(Slade’s POV)
Vegas ice always felt different.
Too bright. Too loud. Too much spectacle layered over a game that should have stayed simple. Slade stepped onto the ice knowing he should be locked in, knowing this was a divisional game that mattered, knowing his team needed him sharp.
Instead, his mind was somewhere else entirely.
Adrian lined up across from him at center ice, helmet tilted slightly as he smirked.
“You still play like you’re angry at the world,” Adrian said under his breath.
Slade didn’t respond. He didn’t trust himself to.
Adrian had been Roman’s friend before he’d ever been Slade’s opponent. They had trained together years ago, pushed each other in summer camps, shared drinks after wins. That familiarity made games like this dangerous, because Adrian knew exactly ho
