The Assistant Coach (BOOK 1: OMEN KING SERIES)

|𝟸𝟷|

Leia Welsh

Friday came rolling in like a freight train, catching me off guard. Wasn't it just Wednesday yesterday?

Maybe it's because of the long engineering lectures I've barely managed to endure or the hockey practices, but time has gone by fast.

I hurry through my shower, scrubbing my teeth with a bit more force than necessary, my mind already on the game tonight.

The guys better be ready, it's six o'clock and the game starts in an hour. We have to drive to Iverton University, which is a good thirty minutes away.

I slick back my hair with gel, tossing it into a low ponytail. I dab some cream on the ends, hoping to tame the wild curls. I throw on a snug gray sweater, black jeans, and gray van sneakers, ready to hit the road.

"Are you ready, Ari?" I call out as I enter the living room, stifling a laugh at the sight of her in a Willowbrook football jersey.

She looks so pumped up; I can't bring myself to break it to her that she's got the wrong jersey on. Who's gonna notice, right? Sammie, on the other hand, is sporting the same jersey, and I barely manage to hold in my laughter.

Sammie is coming with us seeing as how the hockey game is at her university and her brother is playing in the game.

She crashed at our place last night after a blowout with Rocky. By 'blowout' I mean she went all out and physically attacked him after seeing him half-naked on top of a fully naked girl, the guy screamed like a banshee. Meeting Rocky was a trip, and honestly, his personality wasn't all that surprising.

Although I wonder if he's still alive considering Owen seemed pretty pissed at Rocky about the whole girl thing.

"Sammie, you ready?" I ask, eyeing her as she adjusts the jersey.

Time's ticking, I can't afford to be late. I snatch Ari's car keys and toss them to her, flicking off the lights and locking the door behind us. It's game time and being fashionably late is not an option.

Geez Louise, this arena is massive. I mean, seriously, the rink is bigger than Warren's ego. Okay, maybe not that big. But the seats in this joint are crammed tighter than a sardine can.

I had no idea there were this many Iverton fans out there. The guys probably couldn't give two hoots about it, but me? Yeah, I'm lowkey freaking out.

I gesture for Ari and Sammie to head to their seats, pointing down the crowded aisle. Apparently, only the coaches are allowed in the box, not even a water girl like Ari.

As I make my way up the aisles, I can't help but notice how eerily quiet it is near the locker rooms. My boys should be in there, getting ready for the game. But instead, I hear raised voices and see a crowd up ahead.

I quicken my pace and round the corner to find my team squaring off against the Iverton players, surrounded by a crowd of onlookers. I let out a sigh, already feeling the headache coming on. These guys never fail to surprise me with their antics.

"Get off me, you heard the bastard, he clearly doesn't value his life," Warren shouts, his voice filled with venom, I push past the crowd to see the whole team trying to hold Warren and Kateb back.

"Kohl, we'll handle it inside the rink," Ant sneers, his eyes narrowed.

"We sure as hell will deal with it, on or off the ice, I don't give a damn which one," Kateb shouts, his voice full of rage as Owen struggles to keep him restrained.

What the hell is going on here?

I look around to see the Iverton's team holding back three of their players, one of them sporting a bloody nose. What could they possibly be fighting about?