Chapter 71 HeadShot

Chapter 71 HeadShot
"I don't care about the apartment, Jax. I don't care about any of it. I felt so alive today. For the first time, I wasn't scared of him. I looked him in the eye and I told him the truth. It was the best feeling in the world."

Jaxson reached out and grabbed my waist, pulling me into his chest. He smelled like the cold rink and the mint gum he always chewed before a game. He looked at me with so much pride that I felt like I could fly.

"You’re incredible, El," he whispered. "Your dad thinks he can take things away to break you. He doesn't realize that you're the one who is actually free now."

The loud buzzer sounded again. The walls of the small equipment room shook from the vibration. It was time.

"Go," I said, giving him a quick kiss. "Go win this."

Jaxson put on his helmet and snapped the chin strap. He gave me one last look, a look that said he would move mountains for me and then he ran down the tunnel toward the ice.

I fought my way through the crowded hallways to the stands. The arena was a sea of red and black. Fans were screaming, banging on the glass, and waving giant foam fingers. I found my seat right behind the Vipers' bench.

When the team skated out, the noise was deafening. Leo was in the lead, his "C" for Captain shining under the bright lights. Jaxson was right behind him.

Julian was at the back of the line, looking sour and angry. He kept glancing at the back of Jaxson’s head, and I knew the "deal" he tried to make was still rotting in his mind.

The puck dropped, and the game started like a lightning strike.

The North Tech Huskies were big, fast, and mean. They didn't play for fun; they played to hurt people. Within the first five minutes, Jaxson was slammed into the boards so hard I heard the glass crack.

My heart jumped into my throat, but Jaxson just bounced back up. He didn't even look at the guy who hit him. He just chased the puck.

"Go Jax!" I screamed, standing up.

He was playing like a man who had nothing left to lose. He was a blur on the ice. Every time a Husky tried to get near our goal, Jaxson was there.

He used his body like a shield. He blocked shots with his legs, his chest, and his stick.
In the second period, the score was tied 1-1. The tension in the building was so thick you could almost taste it.

Leo was working harder than anyone. He was the heart of the team, shouting directions and keeping everyone focused. He kept passing the puck to Jaxson, trusting the Rookie more than anyone else.

Julian, however, was a problem.

I watched closely as Julian accidentally missed a pass to Jaxson. A few minutes later, Julian slowed down during a breakaway, letting a Husky defender steal the puck.

He was doing exactly what he told Jaxson to do, he was throwing the game. He wanted the Vipers to lose so he could blame Jaxson and Leo.

During a timeout, I saw Leo grab Julian by the jersey. They were leaning over the bench right in front of me.

"Start playing for the team, Sinclair, or I’ll bench you myself!" Leo roared.

Julian just smirked and wiped the sweat from his face. "I'm doing my best, Captain. Maybe your little friend is just too slow to keep up."

Leo looked like he wanted to punch him, but the whistle blew. The third period began.

This was it. The final twenty minutes.

The Huskies scored again. 2-1. The home crowd went quiet. The clock was ticking down. Ten minutes left. Eight minutes. Five minutes.
Jaxson got the puck at center ice. He looked up and saw Leo sprinting toward the net.

Jaxson didn't hesitate. He made a beautiful, long pass that went right under a defender's legs.
Leo caught the puck, spun around, and fired it into the top corner of the net.

GOAL!

The arena exploded. The score was 2-2. There were only two minutes left on the clock. It looked like the game was going to overtime.

But the Huskies were angry now. They started playing even dirtier. They were slashing at the Vipers' ankles and shoving people after the whistle. The referees were trying to keep control, but the game was turning into a brawl.

With one minute left, the Huskies launched a massive attack. They moved the puck into our zone. Our goalie made a huge save, but the puck bounced away, landing right in the slot, the dangerous area right in front of the net.

A giant Husky forward, a guy who looked like he was made of stone, crashed toward the puck.
Leo saw the danger. He knew if that guy got a clean shot, the game was over.

"I've got him!" Leo shouted.

Leo threw himself onto the ice to block the path. It was a classic Captain move, putting his body on the line to save the team.

But as Leo slid across the ice, I saw something that made my blood run cold.

Julian was skating nearby. Instead of helping Leo or blocking the other attacker, Julian tripped. He fell forward, and his heavy skate came up into the air. At the same time, the giant Husky player couldn't stop his momentum.

The Husky player slammed into Leo’s side while Leo was still down. There was a sickening crack that I could hear even over the noise of the crowd.

But that wasn't the worst part.

As the Husky player fell on top of Leo, Julian’s sharp skate blade came down across Leo’s lower leg.

Leo let out a scream that I will never forget. It wasn't a tough guy shout. It was a sound of pure, raw agony.

"LEO!" I screamed, throwing myself against the glass.

The whistle blew repeatedly. The game stopped. Everything stopped.

Jaxson was the first one there. He didn't even look at the puck. He dropped his stick and fell to his knees beside Leo.

"Leo! Look at me, man! Look at me!" Jaxson was shouting, his voice shaking.

Blood began to spread across the white ice. It looked like a red ink stain on a clean sheet of paper. It was coming from Leo’s leg, where the skate had cut through the thick hockey sock.
Leo’s face was white.

He was gasping for air, his hands clutching at the ice. He tried to move, but his leg was twisted at an angle that looked impossible. The hit from the Husky player had snapped his bone, and Julian’s skate had done the rest.

The team medics ran onto the ice with a stretcher. The arena, which had been so loud just seconds ago, was now deathly silent. People in the stands were covering their mouths. Some were crying.