Part 8 (2/2)

”What?!” Bradley's booming voice made everyone still, worried.

”She was trying to protect me,” Lacey explained. She sniffled, but her eyes remained dry. ”He was going to drag me back home and give me a las.h.i.+ng.”

Bro pulled her into his arms. Lacey s.h.i.+vered; not the way she did when she was crying but in a strange stilted manner, so Bro a.s.sumed she was in shock or something. ”He's not going to get the chance. Ricky, call Jordan and tell him to get his a.s.s over here, p.r.o.nto.” Bro tossed his cell phone to one of the guys surrounding them. He almost never left it in his locker, not even during practice. One never knew when it might be needed in an emergency.

Like now when his girlfriend had been attacked by her drunk father.

Though not one of the team, Ricky Carlisle, Bradley's twin, often came by to watch his brother play. Today was no exception. He looked a lot like Bradley with his broad shoulders, ripped physique, and narrow hips, not to mention his brown eyes and dark-brown hair. In fact, he had an almost Latino appearance with his tanned skin. Bro wasn't as close to him as he was to Bradley, nor had Bro ever been attracted to him. Ricky wasn't Bro's type.

”Got it.” Ricky flipped the cell lid open, found Jordan's contact info, and dialed. He made swift progress in explaining to Jordan on the other end what was happening. From the sound of it, Jordan had hung up almost immediately, which told Bro he was on his way here.

”He'll be here in five. He was close by,” Ricky told Bro, handing him his cell phone back.

Bro tucked it in his jeans pocket. ”Thanks.”

”You had better calm down, Mr. Purcell. You don't want to get into any more trouble.” Mr. Young, their sports teacher and football coach, was trying to pacify Roger. Even with his low, soothing voice, the middle-aged African-American man was having a hard time reaching his target, as Roger continued to spew curses.

”He's my son, you son of a b.i.t.c.h,” Roger growled. ”Get the f.u.c.k away from him. He's coming home with me, where he belongs.”

”She isn't going anywhere with you,” Bro spat out, barely holding on to his rage. He tried to rein his emotions back in control, but it was difficult. ”Mr. Young, there's a temporary order of protection on Purcell. Jordan will explain everything.” isn't going anywhere with you,” Bro spat out, barely holding on to his rage. He tried to rein his emotions back in control, but it was difficult. ”Mr. Young, there's a temporary order of protection on Purcell. Jordan will explain everything.”

Ennis Young took one look at Lacey's battered face, and his own expression hardened as he nodded. ”Understood.” Turning back to Roger, he said slowly, ”You need to calm down, Mr. Purcell. You're only making this worse for yourself. The police are on their way-”

”Good!” Roger shouted, his cheeks red, his eyes wild and wide. ”They'll give me my son back. These f.a.ggots are keeping him from me.”

Lacey broke out of Bro's hold, though he attempted to keep her close. ”Dad, stop. I'm not going anywhere with you. These are good people. They are my friends.”

”No! They turned my boy into a pansy-a.s.s little girl!”

Lacey was shaking now, but Bro saw it was anger. ”I was like this long before I came here. Mom knew and understood-and she accepted me for who I am.”

By then Roger was almost bellowing. The guys had a hard time holding him in place. ”It's not enough you got her killed. You had to go and make yourself look like her and sound like her, even taking her name. You robbed me of my wife. You're no son of mine.” At that, Lacey was by no means the only one staring in utter disbelief. Then Roger crumpled, started crying, and fell down on his knees, his whole body shaking. ”If Lexie hadn't left the house to fetch you from your stupid violin lesson, she wouldn't have crashed and died. It's all your fault. You killed her.” Then he was sobbing and babbling incoherently.

Bro couldn't believe any father would say that about his child. To blame his only child for something so heinous when it was only a tragic accident. It was too horrible to think about. Especially since Bro knew better. Lacey had told him this story a long time ago.

Glancing at Lacey, Bro saw her look at Roger with such sadness and despair it took his breath away. Yet, Lacey apparently wasn't going to say anything.

So Bro would. ”That's not true. That's not how she-”

Lacey's hand clamped over his mouth so fast and rough Bro's lips tingled. ”No.”

But without relenting, Bro yanked her hand away from his mouth. ”Tell him the truth, for f.u.c.k's sake.”

”Does it look like he could listen, let alone understand, right now?” Lacey pointed at the man who had slumped on the ground, half-crying, half-muttering, completely out of it. ”Now is not the time.” Lacey's chin jutted out defiantly, daring a comeback.

Bro frowned, wondering what made her suddenly behave this way. He had expected her to fall to pieces, but she had no moisture in her eyes, and her stance was that of a warrior, not a victim. This was the strongest he had ever seen her, and he didn't know what to do. So he said nothing.

”Bro.” Jordan's level voice cut through all the other interference within his head. Jordan came to stand at his side, his gaze sweeping over Roger coldly, then turning to Lacey with concern, and at long last landing on Bro with a question.

”We're okay. Lace might need to go to the emergency room-”

”I'm fine. A few sc.r.a.pes. Nothing I can't handle. I want to go home.”

Anxious and baffled, Bro wanted to grab her and shake her until she explained why she was acting like this, so cool, distant, and indifferent. But Jordan beat him to it.

”Kevin will take your father to the station and formally charge him with a.s.sault, Lace. I'll take you and Bro home in Bro's car.” He turned to Bro. ”Got the keys?”

”They're in my locker,” Bro said shortly, adding, ”I need to change.”

Jordan nodded, his expression serious. ”Okay. Make it quick.”

The thought to do otherwise hadn't even crossed Bro's mind. It was all Bro could do to leave Lacey's side even for a minute but he managed to put one foot in front of the other. He still lingered though and watched silently as Jordan's partner, Kevin Thompson, attached handcuffs to Roger's wrists, brought him up on his feet with his considerable strength, and escorted him off the field toward the SUV by the curb. Blue lights flashed across the front grill, turning the private vehicle into a uniformed one.

Then Bro rushed to the locker room, changed back into his T-s.h.i.+rt and jeans, grabbed his backpack, and charged back to the field. It had seemed to take forever, when all he wanted was to be with his girl, but the tableau had hardly changed when he returned, as if in his absence time had frozen in place, just waiting for his reappearance.

He handed the keys to Jordan wordlessly, and then watched as Jordan guided Lacey toward the school parking lot where Bro's weathered, maroon-colored Dodge Durango-he had gotten it used for three grand a year ago-waited for them. Jordan kept a constant hand on Lacey's shoulder, but she remained stiff and silent as they walked; not once did either of them look back at Bro.

Audrey caught up with them, hugged Lacey wholeheartedly, and exchanged a few words Bro couldn't hear before they parted ways. After that, Audrey returned to Bradley's side, letting her boyfriend hold her. Her beautiful face wasn't mangled either, save for a few sc.r.a.pes, so it looked like both girls had been incredibly lucky today.

Bewildered, Bro stared at Lacey's retreating back, not having a clue what was happening with the girl he loved. With the boy he loved. With Lacey.

”You'd better go after them.” Bradley's deep tone brought him out of his glum reverie, and the nudge on his arm helped out too.

”Yeah.” He had more to say but couldn't find the words, so he moved off, following Jordan and Lacey, very confused.

As he pa.s.sed Deacon, who stood close by staring in the direction where Kevin had taken Roger, Bro couldn't help himself. ”Take a long, hard look at that a.s.shole, Rake. An adult bully. Must be an idol for you. That's your future right there.”

If Deacon replied, Bro didn't wait to hear it. Slouching, he felt worn to the bone, and the stress in his stomach tightened his intestines into knots, one after another. He should have been happy to witness Roger's outburst. The order of protection would definitely be continued after this incident. He could even end up doing hard time. Bro should have been elated.

But he felt nothing but a hollow of perplexity. Lacey had seemed so rigid, so detached somehow, almost alien. No tears, no visible reactions. Maybe it was shock, he concluded. After all Lacey had been through recently and before, surely she was allowed to feel and behave any way she wanted. Bradley had been right all along. Bro needed to give her time and s.p.a.ce to work through her issues.

Swallowing hard, he realized he had no idea how to do that. Not when her ache was his ache too.

LACEY'S smell had changed. smell had changed.

It was the first thing Bro noticed once they got to the loft. Jordan took her statement, and Sebastian made them all a late lunch, or early dinner. Bro honestly didn't care.

Her typical half-feminine, half-masculine perfume, oh so sweet oh so sweet, now held the bitter, coppery tang of blood. It clung to her skin ever after she had cleaned up in the bathroom-alone. She hadn't allowed Bro, or anyone, entry.

Deciding to give her privacy, Bro retreated into his bedroom, closed the door, and let Jordan interview Lacey one-on-one. Lying on his back on the bed, his hands behind his head, Bro stared at the ceiling, unmoving. His head was empty apart from the flickers of emotions, like candles in a dark room, igniting and flaming out. But they flew by like fireflies, and he had no will to catch even one of them for closer inspection.

Only Lacey could answer these questions inside his head and heart.

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