapsing, trying to protect their net and the goal tender. Their goalie, Keegan Lambert, the former backup goalie for the Hudson Huskies, is crouched and ready.
I position myself at the top of the crease, my stick ready. A Bears defenseman tries to box me out but I'm stronger, more experienced. I hold my ground. I won’t be forced out of this spot no matter how hard he tries.
Holden has the puck behind the net. He's looking for an opening, and I fucking know he's going to pass it to me.
Our eyes meet for a split second, but that’s all we need. We’ve been on this ice together the longest, and I can read his every move before he makes it.
He sends it to me.
The puck slides across the ice, a perfect, clean pass. I don't think before I act. Twenty years of muscle memory kicks in, and I pull my stick back and release. I put everything I have into this shot.
The puck flies toward the goal.
Keegan moves, but he's a half of a second too slow for my shot.
The puck hits the back of the net.
The goal horn blares around us. Every Hudson fan in the crowd erupts into cheers. My teammates are screaming and rushing toward me, but everything feels as though it happens in slow motion.
Even when my men crash into me, I barely feel it. Holden grabs my face, his smile wide and bright as he talks to me, but I don’t hear what he’s saying.
All I can think about is her.
I look up at the stands, searching through the chaos of jumping fans and waving signs until I find her.
Gianna.
She's on her feet, her sign is clutched in her hands high above her head, and tears are streaming down her beautiful face. She's screaming something I can't hear. After a few tries,I can read her lips.
That's my man.
My chest cracks open, and my eyes burn as I fight back my own tears.
All the guys are piling on me now, gloves and helmets flying. Everyone is shouting about the Cup and about the win. Grown men are crying and hugging, because we fucking did it.
But I'm already pulling away from them. Before I can try to get to my girl, I hear shouting and cursing.
Turning my head, I see the commotion is coming from center ice.
Truett and Keegan are going at it, gloves off, fists flying.
It's the showdown that's been brewing all season. Once we learned who we’d be facing in the finals, I knew that no matter who took home the Cup, this fight would be the highlight of the game.
Holden and Kai are already skating toward Truett and Keegan. Maxton is not far behind them. I could let them handle it on their own, but this is still my team, regardless of my retirement status.
Skating as hard as I can, I race across the ice and make it to the center just as Truett falls on top of Keegan. He’s shouting something that sounds like, “I’m glad they traded such a shitty goalie off my team,” in Keegan’s face.
Keegan uses every ounce of momentum he can gain in their restrictive gear to buck Truett off of him. Then, he’s on top of him, but he’s not trying to fight him. Instead, he’s just sitting there on top of him.
I get to the mayhem just as one of the Bears’ defensemen goes to punch Tru in the face. Slamming my shoulder into him, he goes sailing across the ice as Holden and Kai rip Keegan off of our teammate.
Once he’s standing, Holden grabs him and whispers, “Don’t do this right now. I’ll deal with him. Go back to your team and celebrate how well you fought for the last seven games. You did great. We just did better. Now, go.”
With one last death glare at Truett, who is just now getting back on his skates, Keegan skates off the ice.
“What the fuck, Vale,” Kai barks at Truett once he’s upright. “Not the time for this shit.”
Holden goes at him next, and I’m positive that Coach will have a lot to say to him once we’re back in the locker room. I’m not needed right now. They've got it handled.
Which is a good thing, because I have somewhere else I need to be.
I skate toward the boards, straight toward the section where I know she is. Security tries to stop me from calling her to me, but I don't care what he’s going to say to try to stop me. I'm Daemon fucking Lucero, and I just scored the game winning goal in game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals.
I'm going to get my girl.
“Gianna!” I shout, my voice raw with all the emotion of the last few minutes.
When I spot her, she’s pushing through the crowd, climbing over seats, as she makes her way to me. She doesn’t care who she's stepping on or what anyone thinks. That's my girl. My chaotic, beautiful, little psycho.
Gianna finally reaches the glass where I am, and our eyes lock. She’s so fucking beautiful, and she’s all mine.
The arena is still going insane around us. My team is finally celebrating our hard earned win. Purple, gray, and black confetti pours down all over the ice. Cameras are everywhere, including the one that is right beside me. None of it matters.
“Open the gate!” I yell at security.
The two men hesitate for half a second before one of them rushes to unlock the small door that leads from the stands to the hallway they are standing in. Once she’s through, I wrap my arms around her and pull her over the other gate leading to the ice.
Once she is over the barrier, I hug her to me as I skate out to the goal, where I just ensured that the Stanley Cup trophy was coming home with us. I set her down carefully so she’s back on her feet and just stare at her through my blurry vision. The tears are freely gliding down my cheeks.
“You did it,” she cries, grabbing my cheeks. “You fucking did it, Daemon.”
“I love you,” I say, the words full of emotion. “I love you, Gianna. I am so fucking in love with you.”
Her breath catches. Those warm, earthy brown eyes immediately filling with fresh tears.
“I love you,” she whispers. I know that I saw her sign, but hearing the words in her melodic voice is different. It’s everything I needed to hear after that win. “I love you so much it scares me.”
“Don't be scared,” I beg her, pressing my forehead to hers. “Be mine. Be mine for real. Be mine forever. I know we said that we were going to see where this goes, but I know what I want. You will always be everything I want.”
“Forever,” she breathes, gripping onto my jersey like she’ll never let me go.
Right there on the ice, I crash my lips to hers. I claim her publicly in front of twenty thousand screaming fans, my teammates, the cameras, and everyone watching us celebrate on television.
I'm kissing the girl who crashed into my life on New Year's Eve and turned everything in my life upside down.
The girl who is twenty-two, reckless, and uses my credit card for late night Ubers.
The girl who dances on bars, tries to start fights with grown ass men, and makes me feel alive in a way I haven't felt in years.
The girl who will be my wife one day.
She tastes like happiness and chaos and home.
My teammates are rushing toward us now. They gave us our moment, and it’s time to celebrate with my guys. Champagne is being sprayed everywhere, and the Stanley Cup is between Holden, Kai, and Coach.
As they approach us, I don't let her go. Even as she tries to pull away to let me have my moment, I hold her to me.
“You're stuck with me now,” I tell her, grinning like an idiot.
She laughs, and it’s that wild, joyful sound that I'm addicted to. “Good. I wasn't planning on going anywhere. I just don’t want to get sprayed with champagne.”
“Even when I'm old and boring?” I ask, brow raised.
“Especially then.” She kisses me again, pouring all her love into the simple act. “You're mine, Daemon Lucero. I didn’t fight so hard to get you just to let you go.”
“Well, you have me, Chaos. All of me,” I assure her.
Holden skates over with the Cup hoisted above his head. His face split in the biggest smile I've ever seen on the guy. “Lucero! Get your ass over here! We're taking pictures!”
Gianna tries to step away from me, but I keep her hand locked in mine. “Go with your team,” she says, nodding to the group of grown idiots dancing. “This is your moment.”
I shake my head, pulling her with me toward my team. “This is our moment.”
As we approach the group, I notice that all the wives and girlfriends of the guys have made their way onto the ice, including Angelina, Britt, and Sage. With a kiss to my cheek, Gianna goes over to the women, allowing me to take photos and drink with the men and Coach.
Once the cameras and press begin to dwindle, Gianna’s hand slips into mine. I turn to her, and there is a mischievous smile on her gorgeous face. “What the hell did you do now?”
She laughs, digging into the pocket of her jeans. When her hand returns, she’s holding a lighter and a candle.
“How the hell did you get a lighter past security?”
Gianna shrugs. “I have my ways.” Releasing my hand, she flicks open the zippo lighter and lights the candle. Her eyes meet mine. “Happy birthday, Daemon. Make a wish.”
This woman never ceases to amaze me. We’ve been fucking around the clock when I’m not on the ice or helping her put together her resume.
We’ve talked for endless hours, but the topic of birthdays hasn’t come up at any point over the last month.
Somehow, she still knew and made sure she had something for me.
I look at the candle and the last six weeks flash in my mind. I got the girl. I got the championship. I got everything I wanted and more. What else could I wish for?
My gaze wanders to Gianna, and instantly, I know what my wish will be this year. Leaning in, I blow out the candle.
“What did you wish for?” Her voice is low as she asks the question.
“You’ll find out eventually,” I tease. “Now, are you going to tell me how you managed to sneak in a metal zippo lighter past a ton of security?”
“Nope,” she exaggerates the sound when she pops the p, and I just smile at her. Then, she’s looking around the arena with the lighter in her hand. “How many of these do you think it would take to melt the ice?”
With a laugh, I lift her from the icy floor and crash my lips to hers. I’m barely aware of the sound of the lighter landing somewhere near my skates, but I don’t care about anything other than getting lost in my girl right now.
Gianna is crazy and a full blown demon of chaos. She’s going to keep me on my toes for a long time, and I can’t fucking wait to watch as our life unfolds. It’s going to be a beautiful fucking mess.