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“Little over a year ago, he was in a plane crash He was piloting, and there was a mechanical issue The plane crashed, and his fiancée was killed He was injured and et protection in the expansion draft by the Mustangs, and the Vengeance picked hi a wonderful season so far this year See at his peak”

Dax’s eyebrows rise, and he se “Not bad but also not that surprising You do love this game”

“Lance gave me that”

“Yeah,” he agrees softly as he swirls alass He raises it to histo lean on the edge of the couch, he pours another glass from the decanter I’d left opened on the coffee table “What you don’t know is Tacker hasn’t been doing well emotionally He’s been shut off froe off the ice He’ll showto be okay—then he pulls away again”

“Sounds like he’s depressed,” I offer

Dax nods “I’ot in at the end of November?”

“Against the LA Deot suspended for—I can’t reames”

“Ten,” Dax says, then takes another long s of the liquor I take a larger sip totobourbon is the way to do it, so be it It gives me back a little of what I lost with my brother

“At any rate, it’s like he’s been a ticking tie of the couch “I’ve been afraid so to happen I pulled into the player’s lot tonight just a few minutes after he drove his truck into the barrier”

“How badly was he hurt?” I ask

“He was conscious with a few cuts and scrapes to his head I think his arm or wrist was hurt, but past that… we just don’t know His refusing to see us wasn’t all that surprising He’s such a loner”

We’re silent for a lass back and finish e of the couch to pour another