Enforcer by Travis Hill Page A

looking at Connor’s face, then Petre’s, then back again as Connor slid another hundred into the vest pocket.
    “Good. Make sure,” Connor continued, another hundred making its way into the vest pocket, “that every employee in this nice little store you got here understands. Make sure they all have the numbers I gave you. Make sure they know that if we find out she came to you for help, and we didn’t get the call… well, it won’t be hundreds we are putting in their pocket.”
    Petre clapped the man on the shoulder hard, making Jake squeak and jump at the same time. Jake flinched as Petre brought his hand up, but relaxed when Petre put yet another hundred in the man’s vest pocket.
    “Every week we will come by and make sure you remember your promise,” Connor told him. “As long as you are willing to help us and possibly this girl out, we’ll keep helping you and your employees out. You aren’t having any trouble with the local gangbangers or dope heads are you?”
    “Nuh…no. Not really,” Jake replied.
    “Is that a no? Or is that a yes, but you don’t want to say anything because you are afraid it will mean more trouble?” Connor asked.
    “I don’t want any trouble. I have two kids. Mikey over there has three,” Jake said, nodding toward the clerk at the counter. “Please. We don’t want any problems. We’ll call if the girl shows up.”
    “Good. I’m glad, Jake, that we could come to an agreement,” Connor said, slipping one last hundred into the man’s pocket.
    Petre raised his eyebrows at Connor, who nodded.
    “This girl must be really important,” Jake said, finally realizing that he’d been given five hundred dollars for promising to call the two men in front of him if a dark-skinned, short-haired girl showed up in need of help.
    “Very,” Petre said with a smile.
     
    *****
     
    “Four hundred dollars,” Petre whistled as they drove back to Boise. “This girl, she is in your head.”
    “Maybe,” Connor said, staring out the window. He looked over at Petre. “I’m pretty sure I saw you drop a hundred in there. Maybe she’s in your head as well.”
    Petre laughed. “I was just helping you. You have no food, no furniture, no car. I think maybe you needed help.”
    “You thought I needed help,” Connor corrected. “And thank you, but I had it covered.”
    “Ah, great hockey player has money stashed under his mattress, saving to buy his own team?”
    “Nah,” Connor answered. “Saving it for a rainy day.”
    “It might rain soon,” Petre said, both of them thinking about Jera.
     

CHAPTER 10
     
    Connor streaked down the left wing, easily leaving two of the Swedes behind, leaving the lone defenseman to try to keep him to the outside. Connor’s speed was too great, forcing the defenseman to continue skating backwards as he drove around him toward the net. He watched the goalie’s stick begin a poke check, and easily flipped the puck over it. The instant the puck touched the ice again, Connor shot it into the back of the net. He felt the goalie’s stick catch him in the ankle, saw the red goal light come on, and heard the crowd erupt into pandemonium as the puck hit the nylon netting.
    He tried to brace himself for impact, but his inertia was too great, his mind still marveling at the dekes he’d put on the defenseman, marveling even more that he’d lifted the puck perfectly and was able to finish, tying the game. He felt his back hit the boards at full speed, and had a fraction of a second to wonder how he’d been able to avoid dislocating or breaking something when the defenseman he’d burned slid into him.
    White-hot, searing pain erupted in his right leg. He looked down, confused as to what he was seeing at first. The defenseman’s skate was lodged inside Connor’s protective pants, the icy metal blade resting against the muscle of his thigh. He didn’t even notice the blood at first, until he realized that the skate stuck in his pant leg had butterflied