Taking Shots (Assassins, #1)(139)

Elli grinned, letting out the breath she was holding, “Won’t happen.”

Michael leaned over kissing her softly on her forehead, “Alright, honey, go on down there, the boys are about to come out and warm up.”

“Okay, thanks daddy, Papa, I love you both.”

Bryan kissed her cheek, smiling. “Love you too, darling.”

Well that was easier than she thought it would be.



Elli felt like the world had been lifted off her shoulders as she watched Shea warm up. She couldn’t wait to tell him that everything went fine with her daddy and uncle. He would be so relieved since he was as nervous as she was when she told him she was gonna tell them. He flashed her a grin as he passed by, moving the puck back and forth with his stick. He was so skillful, so stinkin’ hot! He rallied the guys, starting a drill as all the fans looked on, cheering the guys on with their signs and their chants.

God, she loved hockey.

They were playing the Vancouver Canucks. Elli wasn’t a fan since the guys played dirty, but so did the Assassins, so it was bound to be a great game. When the warm up ended, Shea looked over at Elli before getting off the ice. She gave him her regular wave; he smiled in return and then headed off the ice as the clock counted down until game time. Elli stood up, looking for the beer guy. When she found him, she ordered her beer and hot dog of the game.

As she ate, she looked around at all the fans since she didn’t have anyone to talk to. She couldn’t wait for Jakob to start playing again so Harper would be there. She only had a couple more weeks. She was just as excited as Shea and Jakob were about Jakob’s return. Elli was ready to have her hockey buddy back. Mark had said when he was in town he would love to sit with Elli again, and she obliged. Harper would have to go sit up in Jakob’s box or with her Papa when Mark was in town, since Elli would never go back on her word, and Elli was sure Harper wouldn’t mind.

When the lights went out, Elli scooted to the edge of her seat, ready for the game to start. The guys came out as the ice girls danced and the fans cheered. Elli was so engrossed in the game once it started, watching the different plays, not only watching Shea but the rest of the team, too. They were incredible, and like Elli thought, the Canucks came ready for the fight. Elli noticed that one of the Canucks’ guys, Ryan Kesler, was messing with Shea extra hard.

She wasn’t even surprised when the gloves came off and Shea square up, laying a good solid punch into Kelser’s nose before they both locked each other up, falling to the ice. Shea got put in the box, right along with Kelser. He gave her a sheepish grin and she just shook her head, but she couldn’t be mad, he was playing the game. After a minute, Vancouver scored. Shea shook his head and Elli knew he was just as pissed as she was. The guys hit the ice again when the penalty was over and Kesler was still getting cheap hits on Shea. Elli didn’t know what the hell the guy’s problem was, but with every cheap shot that the officials didn’t see, Elli became more nervous. Something was bound to happen.

It was the third period and Kesler was on Shea like white on rice. She was pretty sure, he was trying to get Shea to retaliate and get put in the box, but Shea wasn’t having it. He wasn’t even fooling with Kesler, ignoring him. Elli was pretty sure it was because Shea got his ass reamed for getting put in the box because Vancouver had scored. Vancouver was winning because of that goal and the Assassins were digging hard, trying to score since there was only three minutes left.

Shea came back on the ice after a short break and skated towards the blue line, waiting for the next play. Elli watched as he watched the puck, his eyes moving back and forth. When the puck came to him, he set up to send it over to Welch, but out of nowhere came Kesler. He threw his elbow up, hitting Shea square in the shoulder, clipping him hard to where Shea spun in a complete circle before hitting the ice, hard.

Elli stood up quickly, along with the rest of the Assassins fans in the stand. Shea was lying with his face facing the bench, which was away from Elli, so she couldn’t see his face.

And he wasn’t moving.

At all.

“Get up, get up, get up, Shea,” Elli slammed her hand against the glass as she tears came hot and fast down her face because he still wasn’t moving, even with the trainers and everyone out there, he just laid there, “Get up! Shea! Get the f*ck up!”





Chapter 27





“How you feeling, Mr. Adler?”

Shea looked up at the doctor; the pain he was feeling was horrendous. After being out cold for more than two minutes, he woke up hearing trainers asking him if he was okay. He told them he was, but obviously he wasn’t since it felt like his arm was hanging on by a thread, and his head was pounding. He didn’t remember much after the hit that Kelser put on him, but he did remember looking for Elli.

He couldn’t find her, though.

Shea thought about Ryan, praying that he hadn’t seen anything, but if he had, he hoped that Grace had taken care of the situation. Shea knew Grace was in the waiting room. Every time he got hurt, even if it was minor, Grace was waiting, but for the first time, Shea wasn’t in a hurry to see her. He wanted Elli.

He was worried about her and he hoped she hadn’t seen the hit, but he knew she probably had. He didn’t know what was worse, the pain he was feeling or the pain of knowing that Elli was probably worried out of her mind.