“Like you did?” He menacingly inched forward. “Yeah, I heard all about you and Damien Ramos.” Todd’s hand snapped out, gripping my chin between his fingers. “Did you fuck him, Bri? Did you let him touch you?”
“That’s none of your business,” I bit back, baring my teeth. After everything Todd put me through, he had the nerve to question me? That made the fear sharpen into anger, something darker and more dangerous rushing through my system.
But Todd’s gaze held the same fury. “You are my fucking business.”
“Not anymore.”
A shout came from the other side of the lot, and Todd turned, loosening his grip enough for me to shift slightly. I twisted quickly, lifting my knee so it collided with his balls. Todd let out a pained groan as his hands fell away, clutching himself as he crumpled to the ground. A security guard from the building rushed over, holding out his flashlight. He walked over to me first, checking me over. “Ma’am, are you alright?”
“No,” I wheezed. “That’s my ex-husband, and he attacked me. Please call someone for help.”
He muttered something into his radio, and I turned back toward my car. I’d probably need to talk to someone about what happened, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it right now, not when I could still feel Todd’s fingers digging into myflesh. I didn’t spare him a second glance as I darted around my car and wrenched the door open. Once I got inside, I glanced at the rearview mirror, checking to make sure Todd was out of my way before shifting the car into reverse and speeding out of the lot.
It took five blocks for my breathing to level out, for my heart to stop hammering in my chest. Flashing blue and red lights passed me, and I had to wonder if they were going after Todd. My hands shook on the steering wheel, but I kept moving, not wanting to see my ex-husband ever again.
As I rushed through the city, my phone rang through the car’s radio, and Ollie’s name flashed across the dashboard. My fingers shook as I pressed answer. My best friend’s voice instantly rushed out, “Brianna, tell me you’re okay. The security guard just called, said there was an issue in the parking lot.”
“I’m okay,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Todd came to talk to me, and it didn’t go well. He tried to grab me?—”
“That motherfucker,” she hissed. “I hope you knocked him on his ass.”
“I did,” I answered. “The last I saw, he was rolling around the ground, clutching his pathetic balls.”
“That’s my girl,” Ollie said. “The guard said they were calling the police to take care of the situation, but just in case, find somewhere else to stay tonight.”
“Already on it.” I sighed. “I’m heading to Damien’s. He…” I exhaled slowly, letting the thought of him soothe me. “He makes me feel safe, Ol.”
“Then that’s where you should go. I’m going to call Hadley and Cam. Emilia’s with her mom this weekend, so maybe I can crash in her room.”
For a moment, I wondered why shewasn’t going to Parker’s house, especially when she usually spent a couple of nights with him each week. Lately, it had seemed like they’d been spending more time apart than together. I made a mental note to ask about it once the dust settled after Todd’s visit.
Right now, all I could think about was Damien and how much I wanted to be with him. Not just for the night, but forever.
Just a few minutes in Todd’s presence made me realize how much I’d changed since our divorce. While he’d stewed on his regrets and mistakes, I’d carved a better path for myself, one filled with good friends and a lot of love.
Something I never would have experienced without Damien.
And it was time I told him as much.
FORTY-THREE
Bile churned through my gut as I shuffled down the hall of the stadium, my gait somewhere between a jog and a quick walk. No matter how much my anxiety raged, I couldn’t move any faster. As I glared down the door at the end of the hall, Ollie’s words in my ears, driving me to the point of desperation.Todd went after Brianna. No other details, nothing to tell me what the bastard had done to her, just that I needed to get to her as soon as possible.
All questions about our damaged relationship stuttered to a stop; I didn’t care if she’d figured out what she wanted from me. I’d tried to give her space over the past week, to let her know I was there for her, but I wouldn’t push her more than I already had. If Brianna wanted me, she’d come to me.
But all those ideas ground to a halt when Ollie called, worried about Brianna. Nothing else mattered. Pride be damned—I needed to get to her.
I’d hung out after the game, celebrating the win with the rest of the team. We were just about to head out for the night when my phone rang out, and Ollie’s voice broke through the hum of the clubhouse. Her voice wasuncharacteristically calm—too calm. That only caused the panic to rise, unsure if I’d ever heard Ollie so serious.
As soon as she hung up, I took off for the exit, ignoring the throb in my knee as I kept moving down the concrete hallway. She had to be okay. While Todd had never raised a hand to her before, desperation made people stupid. I’d had a bad feeling in my gut for a while now. Between him showing up at her church and her blocking his messages and phone calls, he seemed to be fixated on her, despite the end of their marriage.
But he couldn’t have her, not anymore. He’d fucked that up, and I refused to let him continue messing with her head. Even if she never wanted to be with me again, that was a promise I intended to keep. Brianna deserved so much more than that.
Security called after me as I reached the exterior doors, asking if everything was okay. Not even fucking close, but I didn’t have time to talk to them, didn’t have time to do anything but get to my girl. I grabbed the keys out of my pocket and headed toward my car.
However, once I reached it, the air heaved out of my lungs. Brianna. She stood at my passenger-side door, her arms wrapped around her chest. Her dark hazel eyes looked far away, as if she was lost in her own mind, but as soon as I stepped closer, her gaze snapped up to meet mine. Relief and concern flashed through my system, and I dropped my bag on the pavement, holding out my arms. “Angel.”
She crumbled as she raced to me, her arms wrapping tightly around my neck. Her muffled sobs soaked my shirt, but I didn’t care, too relieved to have her safe in my arms. As her breathing slowed, I leaned back, tucking up her chin to search her face. There were a couple of red marks on herneck, and that only fueled the fire inside me. I brushed them with my fingertips. “Did he do this?”
