Chapter one

Travis

"There's someone in coach's office." Sammy's brows were furrowed.

I raised a brow. "So what?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, man. I have a bad feeling about it. Have you heard anything at all, cause I heard that_"

"Yo, cap." Another teammate called, cutting Sammy off. "The coach wants to see you in his office. Asap."

"Sure." I called back, before glancing over at Sammy. "Wonder what he wants."

A shrug was his only response, and so I made my way out of the noisy locker room. The season had only just begun, and so far we had had one disastrous game, but I knew we could turn it around. We were making it to the finals come hell or high water.

The team was good, and there were a lot of solid players. We just lacked... Something. And I wasn't sure what that something was.

Blowing out a breath, I raised my hand to knock on the door, but the door swung open before I could. I froze as my eyes met startling blue ones. The guy had tussled blonde hair, a jawline that could cut glass and had about an inch or two on me. He was also dressed down in a simple sweatshirt and holey jeans.

He regarded me coolly for a second before one corner of his mouth ticked up into a smirk.

Before I could make sense of his reaction, he walked past me, shoulder bumping painfully into mine.

"Hey watch it dude." I hissed, stepping out of his way.

The guy huffed, but didn't bother looking back. Annoyed, I marched into the coach's office and let the door slam behind me.

"Moore, you're here. Good. I thought you should be the first to know." Coach Warren steepled his fingers together in front of him. "When I officially break the news to the team, I need you to make sure there's no protest and you'll help make the transition as smooth as possible."

My eyebrows climbed up my hairline. "What are you talking about?"

His gaze shifted over my shoulder for a second. "You met the new guy at the door. What do you think? "

My stomach suddenly cramped, a bitter taste filling my mouth. "Excuse me? New guy? W-what do you mean? "

"I mean exactly what I've just said, Moore. He's replacing Neal Matthews." He informed me. "His team met us and asked if we would like to buy him. It was perfect timing with the loss of Matthews."

"We haven't lost Neal. I_"

"The kid is talented." Coach Warren continued as if I hadn't spoken. "A little bit rough around the edges, but nothing a good team can't brush out. I've seen him in action. He's like a godddamn ballerina on ice. I have no idea how he ended up on a backwater team like The Red Rogers."

My jaw fell open. "You brought A Red Rogers to our team? Coach, no offence, but that team hasn't seen a single international game since I was born. They're a joke! I can't believe you're_" I trailed off, trying to collect my thoughts. Plus, the look on the older man's face was a clear warning to watch my mouth.

I took a deep breath and tried again. "How long is Neal going to be away?"

"The managing board is still deciding that." He leaned back in his chair. "Best case scenario is that Matthews is let back after a suspension, but will have to be benched for the rest of the season, a good case scenario is that he's traded. Worst case scenario unfortunately, is that his entire career goes down the drain."

"They can't do that!" I snapped.

"He made his bed, now he has to lie in it."

My fingers clenched into fists on my lap. I could feel my nails breaking the skin of my palm, but I didn't care. "He's just going through a little rough patch."

"If that's what you call assaulting fans right there in the stadium, then sure, it's just a little rough patch." Coach spat. "We're damn lucky we're not being sued down to the last hair on our head. Matthews needs to learn a lesson, but while he's at it, I can't leave the team crippled."

"But_"

"That's all, Moore." His voice turned hard. "I didn't bring you here to discuss my plan. I called you to inform you of an executive decision. Your only job is to oversee the new addition to your team and make sure he's ready to meld with the team's game play before the next game."

He picked up a document and started scribbling something down, and I knew it was my sign that the conversation was over.

"Yes sir." I murmured through a clenched jaw and rose to my feet.

Just as I turned to walk out, coach's voice stopped me. "Let's get to the finals this time around, Moore. I'm counting on you."

Nodding, I walked off, fury curling through me. Matthews wasn't just a part of this team. He was my friend, my best friend, and over my dead body would I watch some other asshole steal his spot on this team.

I didn't care what I had to do. That blue eyed asshole wasn't replacing him.

The thought alone made me see red.

I was so lost in thought that it took me longer than I should have to hear the sound of the ruckus coming from down the hall. Without a second delay, I took to my heels, racing toward the hallway where all hell had broken loose.

"Go to hell!" I heard one of my teammates roar.

"Only if you come with me." An unfamiliar amused voice said.

I pushed through the throng of people and came to a halt where one of the defencemen has the new guy pinned to the wall. It seemed our new addition to the team had made one more enemy.