Leo laughed, taken aback by the caller's vehemence. He glanced at Kelsey, then at the bar patrons, determined not to rise to the bait. "I gotta say, I love the passionate fan base here."
"How many hits have you taken to the head, man? I just told you that you better not ruin what we've waited on for years. Of course, we're passionate, you idiot. Passionate enough to tear your balls off if you—"
"You and what army?" His patience had thinned under Mitch's annoying perma-smirk. "Look, kid, why don't you go back to doing your homework? Leave these lines open for people who have real questions."
"You think you're so tough. Just wait."
"It's pretty easy to talk tough when you're hiding behind a phone. Show up or shut up, kid."
"Don't think I won't come down there."
Kelsey's hand squeezed his thigh. She slowly shook her head. "I think it's time for the next caller."
Rod leaned into his microphone. "For what it's worth, we should be blaming Bertuzzi for his hit on Dylan. Dirty hit, dirty player. The next time our teams meet, you can bet that Leo and I will be kicking his ass again."
A few more callers wanted to complain about the team's losing streak and what Rod and Leo thought about possible playoff matchups. Mitch alternately provoked the callers and insulted them.
When the show finally ended, Leo swore he'd never do anything with Mitch ever again. The guy was everything awful that he'd expected. He should've known better than to agree to the show. Mitch took off as soon as the clock hit seven o'clock.
With Mitch gone, Leo was content to hang out with Kelsey and Rod. They signed a few autographs and chatted with some of the bar patrons. Then Rod suggested they head out and stop by to visit Dylan.
"Oh, wait. I left my phone on our table. I'll meet you at the car." Kelsey dashed back inside the building.
Rod shook his hand and gave him a half-hug. "Good job in there."
"Thanks for being on my side."
"See you at my house." The goalie waved over his shoulder and headed to the opposite side of the parking lot.
Leo turned in the direction of his car. Five figures lurched from the shadows, surrounding him. His gaze whipped from one to the next, sizing up the threat by body type. Boxer build, full back build, wrestler, wrestler, and wrestler. The last one wielded a wooden baseball bat.
Shit.
The kid, probably college-aged, slapped the butt of the bat against his palm. "Remember me? The caller who you told to go and finish his homework. I told you'd I'd show up."
Unease tingled along Leo's skin. He couldn't keep an eye on all of them with the way they'd fanned out. "Well, you showed up. Not too smart with the cameras they have recording parking lot activity, but hey, I'll give you props for making the effort."
The kid's gaze darted to the cameras. He licked his lip and then squared his shoulders. "You think you can take out Fraser and get away with it?"
"I think Dylan and I worked together well when he was here, so I'm not sure why you're not angrier at Bertuzzi. He's the one who knocked Dylan out."
"We want to see how tough you really are." Something hard, like a fist, punched in the back of his head. He jerked forward and grabbed onto one of the guys. The four others jumped in, kicking and punching him. He fought back as best he could, but there were too many and the strikes were coming in from all sides. He struck out blindly, slamming his fist into the face of the ringleader.
Then someone sweep-kicked at the back of his legs, knocking him down.
He landed hard on the ground. Tried to scramble to his feet, but a hard boot kicked him in the solar plexus, knocking the breath out of him. It pressed harder to keep him down. The kid raised the bat in the air.
Dread set in. The only thing he could do was curl his arms around his head to protect himself.
"Hey!" Rod's yell echoed across the parking lot. "Hey! What are you doing?"
He ran full speed at the group and shoved the guy who had his boot pressed to Leo's chest. The guy fell and the bat clattered to the ground and rolled away.
Just as quick, the other three guys jumped in, attacking Leo while Rod fended off the other guy.
Leo managed to get to his feet.
A second punch connected to the back of his head.
And then he heard Kelsey's scream.
KELSEY SCREAMED FOR help. Instinct pushed her toward the fray. Leo needed her. She had to help him.
She jumped onto the back of the guy who had punched Leo's head, trying to pull him away. He twisted. "What the—get the fuck off me."
"You get off of him first." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a headlock. He rammed his back, and her, into the building's brick exterior. Her head and her back hit the wall hard. The impact caused her to lose her hold and the air to rush out of her lungs.
A parking light caught Rod's face as he traded punches with one of the assholes beating up Leo. Five on two wasn't a fair fight at all.
Gasping, she fought through the disorientation swimming through her mind and dove back in. She pushed between Leo and two hulking men who looked like college-age wrestlers. Leo blocked one punch, but two came at him the same time. Kelsey slammed her fist into the second arm, knocking it from its course. On her right side, an elbow came up high, crashing into her cheek. Pain ignited and spread out, burning where the guy's elbow had dragged along her skin. Another blow landed across her ribs and sent her sprawling to the ground. She landed on the cement step at the bar's entrance.
The bar's doors burst open. People spilled out around her. She screamed again for help and tried to protect her head as more people rushed through the door.
Sirens wailed, growing closer with every second.
Someone helped her stand. Holding her side, she stumbled toward Leo.
Bar patrons restrained three of the attackers. The other two wrestled away and one called over his shoulder as he ran, "I know what hotel you're staying in, Brennan. I'll be back to finish the job!"
Fear struck her heart. She needed Leo to be safe.
He touched his hand to the back of his head, then inspected his fingers. No doubt checking for blood. A chill waved over her skin. His beautiful face was already swelling and discoloring and blood gushed from his lip. He winced as he breathed. His coat was torn, his jeans ripped. He met her gaze, and his eyes and mouth rounded. He limped to her.
She swallowed hard, biting her lip as tears stung her eyes. His strong fingers brushed her hair away from her face. She gripped his hand, willing healing into his body. "Are you okay?"
"Are you?" He kept touching her face. "When I saw you pop up in there next to me, my heart stopped."
The police arrived and took their statements. Kelsey relayed her story and a description of the attackers who had run away, noting that Mitch had called one of them a regular caller on his show. At the sight of the uniformed cops, the three college guys folded. They confessed all and gave up information on their friends.
While Leo gave his statement, she waved off the offer of a paramedic. Rod draped his arm over her shoulder. Her brother sported a slowly darkening black eye and a long scrape over his cheek. "You need to go to the hospital. We all do. Especially Leo. He took some pretty bad hits before I was able to get to him."
"How bad?"
"Let's just say, he took some punches to the head and some kicks to the chest and legs. I think he needs x-rays. I know he's tough but he had five guys on him."
Five guys. On one. The image flashed into her mind, sparking anger and fresh tears.
The owner of the bar came over. He'd been friends with Dylan for years. "I'm so sorry about this. Let me take you all to the hospital. I don't want any of you driving right now."
Kelsey didn't feel strong enough to drive and Rod and Leo didn't look any to be in any better shape. "We'll take you up on that."
At the hospital, the same nurse who had taken care of Dylan was on duty. She took Leo back for testing first even though he'd argued that Kelsey should receive
treatment before him. While she waited, Kelsey spoke with the Bedlam's public relations department and her mom. And when she came back to the waiting room after her own testing was complete, having been discharged with a long list of instructions, her parents and Arielle were waiting along with Rod and Leo.
"Did they get the guys that slipped away?"
Dad shook his head. "Not yet. The bar's owner had footage of the entire ambush, plus they have the statements the other three assailants made so it's only a matter of time. When they do find those guys, they'll likely be charged with assault."
Mom rose and pulled Kelsey into a hug, then gestured at the bandages. "What did the doctor say?"
"I have a mild concussion." Kelsey couldn't meet Leo's gaze.
"Me too. High-five." Smiling, Rod raised his hand in the air.
Kelsey frowned at him. Exactly how hard had he hit his head? "That's not the sort of thing you high-five. It's an injury diagnosis, not a goal celebration."
"Still. We're twinning."
"And still, no." But he made her smile which she figured had been his goal.
Tongue darting out to wet dry lips, Kelsey turned to Leo. Someone had cleaned the blood from his mouth and chin. "Well?"
"Nothing's broken and I don't have a concussion. I guess my bones are pretty hard."
Her mother studied the list of Kelsey's instructions. "Why don't you come home with us tonight?"
"Thanks but no. I have the dog and really, I'm fine."
"I don't like the thought of you alone when you're hurting."
"I won't be alone. Leo's going to stay with me." She met his gaze and arched her brows. "Especially since the ringleader said that he knows which hotel you're staying in and that he's going to show up and finish the job. What if he shows up with a knife or a gun? If he was crazy or irate enough to come to the bar tonight, and if he'll be angry that his buddies ratted him out, what's to stop him from escalating the situation?"
He seemed preoccupied by the bandage on her face. "I'm not worried about me."
"Well I am, so humor me."
Her dad cleared his throat. "Leo, it's not a bad idea to move to a different hotel. The team can put through the changes in the morning."
"I'll think about it tomorrow." He stood and pain shot into his face with every movement. Shadows darkened under his eyes. "Are you ready to go home, Kelsey?"
Dad shared a look with Mom. "We'll drive you."
Once they were alone in her apartment, Kelsey grabbed Leo's hand, sucking air into her lungs. "Let me see the damage."
He drew off his jacket and his shirt. Dark, ugly bruises marred his chest. "Nothing's broken?"
"Just bruised and cut up."
"Plus the black eye."
"Yeah, that'll look like shit for a while."
"I'll get ice." She moved toward the kitchen as quickly as her bumps and bruises would allow and then stood there, gripping the edge of the counter. Tears stung and blurred her vision. Her breath hitched and she pressed her lips together, fighting back the urge to cry.
Footsteps sounded behind her and then warm hands cupped her shoulders. "Hey. Don't cry." Leo turned her to face him. "No crying for me. I'm fine."
"You're not fine. Some...some cowards attacked you."
"But I'm still standing. I don't have a concussion. They didn't get in any kicks to my head."
The image of them doing just that flashed into her mind. Tears spilled over and she carefully wrapped her arms around him. "I don't want anything happening to you."
His muscles tightened. "Well, I don't either. To you, I mean. I can't believe you jumped into that tonight."
"What was I supposed to do, let them hurt you?"
"I'd rather they hurt me than you." He skimmed his fingers over her bandage. "I hate that they hurt you. What kind of man slams a woman into a building?"
"Probably the same type who was too much of a coward to throw a punch to your face."
He clasped her hand in his. "We need to get some sleep."
They readied for bed, helping each other with care. Kelsey let Icing on the bed and the dog immediately curled up at the foot.
Leo took a long while to get comfortable.
She rolled onto her side and stared at Leo in the dark. Her heart ached at his pain.
Finally, exhaustion overtook him or his pain pills kicked in.
She loved him. Without a doubt.
The knowledge was terrifying and thrilling. But she didn't know how to tell him or when to do it. Or what she would do if he didn't love her enough to make a life with her no matter where they had to live.
CHAPTER TEN
LEO WOKE UP TO HIS phone ringing on the bedside table. He reached for it and his body protested the movement. His muscles hurt, his head hurt, and it felt like he'd been hit by a truck or tossed into a washing machine for the spin cycle.
Ryan's name on the display woke him a little more. "Hello?"
"We're at your hotel but you're not here. Where are you?"
He sat up fast, wincing as his injuries protested the movement. "You're here? Who's we? What are you doing?"
"Shane, Xavier, and I flew up this morning. We heard about what happened to you and Kelsey at the bar. You should've called us last night. Dad didn't like finding out about you getting jumped through a sports blog."
"Shit."
"Yeah. So, again, where the hell are you?"
"Kelsey's apartment." Grateful, touched, and so glad to hear from them, he gave directions, smiling in spite of his busted lip at his brothers' conversations in the background.
He tossed his phone on the bedside table.
Kelsey stirred beside him. The bruise on her cheek stood out as a stark reminder of the previous night. She carefully shifted until she sat, propped on pillows. "Your brothers are here?"
He cupped her jaw, avoiding the bruise. "I'm so sorry. How are you feeling?"
"Like I was in a fight."
Guilt overwhelmed him. In the stark light of day, he wanted to catalog each of her injures and see if there was any way he could make her feel better.
She patted his hand and then pushed the covers aside. "If they're at your hotel then they're close. We need to get up and get dressed. I need coffee."
"I'll make it." It was the least, the very least, that he could do. But his head ached, his sides ached and his stomach was sick with worry over Kelsey. He ended up sending a text to Ryan to stop at the closest coffee shop for coffees and breakfast food.
He kept an eye on Kelsey as they got dressed, wincing at his own discomfort and her careful movements.
Icing stayed close, curling against Kelsey to offer comfort. When the dog came to Leo, he gently nudged her back to her owner. He didn't deserve any.
Soon, his brothers were streaming through the door. The tension in his muscles eased as he accepted hugs far more gentle than he thought his brothers capable of doling out. "I can't believe you're here."
Xavier rolled his huge shoulders. "We heard those guys say that they knew which hotel you were in. So we're moving in with you. Let them try to come at us."
Ryan slammed his fist into his hand like he was breaking in a baseball glove. "When you mess with one Brennan, you mess with all the Brennans."
Appreciation for the gesture warmed him all the way through. Ducking his head to hide his grimace of pain, he lowered himself onto the deeply cushioned lounge chair. "The team wants to move me to another hotel. I'm supposed to talk to someone about it this afternoon. But you guys know me, I've never backed away from a fight or a threat."
"I think Dad would feel better if you moved to a new place, so do it. One of us will go over and pack your stuff for you in case the asshole is watching for you to come back." Shane folded his arms across his chest, indicating that he wasn't going to accept an argument. "Tell the team that we want to book the rooms on both sides of yours at the new hotel. We'll pay for them, of course. We won't be crowding your space... too much."
"What about Dad? And your jobs
?"
"Dad suggested we come." Ryan moved closer and sat on the arm of Leo's chair. "And we can take off from work for a few days to make sure you're okay."
Leo nodded. Dad always drilled into them that family came first and they needed to stick together. Having his brothers there made things immediately better but he felt awful about what had happened to Kelsey.
She padded into the room, holding the dog. In place of her usual jeans and sweater, she wore purple leggings and a soft white oversized sweatshirt. "Hi guys, it's nice to see you again."
Ryan jumped up. "We brought coffee and breakfast. Can we get you anything?"
Kelsey brushed her hair forward to cover her swollen face and cuddled Icing closer. "I was going to get some Tylenol. And some coffee."
"How about some ice for your head too?" Ryan managed to both hug her and pet the dog, and then gently guided her to the couch. "You sit down and I'll take care of it all."
Forehead wrinkled, Xavier rubbed his hands over each other looking uncharacteristically unsure. "Did you eat, Kelsey? You should eat. A smoothie would be easy for you if your cheek or jaw is hurting. We picked up strawberry banana and mango berry. There are a lot of vitamins in them. It'll help you heal."
She smiled at him. "Thank you. Strawberry banana would be great."
Shane came forward as Xavier hurried off. "If you need us for anything while we're here, don't hesitate to ask. I'll write down our phone numbers for you."
Ryan returned with the coffee and pain pills, followed by Xavier with the smoothie and ice pack. The way that his brothers fussed over Kelsey made Leo feel good; they were treating her like a member of the family. He stood to get his own breakfast but Ryan nudged him back into his chair and brought him coffee and a breakfast sandwich.
Their presence cheered Kelsey. She had a handful of men at the ready to walk Icing, fetch food and drink, and entertain her with silly banter.
As happy as Leo was with his family right there, guilt ached in the pit of his stomach. It grew stronger every time he looked at Kelsey.
Her injuries weren't anywhere near as serious as Ryan's had been, but they reminded him of them just the same. As always, every time he brought that horrible time to mind, guilt overwhelmed him. He'd been the one who had told the rowdy assholes hurling slurs during the parade to fuck off, among other colorful suggestions. They should've come after him, but instead, they'd lain in wait for Ryan. Because of Leo's behavior, Ryan had gotten seriously hurt, and the same had happened to Kelsey.
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