Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 67991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
I glance at Tempe, see her eyes shining with a mist of tears.
Brienne and Drake stand from their stools, and Tempe and I follow. “We’ll get out of your hair so we can go enjoy our New Year’s breakfast.” She moves to Tempe and gives her a hug and then does the same to me. “The PR team is finalizing a statement to distribute to the press today, along with releasing your drug test results. We’ll say that someone falsified the photos and reports, but we won’t disclose it was Tansy. I’ll uphold my end of the bargain to her. I hope that’s okay with you?”
“Of course,” I assure her. “I don’t want her ruined. Just want her to leave me alone.”
“I think that’s a given,” Brienne says. “Reporters will be hounding you for a statement and I think you should give one tomorrow after the game. That will be soon enough.”
“Meaning Rafferty will be playing?” Tempe asks with excitement.
Brienne smiles. “Yes… suspension is officially lifted.”
That hits me all at once. Back on the ice. Back to the game I love, cleared of all charges. “Thank you. I’m ready to put this all behind me.”
We walk Brienne and Drake to the door, offering more thanks, but when they’re gone, Tempe dances with excitement. “Oh yeah, oh yeah. That bitch is gone, oh yeah.”
Laughing, I grab her and give her a swift kiss, picking her up and swinging her around. “What a way to start the new year, huh?”
Tempe’s arms tighten around me and she laughs with joy. But then she whispers in my ear, causing me to nearly drop her. “I think the better way to start the new year was what you were getting ready to do to me in bed, don’t you think?”
I’m a smart man and couldn’t agree more. Scooping her all the way up, I carry her back to the bedroom, intent on sealing our January 1 memories into something we’ll never forget.
CHAPTER 25
Rafferty
The pressroom in the Titans’ arena vibrates with the residual energy of our win against the New Jersey Wildcats and the promise of an even juicier story. It’s a medium-size room, not far from the locker rooms, designed specifically for moments like these. The walls are adorned with framed jerseys and action shots of key moments in Titans history, a testament to the legacy we’re part of.
At the front, I sit at a long table on a small stage alongside Coach West, Callum Derringer and Penn Navarro, who was the undeniable star tonight, with two goals and an assist. While he’s standoffish with teammates and apparently prone to random bouts of violence, he’s always gracious and cool as a cucumber at press events. I think that’s because hockey is the only thing that Penn is truly comfortable with and he seems ready to relive every moment for the eager reporters seated in rows of chairs before us.
We’re waiting on a few more journalists to enter and it gives me the opportunity to read one more time the front-page article in the Pittsburgh Times sports section from this morning. It exonerated me of all accusations and provides an idea of the questions I’ll be asked today.
Titans Star Cleared in Doping Scandal
By Michael Thompson
In a stunning turn of events, Pittsburgh Titans defenseman Rafferty Abrams has been cleared by the team of all doping allegations, even before a full investigation could be completed. According to the team’s general manager, Callum Derringer, a member of the Titans’ front office has been identified as manufacturing the false evidence and has voluntarily resigned from the organization after admission to executive management. The allegations, which suggested that Abrams had used performance-enhancing drugs, were refuted by an expedited drug test and further forensic analysis of the submitted evidence is expected, although the team maintains it is not necessary, given the confession by the perpetrator.
Mr. Derringer provided a statement earlier today. “While we believe that the lab reports and photos allegedly showing Mr. Abrams engaging in drug use were digitally altered, our own internal investigation revealed the person responsible for the fake reports, and the matter has been handled sufficiently for all parties involved. Rafferty Abrams took an immediate drug test after the accusations surfaced, and the results have unequivocally confirmed his innocence.”
Owner Brienne Norcross, whose decisive actions in the wake of the scandal have been lauded by fans and insiders alike, reiterated the team’s commitment to integrity. “We stand firmly behind Rafferty and are pleased that the truth has come to light,” Norcross stated. “The Titans hold our players to the highest standards, and we are committed to maintaining a clean and fair playing environment.”
The scandal initially broke when several media outlets received anonymous tips accompanied by what are purported by the team to be doctored photographs and falsified lab reports. The swift actions by the Titans’ management helped to quickly dispel the accusations, which could have marred the team’s reputation and unfairly tainted Abrams’s career.