Page 81 of Fighting Chance

If I thought he looked angry before, it is nothing compared to now.

In a split second, Kieran’s gloves are off and he’s throwing punch after punch at Montgomery. It’s as if a torrent of anger has been unleashed. He’s nothing short offeral.

The crowd loses their ever-loving minds, their chants rising to a fever height. Bella and Cindy gasp, jumping to their feet, but I’m frozen in my seat until Carlton and Allie spring into action behind me. “Emmy, honey, look at me,” Allie coaxes.

Quickly snapping out of my shock, I spin Emmy to face her behind me, keeping my hand on the back of her head. She doesn’t need to see this. Hell, even I’m struggling to watch the violence occurring. My stomach won’t stop rolling.

My heart is in my throat as Montgomery whips off his helmet and swings back at Kieran, but he’s at least faster. He has Montgomery on the ground in the blink of an eye and his fists don’t stop swinging.

I should be worried for the other player, we should be asking why Kieran isn’t stopping, but what I want to know is if Kieran is okay. I want to know what made him snap, what put the utter devastation on his face as he cries out in pain.

“What the fuck did Chase say to him?” Cindy spits.

“Kieran never loses it like this,” Bella murmurs, and all that little tidbit does is make my heart pound furiously.

IceHawks swarm in and Grayson is the one to pry Kieran off Montgomery. The referees get between them, though his gaze stays fixed on Montgomery. Blood slowly pours down his face.

Kieran points at him and roars, “Don’t you ever fucking talk about her again!”

Bella sucks in a breath at the same time I do, our shock in sync at the pure venom in his words and the promise in his gaze to hold to his vow.

Allie’s stunned gasp joins ours. “Oh god, Carlton, what did he say to him?”

“I don’t know, dear.”

“He must have said something. Kieran wouldn’t do this unprovoked.”

I turn, catching Carlton stroking Allie’s hand. “I know, dear, it will be all right. Everything will be all right.”

Allie’s face is ashen, her eyes riveted on her boys. It’s evident that Grayson isn’t her only son skating tonight. She loves Kieran with a fierceness that steals my breath, one that I have to physically tear myself away from.

Kieran lifts his head to me, blood dripping down his chin. His eyes trace me frantically, as if he needs to check that I’m okay.

Why the hell is he worried about me? I’m not the one that just got pummeled.

Cindy’s hand snaps out to clasp my forearm. “Oh my sweet Jesus.”

“I think I know what nerve Montgomery hit,” Bella whispers.

Emmy lifts her head then and at the sight of the blood on Kieran’s face, she screams, for the first time tonight not out of excitement. Her hands cling to my shirt with a death grip, tears pouring from her eyes.

Kieran’s face shatters as he takes in her fear.

The ref skates up behind him and ushers him off the ice, but even after Kieran is gone, she continues to scream.

“Emmy, darling, it’s okay. He’s okay, I promise.”

“Take her to see him,” Allie suggests. “She won’t settle until she sees that he’s all right.”

I’m nodding, our thoughts aligned, but for some reason my tongue won’t spit those words out. It’s a flurry of commotion, Allie packing up her things, her hands shaky until Carlton takes over the task, while Cindy grabs both her bag and mine, Bella wrapping up the coats. Emmy and I are ushered out of the seats, the fans around us watching like a hawk as we make our way out of the arena.

“Come on, we’ll meet him in the medical room,” Bella says, leading my shell-shocked body.

Cindy and Bella must have done this before because when we reach a hallway with a big burly security guard, all he does is roll his eyes and step aside.

“No need for the verbal assault this time, ladies. Go on through.”

Cindy grins as she struts past him, patting his shoulder. “Good man, Lenord. Very well trained.”