CHAPTER 6: The Captain on the ice.

Scarlett's POV

I slipped back into the dorm room just past one in the morning, closing the door with a barely audible click. The room was pitch black, except for the faint moonlight spilling across Mia’s bed. She deeply asleep, buried under a mountain of blankets.

I let out a shaky breath and leaned my head against the wooden door. Every muscle in my body was screaming.

I stripped off my dark clothes in the cramped bathroom and stepped under a freezing cold shower. I let the icy water run over me, tracing the tender, blooming bruises along my ribs where he had violently shoved me against the wardrobe. My chest heaved.

A million thoughts raced through my head. I had underestimated him. He wasn't just some guy; his reflexes were terrifyingly fast, his strength overwhelming. I needed to completely re-strategize if I was going to carry out this hit smoothly. Too much was at stake. I couldn't afford to lose my mother, and I couldn't afford to fail the debt collectors.

I stepped out, wrapped a towel around my shivering frame, and dug into my duffel bag. I found the painkillers my mother had packed, dry-swallowed two of them, and collapsed onto my small bed.

Look on the bright side, I told myself, staring up at the dark ceiling. I have intel now. I know what Adrian is capable of. I just need to come up with a better strategy.

When I woke up the next morning, I felt like I had been hit by a truck. A dull, throbbing headache hammered behind my eyes, and the pain in my ribs had sharpened into a hot ache with every breath.

I sat up sluggishly, clutching my side. Across the room, Mia was already awake, humming happily to whatever was blasting through her headphones.

She caught my movement and yanked the headphones down around her neck. "Good morning!"

"Morning," I grumbled.

The room went quiet for exactly two seconds. I was quickly learning that Mia was allergic to silence.

"What are your plans after class?" she asked.

"Attend class. Come straight back to this bed."

"Boring," she said, scrunching her nose. "Don't worry, I'll save you from yourself. We're going to explore the campus together." She grabbed her shower caddy and headed for the bathroom door, leaving no room for argument.

I sighed, rubbing my temples as I stood up to pick out an outfit. I could have easily said no. I should have said no. I needed to focus on my target, figure out his schedule, and track his movements. But for some reason, I just couldn't bring myself to push her away.

When she finished getting ready, she waited until I was done getting ready, making sure we walked out together. It felt weird, but... good. I had never really had friends before. I used to try, but I gave up after realizing I was constantly doing stupid things just to keep people who didn't want to be kept.

But Mia was different. She clung to me like I was the sister she never had. Maybe there was some truth to that. She had mentioned she was the youngest of four and the only girl in her family. Whatever her reason, her relentless sunshine was wearing down my walls. I had a dark, bloody task to complete, but for a few hours today, I decided I would just try to be a normal college student.

---

Friday arrived in no time, and Mia was practically vibrating with excitement. She insisted we go watch the Ravenwood hockey game happening that night. She had been talking about it all week, explaining how she used to follow the team's stats online while waiting for her acceptance letter, and how thrilled she was to finally be in the arena.

"How do you even find hockey interesting?" I asked as she dragged me out of the dorm. "It's kinda rough. Guys just slamming into each other on ice."

"My older brother, Mark loves it," she explained, linking her arm through mine. "He used to force the entire house to watch the games with him. I hated it at first, but once I actually started understanding the rules and the strategy, I got hooked."

"I'm not a sports girl. I can't relate."

"Don't worry, I'm initiating you tonight," she beamed. "You're coming with me."

"You didn't exactly give me a choice."

I pulled on a heavy black jacket to hide the lingering soreness in my ribs that has really subsided, and we headed across campus. We walked straight toward the massive athletic center, the exact same building I had scouted days ago and crossed off my list because it was too public and under heavy survalliance and security.

When we stepped inside the arena, a blast of crisp, freezing air hit my face. The place was absolutely packed. The stadium lights were blindingly bright, the air thick with the smell of popcorn, cold ice, and raw adrenaline. We squeezed through the shouting crowd and finally managed to snag two seats near the far end of the glass.

The players were already out on the ice, skating in fast, aggressive warmup circles, the sharp blades cutting loudly into the rink.

Once the buzzer sounded and the game officially started, Mia made it her personal mission to explain every single rule, penalty, and play to me. To my utter surprise, I actually started to get it. The speed, the calculated aggression, the sheer tactical violence of it, it made sense to my brain. Before I knew it, I was leaning forward in my seat, actually joining Mia in the cheering and screaming.

The Ravenwood team was an absolute powerhouse, but there was one player who completely commanded the ice.

He wore a bold 'C' on the front of his jersey, which Mia proudly informed me meant he was the team captain. He was massive, moving with a terrifying mix of brute force and lethal agility. He didn't just play the game; he hunted on the ice. The way he effortlessly dodged checks and slammed opponents into the boards felt chillingly familiar.

When he spun around, I caught the name plastered across his broad shoulders.

WHITLOCK.

My breath hitched for a fraction of a second, but I quickly brushed it off. Whitlock was a name and it wasn't exactly an uncommon surname. Anybody on this campus could be a Whitlock.

I pushed the thought away and watched the rest of the game. Ravenwood dominated, eventually securing a brutal victory. The final buzzer blared, sending the entire arena into an absolute frenzy. The crowd erupted, the noise deafening as the team swarmed the center of the ice to celebrate.

Down on the rink, the captain finally reached up, unbuckled his chinstrap, and pulled off his heavy helmet.

He ran a gloved hand through his dark, sweat-dampened hair, tilting his head back as he caught his breath. Under the harsh stadium lights, his sharp jawline and piercing eyes were unmistakable.

It was him.

Adrian. My target.

The roaring crowd, the blaring horns, Mia screaming next to me, it all vanished instantly. The entire world went dead silent in my head. I sat completely frozen in my seat, my heart slamming against my bruised ribs, unable to take my eyes away from the guy I was sent to kill.