Ice is overrated

Chapter 6

Declan

I wake up to my 5:30 AM alarm. I groan as I drag myself out of bed for the daily routine I just had to do. Ryan didn't come home last night, after I got back around midnight Nate asked me if I seen him when we both haven't we got worried, so now I'm even more worried Lucifer and Ren didn't tell me much but I assume whoever was in trouble is family. I luckily sleep naked so I drag myself out of bed and hop in a cold shower to wake my ass up. After shutting off the water the symphony of alarms start I laugh at this every morning as it goes from alarms to groans to half awake men who need coffee. Despite the tiredness I feel to my bones almost falling asleep standing up. I've always been that person once I am awake and moving I will be fully awake by the time I get the the rink. I check my phone seeing an email from Mara about the tutoring program, I decide I can read that later. I remind myself these morning runs started as away to wake myself up with the crisp morning breeze. I dress in my running clothes and get my running shoes on as I hear the rest of the other boys on the team get up. "Yeah I know I heard from him last night he is staying with his sister until whatever is going on calms down. He said couch will fill us in when we get to the rink today. Maybe practice will be canceled today because of it" I hear Nate say to someone. "For sure but I hope his sister is okay. I heard her ex is one mean son of bitch" Macklin says. "Mateo said something about that and how she's going to need all hands on deck but its not his place to tell me what happened" Nate says as I hear their voices slowly become muffled. I grab my bag that is filled with protein bars, water, electrolyte chews and some protein powder. I take off out the door headed to the rink.

As I am about half way there Nate pulls over and looks at me. I take out my headphones as he starts talking to me. "Couch called, hop in your run is cut short. Im sorry bro but he said family emergency so you know what that means" he says as I run around the front of the truck and hop in the passenger side. "I'm guessing it has something to do with Ryan being MIA for more then a week and a half concerns me but he says he has it handled" I say as we pull into the parking lot of the rink. "Couch said something about bringing everyone in the loop" He says as he puts the truck in park. "I have a bad feeling about this Lucifer and Ren might be friends with them as well. I think it has something to do with their neighbor he has been going home early even skipped family dinner last week" I say as we both hop out of the truck and walk to the players entrance. We walk into the locker room a nervous silence around us all. The rest of the team rushes in as couch walks out of his office with a worrying look across his face. We all go silent as we take in his distant look. "I am giving you guys the day off to plan around Ryan's sisters schedule", Ryan enters the room his eyes all red looking worried as he slowly makes his way to his seat, "Ryan's sisters ex boyfriend is stalking her and making threats to her life. He claims that she is to blame why no one wants him and his short comings of loosing everything. I want the team who has class with her to escort her to her car or wherever she is going next" He says as he looks at Ryan. "My brother, Dean, is a private investigator. He used some of his resources to looks into her ex Josh and its not good. He has a history of this shortly after he and my sister, Mara, broke up its when it started. The sick bastard likes to torture women and send her pictures of them in letters. She just let it go until his family paid off the last victims family but he lost the student council case and was forced to leave the campus. Thats when he moved here and started harassing her blaming her for everything" His jaw clenches as the anger builds in him. I'm unable to speak as the reality of what is happening hits me of what's happening to the person I can't stop thinking about. "Glad you and your other siblings are rallying around her. Times like these especially with the number of disappearances of women her age and human trafficking on the raise it's good for you all to look after her" Macklin says. I look at all the teams expressions most are mad or are in protective older brother mode. "I have compiled a list of who has classes with her and what times. Since two of you on this team have her as a tutor with this new program couch is implementing I trust one of you will get her home safe. I am staying with her at her house, couch agreed to walk her to her car after his class, everyone else has shifts. My brothers and I are able to do the daily things around town with her but school is the place where we are concerned. The PI found that he started going to school here after everything. We are trying to figure out how it is possible, we worry he is going to try and get her kicked out. I appreciate all of this" Ryan says as he chews on his lip nervously. "We would do anything for our extended family" Nate, our team captains says as murmurs of agreement form. "Alright since that is settled get your affairs in order I'm hoping that it won't be long that the son of a botch is caught but for now take this morning to study his photos, his motive and what he tends to drive" Couch says as he passes manila folders out to everyone. I open the folder and freeze after taking the picture of my cousin out. I look at Ryan, he looks back at me with his mouth in a thin line and nods. "We will speak later okay" He says as he passes me to sit down on a bench. Ryan and I knew each from sleep away camp for hockey when we were younger and we always kept in touch even tho we lived states away from each other. Thats where we met Josh, Ryan figured out later that they lived in the same town and later went to the same school. Ryan told me that his younger sister has always been in Josh's eye but let her do whatever she wanted. He told me many times that he would see that she had bruises on her and confronted him about it thats the last I hear of what happened. Everyone slowly walks out of the rink as I catch up with Ryan at his truck. "Hey ride with me we gotta talk" he says as I jog to catch up throwing my stuff in the bed and getting in the passenger side. "Now that you know Mara is my sister and I see the look in your eyes when you look at her. Don't think I didn't see it when you didn't know she was family", He says laughing hard before to continuing, "Your in her torturing group. Don't ask how I know. But maybe fake date her or something I trust you a hell of a lot more then any of the others guys to do this for me. I think her dating someone or being romantically involved would work. Plus, I had a meeting with couch and some of the team sponsors with Nate, they want to encourage us to have relationships before going pro. Apparently some of the rookies from last year had sponsors wanting players in relationships before they sign them or they are dropped. Just don't tell her it was my idea and wait a couple weeks to ask her about it" he says as he puts the truck in drive. "I mean it could work for both of us. I will think about it and maybe get her on board for it I won't know until later today" I say as we pull into the driveway of the house. "I can't be there to protect her from everything like I want to be. She maybe a year younger then me but she's a hermit. Fuck, Dec she barely goes out she doesn't even grocery shop she has one of those delivery meal subscriptions and anything else she wants she gets it delivered. She has been living like this for five years. To add to all of that she's even scared to get her mail or any packages because of him. I want him gone but I don't know how much his family can do. All I knew is that his dad is someone who has control over the police in many states but even more in Utah and North Dakota. I find it ironic that my father is in Utah and my mother moved us back to North Dakota. I'm thinking that this has something to do with the shady things I've been telling you that happen every time I talk to that asshole" He says as he stares at the garage in front of us. "I don't know why you even try with him anymore. Maybe see if Dean can pull something up on connection's between Josh's dad and yours. From all the time we talked about everything even when he left your mom when you were just seven Josh's dad seemed to be way too close to everything. Especially that time he insisted that the three of us not be friends that one time when he dropped you two off at the horrible camp that our mothers insisted us attend" I say as we both laugh with nostalgia. "Yeah it was weird like he knew who you were. It would be different if we knew who you father was" He says as we now both stare into the distance letting the weight pf everything take us. "He was a bastard in my book. My mom only told me that he left soon after she had me and did a DNA test. After he found out that I was in fact his he didn't want to stick around to much after that. Then when he finally decided to divorce my mother before we met that first year at camp. I don't remember much but I'm told he had another family his parents liked more then his first. I'm sure I have step siblings and my father truly loved my mother but whatever he's doing he had to choose and we weren't it" I say as we get out of the truck. "Our parents don't define us remember that bro. Now this Josh issue is eating me alive since I trusted him with my little sister" Ryan say as I try not to laugh as he makes his way to the side door to the house on his crutches. "At least it wasn't the leg you drive with that broke because dude as much as we all love you I don't know if we would survive taking you everywhere. The thing with you sister will be solved soon and don't blame yourself I would have done the same thing I trusted him with everything but after this my sisters wouldn't come out of their houses if it was up to me" I say as we both let out laughter. After we both get inside to the living room I notice that the team is all on edge as Ryan sits on the couch. "My sister-in-law is at her house still so she is good right now. She is in her physic class and then she has meetings before tutoring starts this week" Ryan says as he stares into the black tv. "I know being partially crippled right now sucks bro but she has a hell of a village for that asshole to get through" Nate says walking down the stairs. "Yeah but I can't help feel like it's my fault" Ryan says to no one in particular. "Stop blaming yourself and just be there for her, I'm off to class see yall later " Theo says as he walks out the door.