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Together, Edgar and I lugged everything down to the car in one trip. It felt so good to be going home!
15
RANSOM
Just knowing Phoebe was here watching me play tonight was enough to ramp up the adrenaline coursing through my veins. Even though I didn’t have time to talk to her, just knowing she was in the stands was all I needed to dig in and take control of this game. It was only the second period and I already had eight minutes of penalty time on the board. Hell, call me old school. I was proud of that stat.
Between the second and third period, Molly brought Phoebe down to the locker room and held her to her side. The wrinkles on her brow made me wonder what was going on.
Phoebe helped Molly stand on the bench. “Listen up, guys!”
We all gathered around her and gave her our full attention.
Molly cleared her throat. “You guys are dominating out there and it’s fucking awesome to watch,” she started, but her words didn’t match her lack of enthusiasm. “But I have a bad feeling about the third period.” She held her hand up to Coach. “Not about how you’re playing, but about the Matadors and what they’re about to do. I’m not psychic and I don’t know this for sure, but keep your heads on a swivel even more in the next twenty minutes of this game. Something’s coming and it ain’t gonna be pretty. Don’t get hurt out there.”
We all searched Molly’s face to see if this was some sort of joke or lesson, but her usual jovial nature was gone. She was really worried. Well, shit.
Coach glanced out at us and seemed a little pissed with Molly. “Ah, well, the strategy stays the same regardless, men. Stick to the script and just keep an eye out.”
Molly shook her head. “No, Coach, that’s what I’m saying. We need a different script. Better to change it up in the third.”
Coach scrubbed his jaw. “There’s nothing I saw to justify that.”
Molly tilted her head. “I like to see blood fly as much as the next in a fair fight, but from what I could tell, that’s not what they’re planning. They know the patterns, the plays. We have to get some different pairings on defense to protect the guys.”
Coach pressed his lips together. “Molls, you know we value your opinion, but this time I have to go with my gut. Not yours.”
With a flare in her eyes, she darted to the edge of the bench and leaned down, growling in Coach’s face. “This is serious.”
He didn’t back down. Neither did she.
I looked over to Phoebe and saw the grim look on her face. She believed Molly.
Ilya appeared at Molly’s side to help her down from the bench. “Thanks, Molls. We’ll stay sharper now because of your warning. Right, guys?”
We all grunted our agreement, hardening ourselves to face facts. Molly cared about us and she’d never been wrong before. To Coach, we were just a commodity. If we got hurt, they’d call up one of the Raptors to take our place. Instead of working with Molly on a strategy to protect us, Coach drew a line.
Placing a kiss on the top of Molly’s head, Ilya ushered her out into the hallway. I ducked out behind them.
Phoebe grabbed me around the middle so tight, I gasped.
She cuddled in a little closer. “Someone’s gunning for you guys. Strange, right? I’ve never worried about you before, but the danger wasn’t this clear.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What do you mean?”
Her eyes met mine. “Whatever Molly feels, I can feel it too. It’s like a stench in the air around us. Something’s coming. I just hope no one gets hurt. Be careful, okay?”
I felt my brow furrow. “Yeah, of course, Raven. We’ll all be careful.”
I tipped my chin to Molly. “What’s your best guess?”
She bit her lower lip. “Protect Milo. Goalies are stationary, so he can’t escape an attack. I can already see they’ve been gunning for him. And watch out for the guys with known past injuries. Like Ilya’s left shoulder. Calder’s ribs are probably still tender from a week ago. And didn’t Chris have a concussion a couple weeks back?”
I nodded.
She cringed. “They’re already more vulnerable to attack, so keep talking to each other out there. Warn each other if someone’s coming up from behind. I’ll keep an eye out for it, but don’t look up to me. Keep your focus on the ice. You’ll hear a loud, long whistle if I see it coming.”
I tilted my head. “You whistle?”
