Chapter 33
Carter
I’m free.
That’s exactly what it felt like when I thought he was dead. It felt like I was high, soaring over the ledge, and flying free across the valley. And when I found out the bastard was still alive, that feeling didn’t go away.
I fought back, and he’ll never come after me again. Whatever happens, I’m going to make sure he doesn’t lay a hand on my mother, Bray, or anyone I care about again.
“We have time. We have several hours until we have to be anywhere.” Willa tries to get me to slow down.
“We have too much to do to be lying in a bed all day.” I kneel down next to her and cradle her face in my hands, brushing my thumb over her soft pink lips. “I’m ok, and I need to do something I should’ve done a long time ago.” I pull her face into mine and press my lips against hers. “As much as I would love to stay in bed all day to worship you, I need to do this.”
“I’ll come with you.” She nods in agreement.
“No.” Fuck, it kills me to have to leave her again. Even if it’s only for a few hours. “Please, I need you to find Braydon and my mom. She’ll be at Creed’s.” I find a pen and begin writing the address on a page from the closest notebook. “Tell them to lie low. It’s going to be ugly, but I’m done letting him get away with this.”
“Carter–”
“I’ll meet you at the barn.” I throw my sweatshirt on and slip into my shoes before giving Willa another chaste kiss. I’m riding this high, and I’m taking control of my life.
Excited to finish this, I grab the keys on the desk and run up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time.
“It’s a beautiful day, boys,” I shout as I pass the guys through the house, slapping Gentry on the back as I go. “Thanks for letting me borrow your car.”
I have a two second head start before he realizes what I said. That’s two seconds for me to jump the porch and slide into his tiny electric sports car.
The engine purrs like a kitten. A very cute tiny kitten.
“Carter, get out.” Gentry slams his hand on the window. “I’ll drive you to wherever you want to go.” I can’t take that chance.
He jumps back when I put the car in reverse.
“I’ll have her back before midnight,” I yell out the silver of the opening of the window as I back away.
“Carter, where are you going?” Willa shouts with her hands on her head in the middle of our lawn.
Leaving her isn’t easy, but she’ll understand. They all will.
The police station is busier than I remember it being this morning. The front area has a few people anxiously waiting to be helped, and there are several officers coming in and out.
“Did you forget something?” Sargeant Calder glances up at me but turns his attention back to the other officer he was talking to.
I wait until they”re done talking, impatiently tapping my leg.
“I need to file a complaint.”
He snorts, holding back a condescending laugh. “I don’t have time for this, kid.”
“This is serious.” I place my shaking hand on the desk between us. “If he can’t come after me, he’ll go after his wife.”
“Who?” Another officer comes out with something for Sergeant Calder to sign.
“Mayor Terrance Pierce.” I glare at the two officers.
“Ah shit,” Sergeant Calder comes around and ushers me to the back. “Get in here before you tell the fucking world.”
“They should all know.” I shake him off, but follow him to his office.
“We know. It’s already been filed.” He slams his door shut. “I’ve been fending off reporters all morning, wanting to know who pulverized the Mayor.”
“How…?” Words don’t form as I try to process this new information.
“I knew he was a drunk and figured he wasn’t the best father, but I had no idea it went this far. Why wouldn’t you say anything all the times you’ve been in that cell?” He takes out a folder from his desk and clicks a pen. “Start from the beginning.”
I tell him everything. Every detail, starting from any memory I have of signs that he hurt Janisa too. He keeps asking why I hadn’t come to him sooner, but he doesn’t get it. It took three weeks of me not stopping home for him to turn on my mom. I selfishly stayed away to seek a euphoria I never felt before. I needed this freedom.
“Your father is being detained,” he tells me after I retell the events of last night. “He’s still in the hospital with some broken bones, but they”re minor and he”s in police custody.” He closes the folder and locks it in his drawer. “Braydon came by earlier with a statement and videos. Several videos he’s taken over the years and has given to the district attorney. He’s done. There’s too much evidence for him not to be locked up. We’ll get a restraining order just in case.”
“Can I see him first?” My limbs shake with the adrenaline still coursing through me. “I want to see him.”
Sergeant Calder shakes his head.
“I need to see him,” I say before he can say no. “I need closure.”
With a heavy sigh, he stands and puts on his coat. “Let’s go.”
Sergeant Calder drives us to the hospital and takes me through the back to avoid any news cameras still parked outside.
Briar Creek’s Mayor is in the hospital after getting beaten almost to death. It’s the biggest news this town has come across since the great squirrel outbreak on the outdoor hockey rink in the park. I may have had something to do with covering the rink with nuts to lure the squirrels on that one. It took a long time to get them out.
Officers stand outside the empty hallway with a few nurses keeping watch as Calder leads me to the room. There’s no concern for me coming to visit my father since the reason he’s here has been kept hidden.
“I can’t leave you alone with him, but I’ll stand by the door.” He lets me into the room and watches carefully for what I’ll do.
Dad looks up and laughs with his swollen face, unable to move when he sees me. He’s cuffed to the bed with bandages on his face and chest under the hospital gown.
“Are you here to finish the job?” He slurs with a muffled laugh until he’s coughing. Hacking up his lung, he leans over and spits into a small pail at the floor. “Are you happy with what you see?” He spits again with a grunt.
“No.” I sit down in the chair next to the bed. “I’m not happy to see the man that was supposed to be a role model for me, be the monster he is.”
He scoffs and rolls his swollen eye.
“I was making you a man.” He pulls at the cuffs to point to his chest. “You were fucking weak.”
“You’re the weak one, picking on those who can’t or won’t fight back. And I’m nothing like you.”
He clenches his fist and pulls to make the rail on the bed shake. Calder steps forward, but stops to keep watch.
“You are nothing.” I stand over him. “You’re done in this town, and in our lives. I hope you rot for what you did to her.”
Janisa’s smile flashes in my head. Be Strong.
I would love to pound into him. To throw all my hatred at him, but I’m better than him.
I’m not him, and he doesn’t have any power over me.
“Carter, come back here.” He commands at my back, but I keep walking away. “You worthless dumb shit, get back here. I’m talking to you.”
I don’t turn back, freeing myself of the last bit of string he held.
It’s over. It’s all over.
Gentry’s car flies on these roads with the slightest touch of the pedal. I left the house without my phone, but Willa should be at the arena by now.
There’s only a couple of hours until game time, and the guys have to get ready and suit up to play.
I’m in my sweatpants and sweatshirt, but it’s better to show up on time than to worry about going home to change into my suit and tie. I don’t bother with worrying about anything else. Coach won’t let me play, but at least I can cheer my team on.
Running down the hall past the press, I’m grabbed by my hood and thrown against the brick wall.
“Where’s my car?” Gentry’s wild eyes search my face and body for any incriminating evidence.
“It’s in the parking lot.” I hold my hands up and dangle the keys out for him. “Safe and sound.”
“Fuck.” He grabs the keys and lets me go. “Don’t ever fucking do that again. I had a shit time getting my mom here without a car.”
“Shit, I’m sorry.” I hold his shoulder. “Is she alright?”
“Dude, don’t be weird.” He shakes me off. “And yeah, she’s fine.” He looks at me like I’ve gone nuts and heads into the locker room to get changed.
I run past the door to head to Coach Renan’s office. I owe him an explanation, and to find out what he wants to do with me.
“Carter, thank god.” Willa gasps as I swing the door open. She jumps up from her seat and wraps her arms around my neck.
“I’m sorry I ran out, but I had to finish this.” I squeeze her tight before letting go.
Her hands caress my jaw as she lifts to her toes and presses a sweet kiss on my lips.
Coach Renan clears his throat to get our attention and break up the moment. “Want to tell me why you’re barging into my office and not getting dressed?”
“I know I missed practice, and I can’t play today.” I rush into my spiel. “I’m sorry I screwed up, but I’d like to be on the bench or…” I stop to realize what he said. “You want me to get dressed?”
“Family emergencies happen.” He shrugs.
Willa smiles up at me from her spot back on the chair.
“But if you don’t get out of here to warm up, I will bench you.” Coach points out toward the locker room. “As long as you keep your attitude in check and aren’t a complete goon, you can still start.”
“Thank you.” I stumble out the door. “You won’t regret it,” I shout over my shoulder and rush to the locker room. I stand in front of my locker cubby without thinking of the gear and clothes I left in my room, but it’s all here.
“Willa brought it all in.” Gentry slaps my shoulder. “Are you ready for this?”
“More than I’ve ever been.”
The tension and pain I carried on my chest has been lifted. All the memories are still there, but I can move on. Knowing that gives me the feeling that I can do anything.
Willa checks in on me while we come out for warmups. She found Braydon and my mom at Creed’s cabin. They had filled her in on what I found out.
Warming up, I take a few shots and work on passes with guys and then stretch out any tight muscles to get ready. Bray kneels down to stretch next to me.
“Cameras?” I question him. I had no idea he had set up tiny cameras around the house. He was secretly planning for something to happen.
“I did it for mom, not you.” Right, because once I left, it would be just him and her. Bray was protecting mom. We both were in our own way. “Are you going to screw up this game for us?”
“I guess we’ll find out.” I nudge his face with my glove as I switch legs.
“Fucker,” he grumbles as he picks himself back up, biting his lip to try not to smile.
He feels it too. We’re both free.
The game starts and I’m eager to get out there.
“C’mon boys,” I shout to encourage the team, leaning on the wall when the puck drops.
We get control on the onset, but the Sharks are a tough team and take it back. Play moves from one zone to the other with several blocked shots and stolen passes.
Coach is putting off letting me in and I don’t blame him. The guys are playing great, keeping the puck out from in front of the net and taking as many shots as they can.
“Carter, you’re in.” Willa slaps my shoulder when Coach signals to her.
We have two minutes left in the second period, and I jump the wall as soon as I see the puck coming by.
Pumping my legs, I ram into our opponent. Checking him down and freeing the puck for Alex to take.
Alex flies down with two men at his heels. He winds back, shoots, and bounces off the goalie’s pad. I come up from behind him, bumping my shoulder into our opponent who taps the puck. Reaching out my stick, I get under it and tip it up and over into the back of the net. It wasn’t pretty, but it’s a goal.
The guys crowd around, and Willa cheers me on from the bench. Our celebration doesn’t last long when the Sharks score on the next play to end the period in a tie.
The locker room is quiet as we all relax and prepare for the next period. The coaches come to collect us when it’s time to go back out, giving us words of encouragement. I hang back. Willa stands at the end, patting the guys’ shoulders as they pass.
With my gloves off, I grab her up into my arms and mold my lips onto hers.
“We’re going to win this game.” I set her down and give her another kiss.
“Win or lose, we’ll be ok.” She holds my face in her soft hands. “You still got me.” She pushes me out of the room with a slap on my ass.
As long as I have Willa, it doesn’t matter if we win. We made it this far, and no one expected that, but I have that feeling in my gut. We got this.
Five minutes left and we’re down by one. They got a lucky shot in when the puck bounced off Finn’s skate at the beginning of the period.
The Sharks have the puck when I jump out onto the ice, but as soon as I come out, another player checks me into the boards. My stick gets ticked up and into his helmet from the impact, and the whistle is called as soon as Gentry touches the puck to clear the zone.
Fuck.A penalty is called on me for high sticking. Two minutes in the sin-bin to give the other team a power play. I’m on the edge of my seat, willing my team to kill it, and I didn’t fuck up our chances.
Everyone in the arena is on the edge of their seats, watching shot after shot that gets saved and blocked.
3…2…1… I’m freed from the box. A shot bounces off our goalie’s pad and slides out in front of me. I take it out, keeping control of the puck as I skate into the offensive zone. I pass back to Gentry and get in front of the net. He fakes a shot and passes back to me. The goalie moves left for the save that doesn’t come. I turn and shoot it between the pipes, scoring another goal to redeem myself of the penalty taken.
The crowd erupts around us to match the high I have at scoring my second goal of the game. Everyone bumps my glove as I come back to the bench. I move down to the end to be near Willa and touch her hip as she grins down at me.
“One more.” I hold up my finger.
We’re tied now, and there’s less than three minutes left. We just need one more to win it.
Coach Renan orders me back in with the next faceoff. I’m targeted once the puck drops. A player from the other team gets his stick between my skates and I skid down hard against the boards right in front of the benches. The play continues, and no call is made as everyone on the bench yells for a penalty the ref didn’t catch.
“Keep your focus,” Coach shouts as I stand and motions for me to stay in. He’s warning us not to engage.
Icing is called on the Sharks and the rest of my team are shouting obscenities at them for the dirty play. We’re itching to fight, but there’s too much on the line to get any penalties.
The puck is dropped, and Alex passes it back to me to keep in the zone. I look to pass it, but no one is open. Gentry skates right in front of the goalie, pushing and shoving their defensive player, blocking the goalie’s view and giving me an open shot. I fake another pass, making a quick wrist shot to the net. It bounces on the post. Everyone scrambles for it, but it bounces off the goalie’s pad and back past the crease.
The buzzer sounds marking the end of the period right as the lamp lights up. The ref calls it good, and the guys jump on me. Screaming and cheering as hats rain down onto the ice to celebrate my hat trick.
Breaking away, I rush to the bench, scoop Willa over the wall and crush my mouth onto hers. Letting everyone know I’m hers.
No matter what happens after this, I’ll be the man she deserves. The best I can be.