Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 72659 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72659 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Coach steps up, front and center, getting right down to the reason we're here. We go over everything and I make sure to memorise each and every word spoken from the coaching staff, after all, once we're on the ice, it's up to me to lead these boys to victory.
Once the meeting commences, it's on for young and old. Boys are taken for interviews while others are sent into physio to loosen injured muscles. Management opens the ice and the gym for any last-minute training. Pucks are sprawled across the ice while skates, blades, sticks, and gear are all checked over.
The afternoon flies by and I soon find myself dressed and ready to get on the ice for the final showdown. The arena is pack to absolute capacity. Press are everywhere with their expensive cameras and crew. The lights are flashing and music is blasting throughout the whole building as fans of both Denver and L.A pile into the grandstands.
Fuck. I’m a strange mix of excited and nervous at the same time. I’m busting to get out there and get the game started but apparently, I have to stick to a fucking time schedule. I hate feeling like this but the second I get on the ice, it will all fade away. Again, it’s the fear of the unknown.
I know we can beat this team, we’ve worked our asses off just for this moment but they aren’t going to make it easy and if we make even one mistake, we could give it all away. Not-to-mention, the L.A team now have their new shining stars, Miller Cain and Tank Meyers but to me, they’re still kids and just a couple of friends of Jax’s. These two on a team haven’t lost a single game for the past two seasons but this is the big leagues and they’re in my house now.
Some official looking woman comes in and tells us it’s time to start heading out of the hole. We line up by the door, with me in the lead and my boys falling in behind. Coach brings up the rear along with the rest of management, trainers and of course, Elle and Kate.
The door is opened and the sound flowing in is incredible. We head up the hallway and come out of the hole into the arena. The grandstands are a sea of Thunder and Storm colours, swamped with foam fingers and lights.
We’re announced to the arena and shit goes crazy. I find it impossible to wipe the grin off my face. I look up into the family and friends section our team have reserved and see my whole family sitting with Jaz and Brendan.
We step onto our ice and I feel it in my bones. This is our night. We will take that big ass trophy straight back to its home in our foyer, declaring us, once again, the national champions.
I come to the center of the ice, ready to get this shit started and find myself facing none other than Tank Meyers. "Sup, kid. You ready to see how the big boys play?" I grin.
He shakes his head and grins back. “Bring it on, fucker,” he says. “You haven’t got anything I ain’t seen before.”
“We’ll see about that,” I tell him as the ref drops the puck.
I swoop in and own that puck but it was fucking close. I take off with the big bastard right on my heels. Shit, he’s fast but not fast enough. Just as I knew he would, Jax comes right up beside me and saves me from the hell that Tank is about to bring down on me.
Jax collects the puck with ease, managing to dodge Miller in the process and slides it straight across the ice as the Storms defense really kicks in. I make myself open and scoop it straight up as I dart towards the goal with the rest of my boys on my six.
I can’t shake Tank but I didn’t expect to, at least I know he skates clean and I don’t need to worry about him slamming me into the boards anytime soon but he will try all that fancy footwork shit on me, just as Jax does. But I’m ready for it. The only thing I worry about is his speed, there’s only a small handful of players on this ice who could keep up with me and Tank is one of them, which is where all the tactics we had talked about in our meeting comes into play. We need to play it smart tonight.
I shoot the puck back to Jax and instantly pull back, letting Tank and the rest of his team fly straight past me. Jax immediately shoots the puck back and I take my shot at the goal. The goalie hardly saw it coming. The puck flies straight past him and I watch in amusement as the goalie throws himself across the net, trying to block the puck but it’s too fast and comes to a stop in the back of the net.