Page 378 of Face Off

For tonight, I place the envelope beside my keys.

Waiting six days hasn’t made sending it less terrifying.

It has only made me certain every word belongs inside.

31

Ryan

The jersey arrives at the training facility inside a white garment bag covered in glitter.

Actual fucking glitter.

It transfers onto my hand when I take the bag from Marisol Herrera, whose husband plays defense for the Inferno and whose apparent mission in life is transforming professional hockey merchandise into clothing no player wants photographed near.

“This is a hate crime,” I tell her.

Marisol smiles sweetly. “You asked for girly.”

“I asked for something Charm would wear.”

“You said—and I quote—‘Make it so aggressively feminine that nobody could mistake it for mine.’”

Briggs reaches for the zipper.

I slap his hand away.

He looks offended. “I want to see.”

“You’ll see when I open it.”

“You aren’t opening it.”

“I am protecting myself from whatever she did to the logo.”

Marisol folds her arms across her chest. “The logo is beautiful.”

“It was beautiful before you attacked it.”

“I added crystals.”

Briggs makes a delighted sound. “Open the fucking bag.”

Several players begin drifting toward us, drawn by the garment bag, Marisol’s expression, and the possibility of witnessing something I will later regret. I carry it toward the bench before the entire team becomes involved, but Briggs follows close enough to breathe against my shoulder.

“Back up.”

“You’re nervous.”

“I’m considering homicide.”

“Marisol’s husband is six-four.”

“I’ll wait until he is asleep.”

Marisol reaches around me and pulls the zipper.

The modified Inferno jersey inside has been cropped to end above the waist. Black fabric remains across the body, but Marisol has replaced the standard side lacing with wide neon-pink satin ribbon tied into bows. Small crystals outline the Inferno logo without covering it, and bright-yellow stones scatter across the shoulders like sparks. DECKER stretches across the back above 07, both edged in enough rhinestones to reflect every light inside the facility.