Playing the Game (The Renegades) (Volume 3)

Playing the Game

Renegades 3

By Melody Heck Gatto

Playing the Game – Renegades 3

By Melody Heck Gatto

Copyright © 2015

Smashwords Publishing Edition

Smashwords Publishing Edition, License Notes

All rights reserved. This e-book is licensed for your
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First Printing, 2015

Editing by Bree Scalf

Cover Art by Kat McCarthy - Aeternum Designs

CHAPTER 1

Coach Walker blew the whistle. Time to line up for
scrimmage. Tyler positioned himself for a faceoff against Matt, jaw
clenched. Ironically, practice was the last place Tyler wanted to
be this morning. Looking up before Coach dropped the puck, he
caught Patrick’s eye. He did his best to put up with Pat, but he
couldn’t stop the sour taste that flooded his mouth. After all, Pat
had stolen his girlfriend.

His ex, Gia was beautiful and sexy—and she should’ve
been his.

He’d become friends with Gia the moment he’d met her
at Kris’s house. It hadn’t been a crazy romance, but their
friendship had turned into more. But he hadn’t treated her as well
as he should’ve; hockey always came first. This was his team; he’d
earned his spot, and he ate, breathed, and slept Renegades hockey,
meetings, practices, work outs and training. He was dedicated to
his team when he should’ve been dedicated to her.

That was his mistake.

His off-season training had taken him to Canada.
While away he’d missed her, and knew that if he wanted to keep the
relationship, he needed to start putting her first. But by then it
was too late. Patrick had already swooped in.

Fucking Patrick.

He’d tried to get over Gia, he really had. He was
angry; he lashed out. At first he thought she’d broken his heart
when she cheated on him with Patrick. He fell apart. Surprising him
with a pregnancy hadn’t helped his rage. His focus went from Gia
and hockey, to pure hatred towards Patrick.

That’s when he realized his heart wasn’t really
broken over Gia. He still wanted to care about her as a friend, but
he knew with certainty she wasn’t the one for him. Fire ran through
his veins, but it wasn’t fire for her. He’d been more hurt by the
betrayal. She hadn’t lied about it or tried to hide it, but she’d
killed his trust when she cheated, and nothing could fix that. Not
to mention his shattered ego. Why hadn’t he been enough for her?
What did Pat have that he didn’t? But she hadn’t had an answer to
those questions, and finally he stopped asking.

He felt for her when she lost the baby. But he wasn’t
there for her; he just left. That was his coping mechanism—leaving.
With her that seemed to be all he ever did. Her selfishness and
two-timing had destroyed his faith in women, in relationships, and
he’d had no empathy left for her.

He tried to stay friends with her. Also easier said
than done. That just was something that people just said;
let’s
still be friends
. But could anyone actually do it?

Since then alcohol had become a temporary fix. Hell,
alcohol was his best friend. Random girls kept him company and
tended to his needs but they didn’t satisfy him. He wasn’t going to
let any other woman have a chance to betray him the way Gia had.
His game suffered; his attitude was poor.
He was the fucking
face of the league so why did it matter?
If he said jump,
people asked, ‘how high?’ He didn’t have to be nice to be in
charge. After all, he was Tyler fucking Kidd.

Coach made him promise to be professional with
Patrick on the ice. What did that even mean? Professional. This was
hockey, the game revolved around big, nasty hits and fights. Surely
he could let out some aggression in practice and call it ‘part of
the game’ while still being
professional
.

Patrick was an asset to the team; he was what was
best for business. Ty was tired of that rationale. All he could see
was the prick that stole his girl.

As he stared at Patrick, now across from him on the
ice, the argument that fateful day rang through his thoughts…

"Tyler, I need to tell you something..." She couldn’t
meet his eyes and a sickening sense of déjà vu came over him.

The silence of the room was deafening.

"Ty, I really do love you, you need to know that… But
I slept with Patrick, again. I'm so sorry Tyler."

Again. She was sorry.

He threw her jewelry box across the room; it smashed
against the wall. Pieces splintered off and flew everywhere, and
her trinkets scattered across the floor.

His blood ran hot and his lips spewed words like
venom. "For fuck’s sake, what is it about me? Why am I not enough
for you, G?”

"Tyler, please let me explain."

Explain?
There was nothing she could explain.
She’d rather be with that scrub, Patrick, than him. Tyler was the
captain of this fucking team, and she chose
Pat
?

I'm the fucking face of the Professional Hockey
League. I'm Tyler fucking Kidd. Every girl wanted me, and I proved
that night after night.

His body ran hot and his head felt heavy.
Okay, so
maybe I’m not over it
. The deal he made with Coach was that
Patrick could stay so long as he would never be on the ice with
him. Tyler played on the first line, and Pat rotated between the
third and fourth. It was flawless, until today. There he was, just
feet away. Tyler needed to have his head in the game, his eye on
the puck, but instead every ounce of concentration centered on
Patrick. His blood raced through his veins, and every muscle
seized.

Coach Walker dropped the puck and Tyler whacked at it
with his stick; he wanted to win the face off. He hated to lose.
After breaking the puck free from Matt’s best attempts, he tossed
it in Patrick’s direction. He didn’t care about the puck, or the
drill that Coach wanted to run. All he saw was Patrick. His heart
pounded against his chest and his mouth went dry.

His emotions overrode all common sense as Patrick
took the puck. Tyler chased him to the corner, slamming his stick
into Patrick’s chest, and knocking him backwards against the
boards.

“
What the hell, Tyler?” Patrick
yelled, shaking off the effects of the hit.

I told her we could be friends. What a crock of shit.
He cross checked him again with his stick.

“
Ty, back off!” Kris called,
hitting the puck. Patrick took possession of it and skated away
from Tyler.

Coach yelled some directions, but Tyler didn’t pay
any attention; he just raced after the puck. Instead of putting the
biscuit in the net, he shoved Patrick into the hard steel
posts.

“
What the fuck is your problem,
dude?” Patrick snapped.

I still can’t believe she left ME for him.
His
gloved hand caught Patrick with a right hook.

Patrick massaged his jaw as Coach Walker blew the
whistle. “Enough rough-housing, boys. Keep the nastiness to a
minimum; it’s only practice. Line-up again.”

As they skated back to center ice, Patrick shouted to
Tyler. “Get a grip, dude.”

Tyler dealt with Patrick day after day, but today he
was out of control. All he saw when he looked at Pat was
betrayal.

Coach blew the whistle and dropped the puck.

I said I’d be professional with Pat, but tough
shit.
Tyler shoved Patrick into the boards, plastering his face
against the pane of glass. Frustrated, Patrick grunted, whipped
around, and slashed Tyler’s leg with his stick.

Tyler bent over in pain, but quickly composed himself
before lunging at Patrick. Taking hold around his neck and
shoulders, Tyler tackled him to the ice. His own elbow caught his
fall.
That’s gonna leave a mark
.

“
Kidd! What the hell?” Coach Walker
smashed his clipboard against the boards. “Enough of this
playground bullshit!”

Kris quickly pulled Tyler off Patrick, and onto the
ground. “Ty, what the hell are you doing?”

“
Back off, Kris.” Tyler growled as
he got up, brushing off the ice. “This has nothing to do with
you.”

“
Kidd! I’m not your personal
babysitter. The rest of the team is here to practice and your
antics are nothing but a distraction. Take it to the
showers.”

“
Coach—” Tyler pleaded as he skated
away from Kris.

“
I don’t want to hear it, Kidd.
You’re done for the day.” Coach Walker turned his attention back to
the team. “Tanz, stand in for Kidd.” He motioned to
Tanner.

“
Fuck this.” Tyler headed down the
runway to the locker room, slamming his stick against the wall, and
then hurling his gloves to the floor. He made his way to his stall,
peeled off his pads and flung them at his locker. Taking a deep
breath he tried to calm down.
Fucking Patrick
.

“
Tyler.” Coach Walker entered the
locker room.

“
Coach, I don’t know what came over
me.” Put me on the fucking ice with Pat and that’s exactly what’s
going to happen.

“
Ty, I can’t have you doing that.
You said you could work with Pat and keep it professional. That was
far from professional.” Coach crossed his arms.

“
I know—”

“
You don’t know or you wouldn’t
still be doing it. You can’t lose it every time you see him. I
don’t know what to do with you. You’re the star of this team. I
can’t have you be a liability.”

“
I understand.” Tyler sat and ran
his hands through his hair.
Just keep Pat away from me and there
won’t be any trouble
. It wasn’t usually a problem, but today,
having him right there… big problem.

“
Ty, I don’t think you do. If you
can’t get yourself together, you’re going to sit. I don’t know how
to make it any clearer.” Coach shook his head and sighed. “We don’t
need these disruptions. You’ve been off your game, Ty. This losing
streak that we’re on needs to stop. I don’t know how to tell you to
get over it, but you need to figure it out.”

Tyler looked up at him. Coach was right. Maybe I
should’ve made sure they traded Patrick when I had the chance.

“
By the way, Pat’s not going
anywhere, so don’t get that idea again. Act like the damn captain
that you are and step the fuck up. There’s no room for whiners on
our top line.”

CHAPTER 2

“Paige, are you coming or what?” Melanie’s heels
clicked against the tile as she strutted down the hall. Her tall
stature and long dark hair radiated confidence and she was
stunning. A commanding presence followed her every step. “Will you
stop worrying? These guys are teddy bears.”

Paige couldn’t help but worry. She was tiny next to
Melanie. Well, maybe not really, but she felt like she was. A
petite five foot two, even heels didn’t give her the height
advantage that Melanie had. But Paige didn’t spend her free time at
the gym for nothing; a fit, healthy body helped give her confidence
to make up for her lack of height. And although her brilliant blue
eyes and blonde hair might look innocent enough, she could be tough
when she needed to be.

But there was something about a sexy hockey player
that brought her to her knees. Figuratively speaking. She twisted
her long blonde hair between her fingers as it fell to shade her
face.
Maybe this was a mistake
.
Will I fit in
? Maybe
jumping in as assistant to the Renegades’ Director of
Communications was not the best decision. “I didn’t realize I’d be
working one-on-one with the players.”

“
Well, sometimes you will. It’s
really not a big deal. They’re all very nice. They’re like my
extended family after being here all these years.”

Paige trembled as they walked towards the ice; her
hands shook and her stomach flopped. A trace of nausea crept into
her throat and she swallowed hard, not sure why she felt this way.
Melanie wanted her to meet the team. She’d already met Coach
Walker, assistant coach Sal, and Ben, the team owner, and they’d
all been very welcoming to her.

Melanie turned to her just before they reached the
Renegades bench. “Relax. They’re good guys.”

“
There she is,” Coach Walker
called. He blew the whistle to gather the players. “Men take a
knee. Melanie wants to talk to you for a minute.”