Iced Over

Chapter 3

GWEN

The first thing that hit me about Frostbite was the biting cold. I cursed under my breath, burying my hands as deep into my coat pockets.

“Screw all this.”

I stood at the building’s entrance, letting the whole aesthetic settle in. Soft neon lights flickered across the arena’s name, silhouettes of hockey players visible through the glass panels, and a low thrum of music that drew you in whether you wanted it or not.

If this was some cliché about the arena living up to its name, it wasn’t funny.

“In and out.” I muttered under my breath.

Thoughts of the cold were pushed to the back of my mind as I slipped back into my professional persona. Professional, and straight to the point.

After asking for directions, I was able to locate the head office at the left wing of the arena. The first sight that greeted me was a man seated behind a less-than-organized desk.

He blinked once, then his eyes crinkled as he appraised me. I moved closer, plastering a warm look over my face.

“Gweneviere Everdeen.” I extended a hand. “I’m Huntley Corp’s delegate regarding the unresolved contract dispute.”

The expression of his face instantly melted to a warm one. “Ezekiel Myers. I believe you’ve been briefed on all the legalities that there is to understand.”

Our company had initially approached them with a contract that would entail brand deals and certain promotions. But things had shifted since then. I would need to rectify this here.

“Yes, of course,” I placed the file I’d brought before him. “We’ve provided a revised version of the initial contract details. Kindly go through this with your team and let us know how you’d like to proceed.”

He grabbed some reading glasses and briefly skimmed through it. “We’ll get back to you on this, Miss Everdeen.”

I followed his hands as he set the file aside. “In the meantime, would you like a tour of the arena?”

The refusal was already on my tongue but he beat me to it. “I insist, Miss Everdeen. While I understand you’re here for official purposes, it would be quite the intrigue for you to take in all there is. Our athletes should be at the rink now.”

The offer weighed in my head a second longer before I let the smile win over my grimace. “Since you insist, Mr. Myers. I’d be obliged.”

He made a call right before me and in less than a minute, someone was at the door. I watched the young man walk in, a bright look in his brown eyes as he regarded me.

Definitely an intern.

“He’ll show you around the place so you can get a glimpse of the players as your assignment requires.” Ezekiel smiled.

“My name’s Marco,” the intern smiled. “It’s a pleasure.”

I sent one last nod at Ezekiel before letting Marco lead the way. “After you.”

As we left the office, I braced myself for what was to come. With any luck, I’d be done here and back to my normal life.

.

.

.

“It’s quite the sight, isn’t it?”

My gaze lingered on the wall Marco had gestured to. It displayed plaques, each marking an athlete’s achievement.

“The players,” I turned to him briefly. “Do they commission these to be here?”

Marco regarded them. “I’m…not so sure of that. I only started last month you see. But I believe Frostbite does these for the athletes without requiring commissions. A sort of homage if you will.”

His words sank in for a few seconds before I turned away. Marco took that as his cue to lead us elsewhere.

“And this is the rink.”

I sucked in one breath, unable to do anything at the sight but marvel. We slowly moved closer, stopping by the panes that stood between us and the players inside the rink.

“This is where most of the athletes practice.” The spark in Marco’s eyes was brighter as he spoke excitedly. “It’s mostly exclusive to the Reapers so you’ll find them here when they’re in the state.”

The rest of what he was saying dulled out as my gaze stuck to the ice. A blur of red hockey kit swam across my vision while I watched.

Different shouts and grunts would echo from one player to the other as they fought over the puck between them.

Marco had found his way back to my ear. “You see that guy right there?”

I frowned, trying to pinpoint where he was pointing. “Who?”

“Number 13.” He insisted, barely able to contain his excitement. “That’s the captain of the team, Kieran Frost. He’s the second to none in the state when it comes to skill.”

For a moment, I couldn’t look away from him. He moved with razor-sharp precision that other players couldn’t seem to keep up with. Every time he sent the puck flying into the post, it was with a force that felt almost inhuman.

“He’s amazing, isn’t he?” Marco asked, looking mesmerized by Kieran’s plays.

I inched closer to the rink entrance, unable to tear my eyes away. Was he a prodigy? Undoubtedly. And yet something about the way he moved, the way he trudged after each opportunity…

Minutes trickled past while I continued to watch their practice. Longer than my assignment required. Each time Kieran scored a point, I couldn’t help but analyze his play. Musing over what he could have done better. Where he could have improved.

In one move, he skated past the boards, something he would’ve noticed if adrenaline hadn’t taken over.

“You’re skating away from it.”

His body went rigid at my words, freezing mid-motion on the ice.

“Shit.”

I bit my tongue, wishing I could take those words back. But it was already too late. Kieran had turned to me now, his stare sending a sharp chill down my spine.

“Who let a bloody stalker in?”